Mallacoota - Part 1

DAY 1 - Friday January 20

We have moved to a holiday park in Mallacoota.  For those of you who have never stayed in a holiday park (which was us until today) it's a large campground with tent sites, RV sites and stand-alone cabins that you can rent.  These parks are scattered everywhere throughout Australia.  The advantages of a holiday park are the facilities (pools, playgrounds, etc.), the prime locations (bordering beaches, parks and close to shops), and often the prices.  The disadvantage is that the noise (typically in the form of screaming children) is constant.  Here's what the transition feels like to us.  Picture a 'Nabob' commercial - you are sitting on your patio, drinking a coffee, staring peacefully at the tranquil ocean - then pan out to oodles of wild 2' tall hellions running through your view and crank the volume to 10, that's a holiday park.

We walk into our 'cabin' and I want to turn around and head back to Surf Beach.  Even my husband (who on more than one occasion throughout his travels has called a park bench his home) raises an eyebrow and solemnly asks, "How long are we here for?"  Rusty walks in the door, takes one look around, and starts weeping (there's no stuffed shark or easy-bake oven here).  Ah well, this glorified tent is actually not too bad, but it's no Surf Beach retreat.

Rusty & Audrey & Puppy looking less than thrilled in our new home

Mallacoota is a vacation getaway for people who like to fish.  Really like to fish.  As in, own a boat and fishfinders and such.  We realize that when we see every second vehicle towing a boat, and overhear our neighbor say he's off to 'check the prawnies'.  There doesn't seem to be much going on if you aren't here to fish (or catch prawns).  Now, I've been known to enjoy fishing in the past (and I have the scars to prove it), but boating and/or fishing with a toddler and baby in tow just reeks of trips to the emergency room.  We resign ourselves to a bit of a boring week.

DAY 2 - Saturday January 21

Mallacoota and the holiday park are growing on us.  We take a morning stroll and come across the local weekly market.  The nectarines, plums and peaches are amazing and we buy a bag of those, some fresh eggs (so fresh they still have feathers on them), and some lettuce, 2 tomatoes and a handful of green beans (for 3 bucks - I am thrilled!!!).

Rusty is in her socializing glory and runs from stall to stall greeting everyone with a loud "EYE" (aka "HI").  She is so thrilled with it all that she celebrates in the park with a little dance as we are leaving.  We finish the morning off with some fantastic espresso and vanilla squares at a nearby cafe.

Rusty dancing in the park after the market

In the afternoon Rusty takes a swim in the holiday park pool.  After awhile she is shivering and blue, but still not wanting to get out.  The temperature here is in the mid-twenties - not too hot, not too cold, but not too good for warming up a hypothermic child from a 'solar-heated' pool.  We wrap her in a warm towel until she stops shaking. 

DAY 3 - Sunday January 22

We cross over to the other side of the street and the sleepy little town of Mallacoota is suddenly vibrant.  We find a a beer garden outside a local hotel with live music and lots of families enjoying the vibe.  On the last song the band starts a drum jam, someone pulls a broom from out of the kitchen, and all the kids start doing the Limbo.  What fun.  We glance at the menu and opt only to participate in the beer-drinking portion of the event (Caesar Salad goes for a mere $18 here).

Ellen & Rusty enjoying some live music

Audrey enjoying her new-found toes

DAY 4 - Monday January 23

We decide to venture out beyond a 500-m radius and take a walk to explore some nearby beaches that our guidebook says are surfable (Bastion Point & Tip Beach).  We find a spot that has Clark champing at the bit.  From the lookout point above the beach the waves look a lot bigger than the waves at Surf Beach, but it is patrolled and Clark doesn't look concerned.  After a bit of prompting from me Clark takes Rusty down the stairs to ask the lifeguards about the surf conditions.  I stay up top with Audrey and the Chariot (which most of the time I love, and sometimes I think we should rename 'the ball and chain').  Clark comes running back up the stairs with a big grin on his face.  

"What did they say?" I ask.

"It's great," he grins.  "They've only pulled 3 people out today."

Hmmm….