This Sunday in Australia is Father’s Day so today’s post is paying homage to all the dads who have taken their kids caravan and camping and taught them important skills including a love for and appreciation of the natural beauty that surrounds us in this country we are lucky to call home.

So thank you to all those fathers who have……

• Lugged all types of gear down to the beach like pack horses. The sun shelters, water coolers, eskies, picnic baskets, beach toys, rugs and towels. Only at the end of the day to do it all again in reverse and with the added bonus of sometimes carrying tired, wet and sandy children too.
• Towed caravans, campers and trailers full of gear to set up campsites in the best position possible, giving consideration to: not too far from the beach / not on any prickles / nor uneven ground / no insect nests or where it’s too sunny / too shady / too windy / too open / too sheltered / too crowded /too remote.

• Made us feel that they always know what they’re doing and where they’re going and that everything is under control and going exactly to plan, when in reality they have been just as clueless, worried or lost as the rest of us.
• Taught us fishing, how to tie knots, know when you’ve got a bite, land the fish, how to clean the catch, fixed our lines when they inevitably got snagged or fuzzed and most of all taught us a love of beach fishing where catching a fish is really just a bonus.

• Scrambled over rocks to look in rock pools and discover what creatures are in them, trudged up hills to see if there is a view from the top and wandered up and down sand dunes, jumping, sliding and tumbling with us.

• Been the backpack carriers on hikes carrying the water bottles, maps and snacks.
• Known that spending quality time with kids is best done on holidays when you are all crammed in together 24/7 and all have jobs to do to make it work. And for knowing that time spent on holidays when your kids are young and impressionable is worth more than any money earned in a lifetime.

• Packed in the bike, skateboard, basketball, boogie board, skim board, kayak and snorkel because you insisted you’d use them – only for them to spend the rest of the holiday shifting these items from inside, outside and under the caravan to get them out of the way.
• Gone and bought ice-creams with you even though it’s a cold day because you he wants one and is just using you as an excuse not to feel silly lining up for Mr Whippy.
• Always been up for beach cricket, Frisbee or kicking the footy.

• Cooked up a mean breakfast on the BBQ and by breakfast I mean a meal any time before noon, because that’s what holidays are all about, time is irrelevant.
• Encouraged a sense of discovery by leading the way. I wonder where this road goes. How far can you drive on this beach? It can’t be too much further can it?
• Taken that challenge to test the water first for depth, temperature, clarity, chance of seaweed or rocks and strength of current.

Here’s to all the dads who have sowed the seeds of adventure and love of the great outdoors in future generations.

Cheers

Glenys