Thursday we did a day trip back to home valley, I still wasn't feeling flash so it was nice to have an easy day. The place looked almost as though it had already closed for the season and it was too hot for us to take the kids on any of the walks so we hung out at the pool for most of the morning and had lunch at the restaurant. The kids tried some crocodile balls which they loved. It was great they were trying something different. I had a lil taste... it was like fishy chicken ;) The kids then had another dip in the pool to cool off before having a buggy ride behind Timmy the Shetland pony. They normally did pony rides for the kids but that had finished for the season. On the way back to El Questro we picked up some fire wood, I was doing a camp oven stew and damper for dinner. The damper had a bit if a burnt bum but we just cut that bit off and it was yum ;)
Friday morning Shaun and Garry went Helifishing!! They were both like 2 excited kids before Xmas. All they had to take was their cameras as food, drinks and rods were supplied. We had to be up at the helipad by 6am and the kids had been excited to go and watch them take off. This was the only morning Caleb was still asleep so I woke him to come and wave goodbye to Shaun. The chopper looked awesome, it had no sides so the boys got the best view. After waving them goodbye Sal and I treated the kids to breaky at the restaurant, it was banana pancakes all round for the kids and bacon and eggs for us. I got to have a real coffee too :)
Caleb wrote some postcards out back at camp while Indi and Seany cooled off under the sprinklers again. Sal and I even had a run under them with Caleb and Benny whilst having a break from school work. At around 10.30am we heard the chopper coming back in even though they weren't due back for another hour. So we quickly put the bubs in their prams and headed up to the helipad with the kids to catch them coming in. Turned out they were just back for a quick refuel... so back down to camp it was ;) we put our togs on and had a dip with the kids in the rock pools near our camp. It was lovely and cool so we stayed there till the chopper was definitely due to return. The boys had a great experience and have some great photos of the areas they went to.
After lunch we took the kids on a cruise on the Chamberlain river. It was great, they got to see rock wallabies, the spitting Archer fish and Caleb even had a go at feeding a huge Barramundi. We stopped on the bank for fruit and champagne which was lovely... until Indi had to do a number 2 ;) so I snuck her up into the bushes away from the other guests enjoying their champagne. On the way backup the river the kids got to try some bush tucker - wild passion fruit. We were told the aboriginals ate lots of it if they were constipated so I didn't let indi eat too many.
Back at camp and Sal and Gaz were doing a yummy rolled chicken roast in the camp oven. It was still cooking so we went up to the bar to have a drink with some of the people we had met on the cruise.
One family owned a farm station stay at Coral Bay! We got their details as we would love to visit next time we venture over. One of the rangers JR, who we had met on the heli flight and the river cruise, gave the kids El Questro Junior Ranger booklets to complete. They were stoked and we took some back to camp for Benny and Seany. Dinner was yummo, not bad for their first camp oven attempt ;)
Saturday was our last day here and we headed off to Zebeedee Springs. It was only a short walk to the springs and when we got there it was lovely, just like a lush fairy garden with little waterfalls flowing into rock pools. It was a warm spring but still refreshing. Caleb and Indi had a great time exploring the pools and laying in the waterfalls while Archie slept the whole time in his pram.
We then went for a 4x4 drive up to Branco's lookout which took us past the El Questro homestead we had heard about and seen on TV. We had been told it was $2,600/adult per night to stay there and it was child free unless you wanted to book the whole place out for $52,000!! I think we will stick with our camper ;)
Up at the lookout we took some great photos and looked for the 5m salty croc that was spotted there that morning. Unfortunately we didn't see him. Next we drove up to Saddleback mountain to another lookout. This was marked as the most difficult 4x4 track at El Questro. It was a very steep windy incline, luckily the kids were asleep and I closed my eyes for some of it ;) Awesome views from up the top.
Back at camp and the kids had a cool off in the creek then we all got dressed and headed up to the bar area for their 'End of Season' party. Sal and I got a couple of drinks in while the kids played on the grassy area and when it got dark Sal had glow sticks for them. Just before dinner the kids got really excited as a big private chopper circled above and landed on the heli pad right beside where we were sitting. We thought it may have been a special guest for the party but turned out it was just a quest of the homesteads in their own chopper arriving late for their stay ;)
The BBQ dinner was great, kids played a bit more and when they were worn out sal and I took them back to camp to bed. The boys stayed at the bar enjoying the drinks with the guys that worked at the park. It was after 3am when Shaun came back to camp, he had had a great night chatting with JR about El Questro and life as a ranger.
Archie woke as Shaun was getting back into the camper and didn't go back to sleep so we were all a bit sleep deprived by morning.
It was an early start and quick pack up of camp before the heat (and hangovers for the boys) set in. We stopped to say goodbye to Steph and Geoff, friends we had made. They were travellers that had visited the park and ended up working there while enjoying the area. Grabbed a bacon and egg sandwhich from the 'after party breaky' for shaun on the way out and we were in the road again! This is another place we definitely will be visiting again... next time maybe just after the wet when it is greener and a bit cooler :)