A Christmas to Remember

The long distance walks we have completed over the past few days resulted in an unplanned sleep in this morning!  It was well after 7am when Jack roused us all with an excited "Woop". 

I am not quite sure what he was more excited about – the pile of presents on the table or the fact that he didn’t have to walk anywhere today!  As it turns out, Santa had fought through the storm and found our little campsite.  Clearly he hadn’t received my message about the weight restrictions on the caravan. 

 As is the way when there are young children in the family,

 the morning was filled with the thrill and magic of Christmas.

 

Ang and Rob joined us in the van for the present opening.



There were Christmas jocks.  Lots of them.



The Christmas Booty

There was also lollies, lolly pops, nuts, chocolates, biscuits, shortbread, socks, t-shirts, books, Lego, beach towels, water bottles, hairbrushes, jewellery, perfume, alcohol and a penguin.

Christmas breakfast consisted of shortbread (thanks Jac!), mince pies and Christmas M&Ms.  We actually had made great plans for a big fancy cooked brekky but the weather was already scorching and the thought of hot food was unappealing.

In fact the morning had dawned with not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind.  One might have been forgiven for thinking last night’s storm was a figment of our imagination, if not for the single gazebo sitting alone and proud in the centre of our site.



By 10am the heat was so intense we headed to the pool for a dip.  Although our initial plan was to stay pool side for an hour or so, we commandeered the only large gazebo in the pool area and didn’t move again for the next seven hours. 

Such is the beauty of an outback Christmas with no plans, no pressure, no commitments.

Christmas Bliss.

We enjoyed the company of other travellers, and feasted pool side on a cold lunch of leg ham, smoked salmon, gourmet cheeses, olives, nuts and crackers, all washed down with ice cold beer, bubbles, bourbon, Sangria and lemon Fanta.

Just after 5pm, with red noses and skin like wrinkled prunes, we headed back to camp.  It was time to shower and moisturise our sun beaten skin and watch our last sunset in the spiritual heart of Australia.

By 8.30pm it had cooled down enough for us to enjoy our Christmas dinner.  Under a magnificent full moon we pulled our Christmas crackers and enjoyed a second feast of delicious ham, salmon, chicken, cheeses, olives, pickled vegetables and fresh garden salad. 

 

This was followed by a traditional Christmas pudding with cream and custard along with some more mince pies, shortbread and Cadbury Favourites.

 

 



Note the absence of poor little Fletch, who just couldn’t last until Christmas dinner.  We saved his meal for him to eat when he awoke a short time later.

 The day finished happily with a glass of Baileys and a game of outback Frogger.



A Christmas To Remember