Headed to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park

5.55am, yep Mark’s up again starting the pack up. So I jumped up around 6.15am, or I feel guilty lying in bed. Packed up around the sleeping children, Lily awakes first, the Dylan about 20 mins later and then good old Oliver, lying in as he has the darkest bed being on the bottom bunk. Wow, we were looking good for leaving early, everything was coming together well, even Lily and I went for a shower at 7.30am. Got back from the showers to see Mark and the boys, they were holding a broom, trying to get a mouse out of the trailer. Yes, Ricey, it happened again, except it was at least daylight. Everything had to be pulled from the camper to attempt to shoo him away. Lily screamed and indication she saw it and it ran off into the garden. Thankfully we got it out as Mark started to think how nice for a mouse to set up a nest under the camper inside my ugg boot. On the way by 8.45am and said our final goodbye to Chris and Colin, but we’ll catch up in Frankston when everyone returns. No stops on the way just a straight run as we arrived around 12.30pm to Eighty Mile Beach. It was 9km in off the Northern Hwy, and the boys kept saying how can beaches are here out in the middle of a desert. There was red dirt everywhere. Up over the hill or sand dune and a surprise hit us in the face, a beach and that turquoise blue water again. The sound in the car was, Wow we, look at that. The park was looking pretty full but did get a site for 2 nights. The beach is like 2 min walk and can here the waves at night. A quick set up and Mark then purchased bait so we could get down the beach ASAP. Boys had their rods and Mark his too. Lily had the bucket and spade and I had the chair, hoping to sit and relax. Got down the beach and I can see why its called Eighty Mile Beach, that’s all we could see, beach, beach and more beach. All rods baited and ready to be cast, Dylan stands and awaits a bite and Oliver starts and says,” What I have stand here for like 3 hours, do I”, I said “Yes you do, if you want to fish, that’s what its all about”. Well after about 10 mins I took over Oliver’s rod while he went off into, what we call,’Oliver World’, off playing by himself on the sand. Lily was collecting shells and digging so she was in her element and I was left holding the rod of Oliver’s. Mark starts winding in, which looked like a big fish, he winds and winds, yes he’s got something but I couldn’t run over as my rod was tugging hard too, oh my I started the reeling in and quickly but my left hand was grasping that hard I felt like my hand was going to drop off, “Mark, Mark, I have one too, but I can’t hold it’, he couldn’t rush over as he had his to attend too. He had caught a catfish and mine was still pulling, “help, my hand”, not to mention the rod. He rushed over and left Dylan with the catfish on shore and Mark tried and tried with my rod. I quickly got the video, because it was going to be something interesting, if not a huge snag. “What is it”, I yelled,” It’s a sting ray and that long stick thing sticking up was its barb”, Mark had said. He tried to pull it in but it ended up snapping and took everything including sinker and 3 hooks. We actually though the rod was going to snap and that was the first time Oliver had used it, as he got it off a friend for his birthday. Thankfully it didn’t, he would have been in tears I know. He was disappointed he didn’t catch it, but it’s about patience and Oliver doesn’t like that. So within about 10 mins of being at the beach we caught 2 creatures and then stayed another 2.5 hours and caught not a thing. Dylan was great, he stood out in the huge waves waiting his turn for a bite, but unfortunately he didn’t get one. He had a sore back after all that fishing. Now to describe the shells that are along this beach, are just amazing. They are really interesting ones and the colours and patterns are wonderful. I told my kids the story, when I was their age, I had a big holiday up to Queensland, and can quite clearly remember collecting shells with my dad, and every time we found big ones that were not broken we would say” That’s a beauty”. So to my dad, we have carried on the tradition and now say when we find a great shell,” That’s a beauty”. Lily even said, I wish I was around when you were little to here my dad say that. A very funny comment from Lily. So every minute it was” That’s a beauty”. Oliver has decided we will collect some good shells to give to the children in his class, so its 25 plus shells to find. That is so easy we have over 100 already. Okay, Lily now wants some for her friends at kinder too, so we have piles everywhere.

Our Set up at Eighty Mile Beach

Dylan fishing

Oliver Fishing

Mark went and got the car and drove down on the beach to collect all of our belongings and so we could sit and watch the sun go down. I know I write a lot about the sun going down, but it’s just so beautiful and we never get sick of it, especially having a beer while looking at the bright sun. Another night concluded and we here from next door that Hawthorn was winning. Mark and boys go and watch in TV room the rest of the game while Lily dozes off to fairyland, very tired