Harpodom Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 We had a little camping trip at the weekend, me and Mrs Harpo and the 2 little fellas. We stayed at Bimbi Park in the Otways, http://www.bimbipark.com.au/ on the same road as the Cape Otway light house. Great place for the kids, our site was right next to the play ground, and there were koalas bloody everywhere! Plus, lots of kookaburras, crimson rosellas, gallahs and gang gang cockatoos, I took these pics on my phone within half an hour of arriving. After we'd set up the tent, we heard a creaking/scratching/cracking noise coming from a tree about 30 yards from our tent, and could see a koala moving pretty sharpish. TBH we assumed the noise was of the koala's claws on the tree, but no..... It was the noise of a MASSIVE BLOODY TREE BRANCH FALLING DOWN TO EARTH! PFFFFFFFFFFFFT! Me and the wife debated whether to move the tent further into clear space, but with it starting to get late and needing to cook dinner AND having just spent ages pegging the tent down, we decided to 'wing it'. Which in reality meant that we slept hardly a wink that night. It was really windy 'outside'. We lay there just waiting for that cracking noise again.... Meanwhile the koalas were having what sounded like a crystal meth fueled orgy in the trees surrounding us.....they are cute, but BY CHRIST THEY SOUND MONSTROUS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! part PIG, part COW, but mostly like THE YETTI. Once they'd settled down it was the turn of the kookaburras, roosters and wattle birds: my son was awake and bouncing at 4.45am (FFS!) Next morning after a hearty cooked breakfast (of toast), the first thing I did was move the tent, as far from the trees as possible....ie onto the edge of the road! Slept a bit better that night. Mainly cos I allowed myself a few more glasses of wine. Anyway, after 2 nights, we decided that you can have too much of a good thing and that it was time to declare our first camping trip a success....and go home. Hurrrah! One thing I will say is that it is bloody knackering camping with small children who take forever to get to sleep on account of being too excited. But it was great fun as a family. Here's to the next trip, maybe the Grampians......? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikyuu Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Sounds like you had a great time and 'enjoyed' the wildlife, it's one place I'd like to visit. Know what you mean about camping with 2 young kids, it's nuts, especially when you've got everything to set up and then they won't go to sleep at night. I usually end up going to bed before they do! I made a trailer, so everything is setup already inside, makes it a lot easier. Also I leave the missus at home to have a break from us, the kids are better behaved with just me there! LOL This last time was great as they slept in until 10am with it being so dark inside the trailer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Am always worried about camping under the gum trees, as there have been a few people killed by them falling over tents etc, they don't call them 'widowmakers' for nothing. One girl was killed a few years ago at a school camp when that happened, I always made sure my when my kids went on school camps that they camped in clearer areas. I was camping a few years ago up on the Murray River at Echuca, and they fall down there all the time - we were doing the freefloating on the river and the amount of trees under that water is incredible, have to keep your feet up off the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Am always worried about camping under the gum trees, as there have been a few people killed by them falling over tents etc, they don't call them 'widowmakers' for nothing. One girl was killed a few years ago at a school camp when that happened, I always made sure my when my kids went on school camps that they camped in clearer areas. I was camping a few years ago up on the Murray River at Echuca, and they fall down there all the time - we were doing the freefloating on the river and the amount of trees under that water is incredible, have to keep your feet up off the bottom. it was an eye opener (quite literally) for us seeing and hearing this massive branch fall. It was basically half the tree! The funny thing was the koala seen doing a runner simply climbed down, walked to another tree, climbed up and went back to sleep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Yes I imagine it would have been a sight. When I was camping at Echuca, the people who owned the caravan park where I stayed told us that they always hear 'snap', then bang as the gums break off their branches or fall down altogether (usually into the Murray River) but some people aren't so lucky: http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Tree-kills-girl-in-freak-school-camp-accident/2005/02/02/1107228727842.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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