On The Road Journals - Week 2
Setting up camp at Mc Gaurans Beach
Welcome to our Week 2 of our On The Road Journal. This post is a bit of a short one as instead of our usual roaming around we spent the whole week in one location -
McGuarans Beach, part of the 90 Mile Beach Reserve, found on the Victorian southeast coast.
The spot is one of our favourites in the state in regards to free camping and you can find a full write up and details on it here.
So we met up with our mates Joseph and Steph for some straight-up, no fuss chillout time (something I realised a few days in that I’m REALLY not good at, but more on that later).
The weather was all over the place, so we wound up spending a fair chunk of time bundled up in front of the campfire we built, reading a book or just being lazy.
Both Gary and Joseph are big fishing fans, so they disappeared down the beach almost everyday (sometimes twice a day) and if we were lucky they’d come back with a salmon or even the odd gummy shark, which would be promptly cooked up and eaten, all within an hour of being caught. Have to say, it’s definitely some of the best seafood we’ve ever had.
We were treated to a couple of spectacular sunsets, saw a 5 foot dead shark washed up not the beach (kinda cool) and also celebrated my birthday whilst we were there. (Happy Birthday to meeeeeee…)
WEEK 2 BEST OF MOMENTS -
Being able to set up our chairs, shower tent, floor mats etc. just how we like and not have to pack them all away again to leave the next day.
Sitting by the campfire with a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other and the waves crashing in the background.
Speaking of which, statrting a new book and experiencing that delightful moment when you feel it suck you in. (I’m reading Inkheart by Cornelia Funke btw. Technically it’s a kids book, but any true book fiend will love its ode to the magic of reading)
Everyone celebrating my birthday with a Hunger Games movie marathon and a big bottle of bourbon. Clearly we’re all class here…
WEEK 2 LESS-THAN-AWESOME MOMENTS -
Running off into the scrub for a bathroom visit and finding nasty people have left their loo paper just about everywhere. Gee thanks guys. In the end I just gave up and reverted to using our portable toilet (usually saved for emergencies) as I found myself dreading needing to pee.
The local fly populations conducting massive orgies inside our van, despite our flyscreens and the everpresent threat of bug spray. I wish I was joking, but I’m not.
Realising I have no concept of how to “do nothing” for longer than a day. Maybe it’s working almost 6 years in a high-pace office, or the constant change of environment of vanliving, but by Day 5-6 I was going out of my mind. I wound up sitting by the fire editing photos and draft writing posts just to make myself feel semi-productive (and sane).
Finally leaving and realising the everything from our clothes to the tea towels to the van walls felt just a little greasy/gritty thanks to the salt spray. No one ever mentions THAT factor on the seaside living ads.