I forgot how much fun I have dipping my toes in the ocean
(even on a chilly day in Victoria) and friends camping in Foster gave me an opportunity to do exactly that.
We arrived at Prom Central Caravan Park, after nearly a two hour drive from Melbourne (including a stop for a coffee at Maccas) which is a quiet little place to stay however if you are traveling with children it probably isn't the park of choice as there is no playground here.
The weather had been horrendous the night before, lots of rain and the wind had been so strong that the campers were wondering whether they would be rained out during the night. Thankfully we brought a little bit of sunshine with us and (after another cuppa) our adventures in around Foster began.
First stop Venus Bay (with a stop at a lookout along the way to just soak it all in, and again at times like this I realize how large and how beautiful the country I live in is), The beach is beautiful and this is where I had my first dip of the spring/summer, I can't resist the water if the sun is shining (no matter how cold it is) but the incoming tide had other ideas and more than my feet got wet.
Thankfully the heater in the car dried most of me off while we drove to Sandy Point and had another wander of the beach, it was windier and a little more wild here and a perfect place for sailboarding. Wow those guys were amazing as the wind took their sails and flew them over the waves, ( damn something else to add to my to-do list)
and we stayed here until the rain decided to make an appearance and we decided to head back to Foster for a fish and chip lunch, a bit of a wander and the 'footy' on the television at the campsite.
(BTW today was the Grand Final, if you know Australia and you know your footy you know the importance of this weekend AFL Grand Final on the Saturday and NRL Grand Final on the Sunday)
It was a fabulous day, beautiful views, good company, great food (nothing like fish and chips when you've been to the beach) and again made me think that exploring your own 'backyard' is as important as grabbing your passport and jumping on a plane and I need to do that more often)
*Things to know about Foster- is 174kms south east of Melbourne and is seen as a gateway to Wilson's Promontory National Park and all of Gippsland's spectacular natural attractions. Foster is a small town with a population of approx 1200, but because of the spectacular scenery around here the population soars in holiday season. There are caravan parks and holiday homes to rent, and holiday lodges and hotels within 30 minutes of the township. It is a pretty place that can be used as a home base to explore all that Gippsland has to offer.