I've decided to try this new thing, it's called blogging in a semi-reasonable time frame to when said reason for blogging actually occurred. I used to function like that. I think that's somewhat the point of a blog, but I might be wrong. Anyways, here goes what might be the only time this really happens.
Last weekend we ventured to the central coast, about 1.5 hours north of Sydney. It's a prime getaway spot for many "Sydneysiders." It's where you go to get out of Sydney. It's where many people have a second home, a beach home. To those native Minnesotans out there, just like the "cabin up north." It's essentially an extension to the "northern beaches" which represent some of the far northern suburbs of Sydney, but a little more bush, a little more laid back. But no shortage of small beach side communities.
It was the middle weekend of Emma's two weeks of school holidays, so it seemed like a nice time for a quick escape and to test our feet back into the world of traveling, but this time with three children. Unfortunately the weather was less than stellar, cooler than normal and very wet. While it would have been nice to be able to get in the water (on purpose that is, Morgan still accomplished that in a slightly less than purposeful way), I think we made the most of it and rather enjoyed the weekend away.
Our airbnb for two nights was in the town of Matcham, about 10 minutes from the beach town of Terrigal. I picked it because it looked like the perfect blend of outdoor/indoor living as it was a former barn that had been immaculately refinished and re-purposed. Never before had we stayed in a house with a remote control garage door. It was the fun house for the girls for the weekend no doubt, just too bad the weather hadn't been nicer to enjoy the beautiful property surrounding it a little more.
Here's a look back at the weekend in photos...
After a late evening arrival on Friday we still had to test the table tennis table prior to bed.
Early morning wake up gave us plenty of time to learn how to box with the exercise equipment at the house..
6 am pancakes, thankfully we "sprang forward" with the clocks and slept a bit later on Sunday morning.
Trying to impress the girls with my pancake making skills.
This airbnb definitely had the most unique amenities.
Because who doesn't have a roll up garage door in their house?
Making muddy sand at Terrigal beach.
Enjoying playing in the cold water, a few minutes later and headfirst in it she didn't find it so fun.
Holiday smiles.
The most enjoyable lunch I've had I think ever with three kids involved. Emma read, Morgan played quietly, and Charley slept. Oh and the pizza was amazing at Four Hands in Terrigal.
After lunch fun at the playground at Avoca Beach.
There she is just stealing my heart.
Charley really did enjoy swinging with Emma, even if this photo tells a different story.
We turned the double swing into a triple swing.
Time for daddy & Morgan.
Clear evening for a BBQ and smores.
Not quite the same as a bonfire, but the wood was too wet and this was way easier.
And the smores tasted just as good. Arnott's chocolate digestives for the win in the graham cracker replacement category competition (defeated several other Arnott's competitors).
Some very happy children.
Before we left Sunday morning we got in a little more fun around the house. Just the typical flying giant paper airplanes from the loft.
Brunch at The Box on the Water in Ettalong was a winner as well (except for being overcrowded and noisy). I mean they served kids waffles with ice cream, and eggs for days for the adults.
Last stop, playing on Ettalong Beach before the rain re-appeared and sent us back to Sydney.
So Steve started "nesting" back in January and said we should catch up on this blog before B3 (aka Charley) arrived. So he wrote this and then set it aside for me to find photos. And well we can see how long that took...
We finished 2016 in the city of Chiang Mai in Northern
Thailand. While it seemed off the beaten path at first, the more we read about
it, the more excited we were about visiting, and in the end, it may have been
our favourite part of the trip. We did a bit of sight-seeing of the
city’s temples, which are beautiful in their own right, but we most enjoyed taking
things a bit slower, taking in the culture, eating the street food, going for a
Thai massage (Abby that is – one hour for $7 can’t be beat), pedicures for Abby
and Emma (because once again you couldn’t beat the price, or so Abby claimed)
and checking out the markets (day and night), all of which was a welcome
contrast to the bustle and tourism of Singapore, Bangkok and Siem Reap. Aside
from being an extremely inexpensive travel destination, it was a beautiful
blend of old and new, historic with some modern emerging amenities. We stayed
at a great Airbnb, used Uber several times, and also rode in the traditional
Songteaws or red trucks a few times as well.
Here's a glimpse at the beauty of a few of the temples found all over the city of Chiang Mai...
Street market feast, just around the corner from our Airbnb. All for less than about $8 total.
One of the first things that interested us in Chiang Mai was
reading about the Loy Krathong festival, celebrated by releasing floating
“kathrongs” in the river and launching thousands of paper lanterns into the
sky. While initially disappointed that we couldn’t make the trip during the November
festival, we were quite fortunate that there was a traditional lantern release
to celebrate the western New Years as well. As Emma had been looking forward to
the lanterns for the entire trip (with visions of Rapunzel “Tangled” in mind),
we tried hard not to wear her out during the day (and even tried to bribe her
to stay up late with desserts and evening market shopping). But we failed
miserably and when it came time for the release, she had been fast asleep for
an hour. Being the loving parents we are, we forced her to wake up so that she
wouldn’t miss the experience…I think she’s glad that we did. The sight of the
lanterns floating through the sky was truly amazing as was the feeling of
releasing our own as family (after of course watching and learning the right
and wrong tactics of attempts by several other people and a few veer a little
too close to trees and power lines).
The western New Year was a big celebration all over the city.
Emma passed out much too early into the celebrations...
But then woke up and loved helping daddy get the lantern ready!
There was an art to lighting and filling your lantern before letting it go. It was fun to watch Steve succeed after watching others and let our lantern fly! What an incredible scene that played out around us...
Our other favourite part of Chiang Mai was the elephant nature
park. While there are many in the area, we decided to visit Baanchang Elephant
Park, which had a good reputation for the treatment of their elephants, and couldn’t
have asked for a better experience. There were several experience options, but
we opted for the full day “Elephant Day Care” program. We got to know the
elephants, helped prepare food and feed the elephants (sticky rice balls and
sugar cane), went on a long walk alongside them, watched them take a mud bath
(one of the elephants decided to share a little mud with Emma too, she must
have looked dirty) and joined them for a cool bath in the river afterwards. While
it wasn’t a cheap excursion, it was one I would highly recommend to anyone visiting
the area. What incredibly beautiful animals they are...
Getting to know our elephant by feeding it sugar cane.
Getting kisses!
Emma loved going for walks with the elephants!
Making sticky rice balls!
Learning how to use a machete to chop sugarcane!
The elephants were always checking our pockets and bags for sugarcane!
Time for a mudbath
They all knew Emma still had sugarcane!
A real bath at the end of the day!
Our guide for the day loved Morgan and snapped a selfie while we were bathing the elephants!
We enjoyed our day caring for the elephants so much, we decided to spend a bit of the following day at the Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park, where we learned how certain “traditional” papers are made …we even gave it a try ourselves!
It was a truly incredible four days in Chiang Mai. A bucket list worthy destination. One where you are certain to fall in love with the Thai people, food, culture and traditions, and certainly their treasured elephants. Until we meet again Chiang Mai...
