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February 28, 2002
Holiday Merimbula February 2nd - 17th 2002.
DAY 1: Arrival
Here we are: AT THE BEACH AT LAST!!!! I'm curled up on the couch writing and listening to the waves crashing - our apartment is less than 30 metres from the surf and you can tell: the air feels sticky and smells of salt. I'm in heaven!
Pixie has been an angel all day. She only slept 30 minutes of the 3 ½ hour drive because a massive rain storm woke her up. We drove through sheets of rain so heavy we could only see 3 metres in front of the car. We were driving through snaking mountain roads at the time - eek!
But despite her TINY nap, Pixie was perfectly content in the car (a minor major miracle, believe me!). She sang songs to herself and pointed out cows in fields. She was really excited about going "to the beach" - I'd been talking about our holiday to her for about a week, counting down the days and telling her about all the things we'll do together. She was captivated and is excited about all the new experiences up ahead.
To celebrate our arrival we went out for dinner - what a treat! We don't eat out very often - Pixie's usually too much of a handful: pulling cutlery off tables (other peoples that is), charging around helter skelter (she can't sit still for long), spilling drinks, eating off our plates, generally being very noisy and fidgety. And when she decides it's time to leave she pulls on our sleeves really hard and chants over and over, "Go home now." Anyway, we decided to give the 'eating out' experience another try - we're on holidays after all!
We found an ambient little Mexican restaurant at the end of a quaint little alley. It had white-washed walls, cacti everywhere, woven wall hangings, rustic wooden tables. It was divine. And Pixie continued her angelic mood. Apart from playing with all the cutlery and dropping it on the slate floor (very noisy), she sat in her chair, coloured some pictures with the pencils the waiter brought her, drank Mexican punch, and tasted everything off her 'kids' plate: bean taco, mexican rice, cheese and bean salad. I ordered my usual beef enchilada combo, and Jay had Devil's Prawns! It was the perfect start to our long awaited holiday…I'm so excited!
We passed a charming little town on the drive in, setting up for a huge market tomorrow, so we think we'll drive across and check it out in the morning. It's been a long time since I've wandered through an outdoor country market.
The tide is out on the beach and seems to have carted a huge amount of sand out to sea. Our beach looks quite decimated.
I hope tomorrow's sunny…but they've forecast rain………….
DAY 2: To Market
After a morning walk along the beach (ahhh, heaven) we drove across to Candelo for the market. We exhausted ourselves walking around and each picked out something to buy. Pixie got a sun-dancer window ornament and a Polynesian doll with a grass skirt and a shell bracelet. Jay picked out Salman Rushdie's latest novel for six bucks, and I got a sumptuous Cake Cookbook (heaven help my waistline!). Then we bought a big bag of blood red plums, and gorged ourselves.
Pixie refused to take an afternoon nap (uh-oh) so we ended up swimming in the pool this afternoon. It was dull, overcast weather but the salt-water pool is heated (slightly) so we jumped in anyway. Pixie was nervous at first but after watching some other kids splash and swim and squeal in the water she couldn't hold back any longer - her desire to do what the other kids were doing overruled her fear! In usual Pixie fashion her enthusiasm, once unleashed, was boundless. She romped through the toddler's pool, jumped off the edge of the big pool into Jay's arms, and floated on her back as I swooshed her through the water. Unbelievable considering her massive water phobia of the past few months!!!! You can imagine my sigh of relief! She is now our 'water-nymphette'.
Jay's found a country house for us to buy already. Ha! Ha! A glorious 1870's double-storey B&B in Candelo for a mere 160 grand! If we had money it would be tempting. I have a secret little fantasy I'm completely captivated by: living in an old house in a sleepy beach-town, where every room is painted a different colour for a different mood, with a shell-collection on every windowsill. Spending all day in seclusion - writing in the mornings, and taking long solitary beach walks in the afternoons. I imagine I could be happy with a quiet life of introversion - living my novel in my head, walking, tending a garden, learning how to cook REALLY fucking well…….growing fat, ARGH!
Anyway, it seems the sand erosion on our beach is a bit of a freak event. They've had a few massive storms here lately, and massive tides that have carted about ½ a metre of sand off the dunes. Someone told me it could take YEARS (?!) for the sand to be replaced! What a shame! But the beach is truly BEAUTIFUL irregardless…I can't believe just HOW beautiful it is….I feel instantly relaxed and at peace as soon as I set foot on the sand.
In a decadent holiday mood this evening we went out for dinner AGAIN!!! The golf club had a carvery night, so we dined on pork and crackling (how evil!) and Pixie delighted in watching a herd of kangaroos grazing on the golf greens outside the windows. Heavy bushland surrounds the golf greens and we enjoyed a lovely view across to the lake.
This, my friends, IS THE LIFE!!!!!
DAY 3: Rain, Rain go away!
It has been raining steadily ALL DAY LONG!!! Humph! Sometimes a fine thin misty rain, but as I write it is heavy, heavy, pounding heavy! Apart from a little shopping in town, dodging the rain by dashing from one shop door to another, we've been stuck inside ALL DAY! Ouch! This is not part of our dream holiday I can tell you.
I feel sure this thunderous rain will have washed away even more of our beach! I haven't seen such persistent heavy rain in a long, LONG time. And why fucking now, I might add.
They're forecasting rain tomorrow….I'm praying for a perfect summer's day! Oh well, there's nothing for it but to eat lots of chocolate and read books…not such a bad life I guess. Mind you, we've been here three days and I'm YET to see any sunshine…what the hell's happened to summer??? Can someone remind the weather-guy it's only FEBRUARY!!!!
DAY 4: Drip, drop, drat!!
Showers, thundering rain, on and off, ALL DAY LONG! I'm fighting like a dog not to get depressed.
I have spent 10 months fantasising about this beach holiday, and not once, NOT EVEN FOR A NANOSECOND, did I consider that the weather - the usual hot February weather - might decide not to co-operate! In my fantasies the sky was always hot blue, the sun pounding down, the waves dancing in the sunlight, and my skin getting darker and darker with every hot passing day! God damn it, WHAT is this fucking rain doing here, washing away my fantasies and half the beach with it??
We managed to get out on the beach for about 30 minutes today before the rain set in- the waves were big and the sky was heavy and grey and I begrudgingly admit it was actually breath-takingly beautiful. The glory of the beach is that it's empowering and beautiful in any weather conditions, so I can live with it being overcast, if only the rain would let-up enough for us to get out and about. But I'm longing for sunshine and blue days. We feel so trapped with all this rain - we're in a small apartment with nothing do to but eat and read: winter activities dammit! We feel a little like caged animals must feel: flat, despondent, listless, losing hope.
The rain is pounding REALLY hard as I write this - it's hard to hold out much hope for tomorrow :^(
DAY 5: Noah's Ark
Okay, so this would be the third day of SOLID RAIN! I'm ready to start building an ark. At least it would give me something to do. I'm running out of ideas. We're stuck in a small apartment with little to entertain us. There's no indoor pool anywhere, no indoor shopping centre, no indoor playground here. Why? Because it's a bloody beach town - the sun is supposed to shine so we can play on the sand, frolic in the waves, walk on the beach. ARGH!
We've been wearing jumpers and jeans and boots (BOOTS! For crying out loud!) for three days! It's cold. And it's time to admit that we're DEPRESSED. The weather forecasts predict rain and storms right through until Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!! (It's only Wednesday.) What shall we do? How will we wear the weight of such heavy disappointment when we should be having so much fun? Ten months of longing, ten months of fantasising about the hot summer sunshine, and it feels like winter!!!! I'm angry, sad, frustrated, and disappointed. I can't pretend anymore, I can't hide it. I'm pissed! I wish I could curl up and cry but it seems such a pitiful thing to cry over when people have real worries in the world. I wish I was the sort of girl who could make the best of a bad situation, but alas I'm not! I'm more of a sulker, a whinger, a cranky-puss! What more can I say?
DAY 6: Rain drops keep falling on my head!
We're are officially resigned to the rain now. Today's weather forecast predicts rain RIGHT THROUGH UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY. Can you believe it? This is completely unheard of in February! Almost completely unheard of in Australia full-stop. It doesn't tend to rain much here…usu-bloody-ally!
Today we went shopping for wet-weather gear (I told you we were resigned!). Gumboots for Pixie, a raincoat with a hood, and rain ponchos for us (and yes, they look as daggy as they sound!). We then went out on the beach in the drizzle, we no longer care - in fact it was kinda atmospheric. We've decided to go out for either lunch or dinner every day, just to be somewhere other than in the apartment. We're reading a lot, and buying stupid magazines. We've even been swimming in the pool in the rain - even though it's heated it was still a tad chilly! Brrr! Yes, I have become the person I wished I was yesterday: we're making the most of this holiday despite the un-bloody-co-operative weather conditions.
DAY 7: AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!
Yep, it's raining still. That makes five solid days. Hmmmm.
Today we had morning tea at the wharf restaurant. THE MOST DIVINE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE with thick fudge icing I'VE EVER TASTED! Yes, I'm eating. Eating, eating, eating, eating…isn't that what you do when you've lost hope?
So we sat in the Wharf restaurant with it's majestic view over the ocean (grey and misty with the persistent drizzle) and we saw dolphins jumping in and out of the waves. What a treat. There is an amazing amount of wildlife around here - due to the infringing national park. Fuck the rain, I'm having a good time anyway!
DAY 8: Is that? Could that be? Is that SUNSHINE I spy between the gap in the clouds?
Wow, our first glimpse of sunshine in eight days!!!!! It was dull and windy this morning but from about 3pm onwards it was SUNNY!!!!!!!!!! YIPPPPEEEEEEEE!
We went swimming in the pool, sunbathed and drank beer on the balcony, ate steak and salad for dinner, then wandered around the beach to the lake, collecting shells and chasing seagulls (a particular talent of Pixie's). We watched the sunset over the lake and then wandered home for cake and tea and to watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. We feel so CONTENT! So relieved and thrilled to FINALLY have a glimpse of sunshine - even for just a few GLORIOUS hours. And it is just as I expected: when the sun shines this place is FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!!!!!!!!! Thank you weather-gods!
DAY 9: Whose sick joke is this???
It rained again. ALL DAY LONG WITHOUT A BREAK. Truly I swear to you, it didn't stop raining for even one tinsy little minute today…it rained ALL DAY LONG!
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
DAY 10: Is there light at the end of this soggy tunnel?
Rained on and off, then stayed clear with the odd sunny break from 3pm onwards. This holiday diary is simply becoming one long weather broadcast. How friggin dull.
Once it fined up we took our afternoon tea to a lovely sheltered spot by the lake, then played in the water and on the sand for an hour or two. It was heavenly. We feel so relaxed and content. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this holiday is when the weather co-operates. So blissful, so relaxing, so satisfyingly lazy and luxurious.
They're forecasting clear sunny days ahead. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAY 11, 12, 13: I'm walking on sunshine…whoaaa-ohhhhhhh!
Finally! Three days of GLORIOUS sunshine…beautiful, warm, clear sunny days. Hallelujah!
We've developed a bit of a routine. A walk and a play on the beach after breakfast. Then home for a morning swim in the pool. Then lunch followed by Pixie taking a two hour nap. I go for a looooong thoughtful walk on the beach, and then I join Jay on the balcony at 'beer-o-clock' (3pm) for a glass of the amber fuel and a chat as we watch the neighbouring kids splash and squeal in the pool down below. Then Pixie wakes up and eats a sticky chocolate icecream (she's being totally indulged this holiday), then it's back to the beach for some serious sandcastle building (Jay had about 10 kids helping him one day!!!) and water play. It seems to be steak for dinner tonight (although we've indulged in pizza on the beach one night, fish-n-chips on the beach another night). Then we have a slow evening stroll on the beach and to the lake, then home to watch the winter Olympics (is Apolo Anton a spunk or what?). I love the winter Olympics…which is weird, because Australia is not exactly a winter-sport-kinda-nation. Perhaps that's why I like it so much: it's a little eccentric! I am crazy about the ice-skating, what a seriously romantic sport. Pixie has been pretend ice-skating around the flat…I'm gonna take her skating this winter, I'm pretty sure there's a rink in Canberra somewhere. I was pretty zippy on the skates in my time.
Anyway, our days have been delightful, delicious, delectable, deliriously divine. What a wonderful life.
DAY 14: Is it that time already?
Well it's time to leave. We had our first swim in the ocean yesterday and it was UN-fucking-BELIEVABLE! I felt the closest I've felt to childlike joy and abandon in a long time. Smashing into the waves, giggling, laughing, it was deliriously delightful. Pixie refused to join Jay and I - she's a little nervous of the crashing sound of the waves. So she stayed on the sand and we kept her content by continually filling her sand-buckets (she had three, greedy girl) with water and carting them up to her…she loves water play and kept filling sand holes with water. But I tell you, there is nothing, NOTHING like swimming in the ocean. No swimming pool, river, or water hole comes close to the exhilaration you feel when the crystal clear ocean waves pound against your skin. I can't believe we were too chicken to swim in the ocean until our last day…we stupidly thought it was too cold. But once you get used to the temperature, it's tremendously invigorating. And when we jumped in the pool afterwards it felt like a warm bath! Next holiday I'm ocean swimming every chance I get! It feels seriously good for the soul. During this holiday I've noticed a few really crinkly old men who strip off, rain hail or shine, and go for an ocean swim everyday without fail. Now I completely understand why. It's probably the secret to their prolonged existence.
And yes, there WILL be a next beach holiday….soon. Jay and I have had such a relaxing, delightful, inspiring time (particularly these past few sunny days) that we've committed ourselves and our budget (heaven help it) to TWO beach jaunts every year. Yes, I seriously want Pixie to develop a passionate connection to beach life - just as I did as a child. Just as every true-blue Aussie should. And it takes regular visits for the ocean to seep into your soul. So we're booking 10 days in late spring (November) and 10 days in late summer (February). That would mean there's only nine months to go until my next beach holiday….and I CAN'T WAIT! In November there are whale-watching cruises too….
We're taking the scenic drive back home, up the coast, and we're staying overnight at a beach town about 2 hours drive away (we'll take the whole day to get there stopping wherever looks tempting). It'll be about a 1 ½ hour drive home tomorrow. So this holiday is not over yet! Where we're staying tonight is quite secluded…untouched beach and bushland….they supposedly have kangaroos grazing on the sand-dunes…I've promised Pixie she'll get to meet some "russells" (her name for kangaroos) so fingers crossed.
I'll write tomorrow, when we arrive home.
DAY 15: Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!
Well, here we are, home again. And surprisingly, it feels good. I feel exhausted, content, and satisfied with our holiday, which is a major surprise considering my mood in that first soggy week. It also helps that I completely cleaned and tidied the house the morning before we left, so we've walked into a very civilised, spacious abode!
We discovered some divine little places on our trip home. I can't begin to even describe them…we saw so much, from gorgeous little bays and coves, to windswept beaches, to huge lakes, to green pasturelands, picturesque valleys and mountains. A little township called Tilba was completely captivating; a little village of craftspeople and artisans, a row of charming old weatherboard shops selling the most eclectic array of treasures, all set in green rolling hills. The town is famous for it's gourmet cheeses, and the factory has a deli shopfront open for tastings. And an award-winning bakery serves delectable pies and mouth-watering cakes which you can eat in a shady little terrace on the main street, under a huge tree with views toward the valley. Yep, we fell in love. Needless to say we'll be doing as many weekend trips as we can organise. It's so exciting to be in a new region of the country that we've hardly explored. And such a seriously beautiful area to boot. It's very exciting.
And yes, Pixie got to meet many, many, MANY "Russell's" during our stay at Durras last night. She's really crazy about kangaroos, and loves to "bounce" around the house pretending to be one. These kanga's were seriously friendly too, coming up to us expecting some food. But one look at their long taloned-hands and you back away…they're native animals after all.
Anyway, time to finish up this looooooooooong entry. Pixie had a truly magical holiday. She talks about swimming all the time. And she adored all the time she got to spend with Jay. Ahhhh, if only every day were a beach holiday…..
On second thought, maybe not. I put on THREE KILOS during this two week holiday!!! Ha! Ha! ARGH!!!!!!!
Over-and-out from one chubby and not-so-tanned Eloise and her water nymph!
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