State Forest Camping Adventure

Running away from the city can be a fantastic experience. Most years we stay in Melbourne for Cup Weekend, but this year we decided to cart some family and friends to a scenic spot near Yarram, Gippsland. The fun starts right from the get-go with a well planned trip and the puppy loved the excitement of going on a road trip!

As we arrived at the camp it was a bit exciting to see a blur of wallabies zooming across the path… looking very familiar in relation to the old rego sticker on my window!

The camp itself was a great site and lots of fun to set up. We opted for a Kathmandu tent but some of the others had amazing pop-out numbers which emerged from trailers like magic.

The beach was not far away so a few hours at a time playing in the sand was lots of fun, especially for the dogs. A few were brave enough to bear the cold water but not me! I think I need to go a lot further north for that!

There were a few redheads on this trip so we dutifully reminded each other to slip-slop-slap! Big hats are a great idea for everyone, but are absolutely vital for those of us who burn – well – at the drop of a hat!!! SWIDT??

One unexpected bonus at the campsite was having a koala decide that he was entirely cool with being our neighbour for a while, never mind the dogs!

We called ‘him’ Kevin. Kevin the Koala. He was a big hit.

Our nights of campfire cooking were outstanding. Card games reigned supreme. The occasional bit of rain didn’t dampen our spirits thanks to a make-shift marquee created from tarps and spare tent ropes and sticks. (But I think we’ll buy one for next time!) Sam had an amazing contraption that allowed us to cook directly over the fire or coals by swinging around grill plates in any direction that suited on a stave hammered into the ground. Pure genius! And to top it off, “I got my hair did”.

And of course there were marshmallows. And some ‘cordial’. Anything tastes amazing around a roaring camp fire!

Nothing lasts forever and all camping trips come to an end! The pack up was not too much trouble and everyone chipped in to help. We left the site as pristine as we found it and enjoyed the trip home with our grubby, tired, happy puppy.