Mini-Adventure for a Monday Pick-Me-Up
Monday morning and my son was yawning, being rough and stubborn, and not listening. He was in a mood alright, and there was a storm forecast for the afternoon. I tried playing with him, but felt so frustratingly bored. I’ve been feeling bad about my reluctance to play his annoying games (yes yes I know play is wonderful and important), especially since he only has one more year before primary school and I really do want to enjoy the time we have just the two of us. I wondered if there was something we could do that we might both enjoy.
I asked my son if he was up for an adventure. He was instantly excited.
The Criteria:
Somewhere we haven’t been before (my son was in too touchy of a mood to risk ‘getting bored’)
No playgrounds (I was in too touchy of a mood to go to a playground)
Somewhere we could walk a bit, but not too far (to avoid whinging)
Somewhere with water to play with (it was hot)
Something that felt easy (we were a bit tired, I didn’t feel like a big day)
Somewhere close (we only had a couple hours to fill in before the rain was due)
Somewhere out of the strong northerly winds
Something I would enjoy (beach views or being around big trees is always nice).
I decided on a local swimming spot which would be sheltered from the northerly wind and a safe area for my four-year-old to play. We would park at a distant carpark and walk through the bush to get there, along an easy, five-minute (300m) walk. That doesn’t sound like much of an adventure, but my energy levels were low and it sounded doable for the both of us. I embrace easy.
In the Bag
I packed swimmers for my son (I wore mine underneath clothes), two lightweight towels (quick-dry camping ones which roll up to nothing in my bag), water bottles, hats and snacks. We both wore our water shoes which are safe for wearing on rocks or in the water where there might be oyster shells. We put on sunscreen at the carpark.
The Adventure
We walked along a little bush track which was easy and safe for my son. He got to be the Leader and was excited by the different parts of the track – steps, rocks, eroding sand banks (fenced off). It was cool and shady, with views of the ocean and creek on a stunning morning, which felt special. The bush was wet schlerophyll, a bit rainforesty, which was different to near our home.
There were some ‘secret tracks’ leading into the bush, and since I knew where they went, I let my son follow his curiosity. The track took us up over some large rocks, up a hill, and into the local caravan park. This was a fun opportunity to tell my son about the holidays I used to have there as a child. We walked back down the steps to the creek and over a very nicely built path (which wasn’t there when I was a kid). Then we had a snack on the rocks before jumping in the water for a play.
We played around for about an hour and could have stayed longer, but it started to sprinkle. We packed up our gear and headed back through the bush track to the car. Along the way my son chatted away happily, and I had no idea what he was talking about, and I couldn’t help but smile. From a horrible tense morning, to a perfect little outing, my son’s spirits had lifted and so had mine. That’s what fresh air and salt water, mixed with a little bit of fun and the chance to follow your curiosity, can do for you.
Highs
Connection to nature – we saw a lizard, a crab, little birds darting over the water, bush turkeys (one even ran up a tree, which surprised my son and made us laugh), and a bush turkey nest. We kept an eye out for snakes but didn’t see any. The whole walk was to the soundtrack of chirping cicadas and had the rich smell of damp forest. Divine.
We watched a paddleboard, boat and kayak go past. Then we saw some older kids with inflatable toys go floating down the current. It’s a great spot to spend hours if you have older kids who can play out in the water. It was high tide so we stayed close to shore, but at low tide it’s even better.
Playing on the little rocks and seeing the large rocks. This created a different setting to what we were used to at our own beach.
Lows
I was a bit worried about the water current, so that limited my son where I would let him play. There are often strong currents a bit out past the rocks, which can add to the fun if you have floating toys, but which are not safe for a four-year-old by himself (I didn’t want to go with him deep because the water was cold!).
Other Tips
The area was quiet for us, but in the school holidays it gets busy because it is accessed directly by the local caravan park.
Avoid the area in strong southerly winds, unless you want to watch kite surfers.
It’s a great spot to snorkel, fish, kayak, paddleboard, or float on big inflatable toys. You could spend hours here if you have a bunch of kids. There is a whole creek area to explore, and at low tide you can paddle across to sand banks in the middle of the creek. When I was a kid, we spent days here on end.
Try to stay off the sand dunes across the creek, as it is a very special habitat for Little Terns, which travel annually to lay their eggs in this one spot. If there are fences or signs up, don’t go there.
The walk is quite lovely, and at the carpark there are a couple tables for a picnic. However, there are no toilets, taps or garbage bins. (If you’re desperate, sneak up to the caravan park and find their amenities block, which is open in daytime hours.)
It’s an easy walk, but not paved or level the whole way, so no prams. Also watch smaller kids along the edge of some parts where the sand has corroded away (there were little temporary fences up in some places).
Directions
Travel along Lyons Road, Sawtell. Turn down towards Dolman’s Point/Boat Ramp (this street doesn’t have a name on Google…it’s on the creek side on Lyon’s Road, you’ll see the blue Boat Ramp sign). Continue along this road until the end (if you take the first turn, you’ll end up at the boat ramp – a great fishing/boating/kayaking spot), where there is a right turn. This is a single lane road, so check no one is coming up before you continue. There is parking at the bottom of this little hill. Beware of pot holes after the rain. You can also access the swimming area via the caravan park (Pelican St), if you just want to drive straight there.
Of course, you can have your own mini-adventure wherever you live, just find somewhere nearby to get outdoors, let your kids explore and enjoy nature.
After our little adventure exploring and playing, the rest of the day was really enjoyable. We headed home, had some playtime, got the washing in out of the rain and chatted about our latest outing. It was nice to be able to talk about the things we saw, and definitely helped keep my son from feeling bored of the normal routine. I even felt up to playing cars for a while. By having some quality time together on Monday morning, and getting out in nature, we both felt more fulfilled going into the rest of the week.
Sometimes a little adventure is just what we all need. It doesn’t have to be a big day out, or an overnight trip, or even involve going for a long drive. There are little places to explore in our own backyards, if we look for them. With a fun attitude, a little morning out can be an opportunity to create some great memories.