Australia Day was earlier this week, and instead of chilling at the beach as planned, I rested on the couch and tried to recover from a runny nose and headache. Usually I’d be smashing the cold-and-flu tablets in this situation but alas, they’re not recommended while breastfeeding.
So to cheer myself up I shall remember the great holidays just passed. After a very quiet New Years (I made it to midnight and was asleep five minutes later) our little family headed to Port Hacking for our youth camp. It was the first year I didn’t have a group of teens to look after so camp felt really different. Dane and I got to go out in a canoe one morning and paddle around the Hacking River, and another morning I got to go on a boat ride in a runabout all the way from Deer Park wharf to Wattamolla.
There was also a very dreadful trip to the beach in which it drizzled continuously, and then broke out into a raging rainstorm. I had to huddle beneath a picnic shelter with baby strapped to me for hours while the youth group played games in the rain. We went back to the campsite early and had a very enjoyable afternoon playing board games instead.
For me the best part about youth camp has always been hanging out with youth kids, so being a bit separate from everything was hard to adjust to. I feel a bit sad that the ‘youth leader’ part of my life is over.
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| Daddy and baby at the camp site |
Once we’d recovered from camp, we took baby on a day trip to Berrima. The last time I’d been there I was pregnant and felt horribly sick, so it was nice to go and actually enjoy it. We stopped for scones and milkshakes at Stones Patisserie, a very cute streetside cafe with a bit of French flair. The pastries in the display looked spectacular but were a bit pricey. Dane’s maple milkshake was a real treat.
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| Stones Patisserie, Berrima |
I bought some Australian apple-box honey from The Little Hand-stirred Jam shop, a passionfruit butter, and some caramelised fig-and-quince paste.
We headed back up the highway to our old favourite, the Berkelouw Book Barn at Bendooley Estate for lunch. They have just added a ‘cellar door’ section with a beautiful wine room and grazing menu. The room is furnished with comfortable armchairs and cowhide stools, so you can sit and look through the glass wall to the vineyard. There’s also a private room which is top of my list for my 30th birthday next year!
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| Poached peach dessert at Bendooley Estate |
On another day this holidays, when there was a heatwave, we took refuge at my parents’ Botany apartment since they were overseas. I took baby for a splash at Botany pools, and discovered a very entertaining new toy for her:
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| Baby loves playing with swimming goggles |
We had dinner at Sedap, in the ground floor arcade at East Gardens Westfields. They had a special for nasi ayam goreng (fried chicken and rice) for $13 - bargain! Even though it’s located in a shopping centre, they’ve managed to keep the ‘hawker’ feel with a very casual setup and funky tin cups.
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| Sedap Malaysian Kopitiam |
We had planned to head home the next evening, but were trapped by another crazy rainstorm. We stayed on another night, and made it home in time for the youth group pool party at our place, which turned into cards until midnight.
I am a bit apprehensive about Dane going back to work. Baby has become so different in these last six weeks. I think it will take me a while to regain my confidence and get us back into a groove. But first thing will be to get rid of these wretched colds!
