What a Cracking Dawn!

Way back in Ancient History (I'm talking March this year!) after a long hot summer of new baby, terrible two year olds, little-red-headed-girls-who -like-to-wrestle-unsuspecting-little-boys-younger-then-them and continuous partying with house guests (on one memorable occasion actually having guests in our lounge room as well as spare bedroom!). We decided it was time to go for a more relaxed tone and get out of Sydney for a couple of weeks! Out .. . way out ... all of an hour away! (we still wanted to be able to nip back and gatecrash any wild party's the Wilson's decided to have in our absence!) To ...The Central Coast! Which since we always head south for out little beach camping trips was quite unexplored territory for us!

And relaxed we might be but with two little tykes under the age of 3 we were still up at the crack of dawn ... and just to prove it!!

A few small adjustments to let all that dawn light in!

And this one's just to prove that I look awesome at 5am!!

(when I have my back to the sun!)

Our 'wild' campsite!

(complete with marked out, flat, destoned, green canvas rectangles where you erect your tent - for the modern day 'roughing it'!)

Looks like it's going to be a very beautiful (veeery looong!) day!

Our first morning (after a rather sleepless night with a very excited Isobel) we went for what came to be our traditional early morning stumble through the campsite and stumbled right out of it on the other side straight onto the beach ...

THE BEACH became our all time fav place to spend every crack of dawn morning and lazy dusk evening ... for obvious reasons!

What a beautiful spot for a hug!

(but could it be possible? Someone's tired and maybe shouldn't have insisted on a 'nice walk' quite so early??! Especially when a 'nice walk' becomes a 'nice carry'?!)

Another perfect hug spot!

(notice I've cleverly manoeuvred things to have the lighter weight option!)

The pearly morning mist clears which means it's oh, at least 6 by now and time to ... head back to camp!
The beach was on the right of our tent and on the left this beautiful little river!
Complete with convenient chair and 'nasty geese'

(just a shame the 'convenient chair' is on the opposite bank!)

Bell investigates her options to get across

"How about a nice carry Mum?!" Unfortunately for Bell wise 'Mum' already has one child onboard (and looking very happy about it too!)
The camp ground might be ultra civilised (it even had toilets Mum -not just the drop kind either and dare I admit it: Showers!) but it was in such a pretty location and boarded by two national parks which meant it was teaming with wildlife, most noticeably bird life!

A native hen playing fowl-in-the-middle with two indigenous ducks
One of the little native duck families
And a bigger one!
Not to mention those 'nasty, nasty' geese who became regulars at all our meals and committed the unpardonable sin of hissing at baby ducks!
Well I'm sold! If I have to get up cracking early (and what Mum doesn't? - please don't answer that if you don't!) this is the place to do it!

Anyone want to move?