It was a great plan in theory - we would all have cottages in close proximity to each other. The kids all know each other and really enjoy playing together. The holiday park has a great pool complex and some fun play areas. And the beach is a 2-minute walk away.
Of course, the one thing you can't plan for is the weather.
From Friday afternoon until early Sunday morning, it rained. And not just a sprinkle here or there, but full-on, torrential rain. A "pour down" as I used to call it as a kid. The kind of storm where you start to think that building an ark might not be such a bad idea. And it was windy. We could hear the surf pounding from our cottage. There were short breaks in the storm, but the rain did not clear until Sunday morning.
Having said that, we did try to make the best of a wet situation. We went swimming in the pool in the rain. We went for a drive and played cricket under the cover of a pavilion. The kids watch videos and the grown-ups had a chance to catch up. We went out for a good dinner at the local club. And some of us (or so I am told) stayed up into the wee hours of Sunday morning playing cards and having a good time.
All-in-all, it was a good weekend. Having a holiday weekend away with two small children is always a challenge, but it was a lot fun being with our friends. One of the girls put it best when she said, "This is the best and worst holiday ever!"
Here are some photos of our weekend (click on the image to make it larger):
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| Our cottage |
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| The rainy view from our cottage |
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| We found a protected spot and enjoyed popsicles! |
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| Vincent wasn't very impressed by all the rain |
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| Desmond all tuckered out |
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| The surf pounding at Pearl Beach |
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| Playing cricket under a pavilion at Patonga |
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| A view from Umina Beach on Sunday morning after the storm had cleared (looking east) |
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| Another view from Umina Beach (looking east) |
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| We had a fun time - maybe we will come back again (when it's not raining!) |
