First Camping Trip

Stuart bought me Camping equipment!!!

 For our 11th Anniversary.

I am now the ecstatic owner of a Tent, a camp stove, a lantern and an icebox along with other sundries such as tarps and ropes.

To some this might not sound very romantic but it is by far the most wonderful thing Stuart has ever given me.
We finally got to try out our equipment on a quick three day trip.

We went to a place called Lane Poole Reserve.

Stringers is such a great name.
We hope to come back here with Shiwei and Wenhong.
Camp 5 would be perfect for two families

It only took us an hour and half to get there from Ellenbrook. Of course that didn't count how long it took us to get from the park entrance down the winding corrugated dirt road.
I don't think they have these sort of roads in the US, it is like a rutted dirt road but bumpier. There are grooves cut into the red dirt across the width of the road, so you can't go much over 10 km an hour or you risk busting your suspension or at the least your shock absorbers.

Our camp site was in a group of six right down the bottom of the reserve. We were about a 3 minute walk from the river, which amazingly still had water in it. We were surrounded by Jarrah trees and ferny slopes. It isn't old growth forest but was re-planted after being logged in the 1950's


This was the back of our campsite.

We were near the no-stink dunny (aka outhouse).
We weren't exactly prepared for the fact there was no running water . We only had about 15L of drinking water. So we boiled river water for the dishes.

 

It was a blissful three days. The only negative was that Samantha got lots of mozzie bites on her elbows and ankles, next time she wears long sleeves and pants as soon as the sun starts to descend. I was wearing long pants and long sleeves the whole time, as sun protection an didn't get any mozzie bites.

There is a total fire ban in Western Australia from the middle of December until the end of March.

We can't wait to go again in the autumn when we can have a campfire.

So here is the photographic evidence of our camping adventure.

 

Sam and I ready for lunch

Me all set for living in the sun (UV index 13, anything over 4 is dangerous)
Do you like my Singapore pants? Esther got these for me. My wardrobe gets more Chinese every year.
It must be admitted they are very cool, incredibly comfortable and I did not get burnt.
Oh, and the second little tent is our beech shade, we used it as a pantry in an attempt to keep the ants out of our food.

Samantha was right at home in our tent.



See we have hollow trees here too, though not so grand as the redwood trees.
This was supposed to be a picture of Sam and Stu but Sam turned invisible.