Huon Valley Caravan Park, Huonville

We had a sleep deprived night - during the night Brenton had hopped out of bed to go to the toilet. On his way back into the van he tripped over Chads swag rope (in the dark) and hit his head on the step of the caravan.  Unfortunately, it was sooo cold no one wanted to hop out and comfort him but eventually Mars did.  It wasn't until the morning that we saw how close to the eye the step had come - and how painful it must've been!  Now, he has two missing teeth and a black eye!!!

After packing up the van we made our way from Geeveston to Huon Valley Caravan Park.  We found the best spot in the park overlooking the river and set up camp.

The boys quickly took advantage of the location and walked the rivers edge looking for signs of fish or platypus.  It was almost warm enough to swim but not quite!

After lunch we watched a sermon online. It's easier for the kids to concentrate when they have something to watch rather than just sit and listen to a cd.

At 4pm the caravan park has a farm show / Tassie Devil feeding time.  The kids were able to hold day-old chicks as well as watch the farmer milk the cow. After the milking was done, we were able to go to a Tassie Devil viewing enclosure, which is gated off most of the day.  Unfortunately the Devils had been fed a chicken carcass the day before so we didn't get to see them eat but we certainly saw them up close!

Missing teeth, black eye...

The Tassie Devils are nocturnal animals so we didn't have much chance of seeing them in their natural habitat (although we had seen a few on the side of the road - dead).  So we were lucky enough to stay at the caravan park and see them - as they had only been there for 10 days.

As we left the feeding show Chad, Brenton and Karli were asked to play 'chasey' with some other kids. The boys were keen but Karli wanted to change from her thongs to her runners. Mars and I, thinking she was just being shy, encouraged her to just play in her thongs - because once she was back at the caravan she would probably not join in with the game. So she went off on her thongs.  Mars and I got to the caravan and about 5 minutes later we heard Karli's shrieks and crying! Of course - those slippery thongs has slid out on the gravel and she'd sliced her chin open and had gravel rash on her knees and legs.  Eeek!  Nurse Mum did her best but the gravel seemed to be fairly ingrained so we made the decision for Mars to take her to Hobart (35 minute drive) to get her chin cleaned up and possibly glued / stitched.

While Mars and Karli were gone, Chad and Brenton wandered off with the fishing rods.  Chad, in his wisdom (?), had taken Mars' new rod and within about 10 minutes had snagged the soft plastic and managed to snap the rod. Maybe that was punishment for fishing on Sunday!?!

After dinner Mars and Karli came back.  Karli had been given the royal treatment by the nurse as it was an unusually quiet night in Emergency. They had numbed her chin and leg and removed all the gravel.  They gave her lots of attention and cleaned up her chin beautifully.  She was heavily bandaged - which she loved!