Day Seven - Fathers Day
Sunday, September 2, 2012 at 9:18PM Both kids kicked off today at 5:45am.
Ryder was fussing for a feed {although he'd had his Mumma's attention 4+ times during the night!} & Ella was already up and fully dressing herself, ready to tackle the day:
Her choice of outfit. Not bad for a Sunday...in paradise :)
All week, Ella has had some wrapped gifts for Chris, for Father's Day; hidden away amongst her suitcase & belongings. She was so excited to finally be able to give them to him this morning. Although early, the sun was barely awake.....Chris enjoyed being smothered in 'Happy Fathers Day' songs {to the tune of Happy Birthday of course} and some pretty special handmade prezzies. He scored a glass drink coaster, that contained a drawing of him {very cute}, as well as a puzzle photo of Ella & him, and some new cologne.
Ella cuddled Chris tightly and said "Do you know what? You're the best Dad I've ever had!!" :)
He is a great Dad though. He truly makes our world go round!
We rallied. And attended breakfast.
The super early morning had Ryder wiped out by 8am. Back in the hotel room, he napped for an hour, so did I.
You're probably going to want to punch me in the head when I say this.....especially after the week of bliss I've had.....but I'm stuffed. Chris & I are absolutely exhausted :) Today, we acknowledged that traveling with kids, although exciting & busy & full of adventure, is actually down-right-tiring. And we even had it fairly easy. Our kids were relaxed and happy. We only had to deal with one sulk and one tantrum between both kids all week. However, we're both feeling completely wiped out :) We're going to need a holiday to recover from this holiday! Haaa!
I must say though, today, a morning nap helped.
We got on with it...
And hired another buggy....
This one had a horn, which we thought was great fun :)
And headed back to the Animal Park, to have a cuddle with this fella.... Willy the Koala.
Although smelly, he was very cuddly & fluffy......and much lighter than carrying Ryder, hehehe!
While there, we had another little looksey around the animal pens....
Happy Fathers Day Chris 2012.
We planned to go ten pin bowling, however on arrival learnt it didn't open til after midday. So we did a sot of shopping and then enjoyed a swim back at the hotel. Until, everything fell apart - 2 crying, tired, hungry kids and a tired Mum and Dad - you get the picture. We abandoned ship, headed upstairs, devoured hot chips and chicken wraps, had a pep talk with the 4yr old, rocked the baby to sleep and regained some calm.
Both kids snoozed for an hour, Chris headed to the gym, and I caught up on photo uploads.
Bowling could then happen :)
I swear Ryder has had a huge growth spurt this holiday. His appetite has been huge and his sleeping has been haywire. Even his hair seems longer. When people ask us how old he is, and we respond with "nearly 10 months!"....they freak!
Besides the few sleep fighting occasions and the crappy night sleeping, he has been a dream this week. I'm grateful for that. He's made this holiday experience so joyful and fun! Our {big}, lovely man.
She won a round.
On Tuesday, we discovered the glorious One Tree Hill. Since then, we learned that each evening {at sun set}, it comes alive as a viewing ground, complete with a cocktail bar. All week, I've wanted to experience this. We decided today would be best - being Fathers Day....and our last night here. Little did we know, it was going to be one of the windiest evenings and very chilly.
But, we still headed up for a little while. Long enough to snap a few photos and down a cosmo....
Holy sunflares Batman.
It would've been nice to sit and devour the view for longer and reflect on the week. But the wind had a really nasty chill to it and with two sunkissed young kids.....this is no fun.
It was a pretty amazing sight. Watching the sun go to bed, ready for the moon to make his debut.
So, we buggied on back down the hill to a scrumptious Steakhouse for dinner.
We still got a gorgeous view to end our day....
The food truly was scrumdiddlyumptious. Topped with a glass of Oatley's Shiraz {The Oatley family own Hamilton Island, a successful winery, and the famous sail boat: Wild Oats}. Just imagine!
Tomorrow is our last day here. We fly out back home tomorrow afternoon. And although I am sad to be leaving paradise, the jam-packed days and life-changing experiences, the crisp white sheets of the hotel beds, the no cooking or cleaning or grocery shopping or chores and the summery weather. I am looking forward to being back in the comforts of home, the warmth of routine and the ease of having our own space again. And as our bank account recovers from the cost of this week :) we will plan, and save for and look forward to our next family getaway......
G'Night All. I'll leave you with this.... :)
The ins and outs:
We stayed at the Reef View Hotel. Totally recommend it - the staff, food, accommodation, pool, facilities, and location were perfect.
Our helicopter flights {to Whitehaven Beach and back to Hamilton from the reef} were through Hamilton Air. A MUST-DO if you come here!!
And our reef trip via boat was with The Great Barrier Reef Adventures. An Awesome day!
Reader Comments (2)
I so get what you mean about holidays with children (although fun and exciting) being very tiring - the whole drive home from Denmark, Paul and I joked how tired we felt and how we needed a holiday to recover from our holiday! :)
You guys have done really well with both kids being so well behaved and with so many things you've done each day. How cute you got to hold that koala! He looks so cuddly.
Glad you all had a good end to your time on Hamilton Island and that Chris enjoyed his Father's Day... now be prepared for all the washing you will have to do when you get home... took me a week to get through all ours :) Have a safe flight home xx
I"ve loved being on your holiday vicariously! What a week Claire, I hope you have a chance to recover at home over the next few days, but you've created so many memories for Ella, and you and Chris (I don't suppose Ryder will remember!).
Thanks again for generously sharing your time away.