One year driving back to Sydney from northern New South Wales (Australia) my husband (let’s call him Dave) and I discovered a fabulous little camping spot called The Ruins in Booti Booti (great name) National Park. Each year since then we have packed up our camping gear and headed north for a few nights of star gazing, swimming, bushwalking and relaxation. This year was no different, only we decided not to campfire cook this year because the mosquitos were so prolific last year (yuk!).

I have to admit that I have only really started to enjoy camping in the last couple of years and I do make sure that we camp near a beach and during warm weather. For some reason when I first met Dave, we would end up camping in the rain during the coldest months of the year! Well that’s how I remember it – and that’s not my idea of fun.

Don’t worry, I have done my fair share of camping. I’ve camped in snow on Mount Everest, in bear infested woods in north America and on top of a cliff on the Ring of Kerry in Ireland! But there is something I just love about camping near an Australian beach. It could be the early morning swims in the ocean.

Camping is such a great way to spend quality time with someone. I always look forward to the moment Dave and I get into the car to head off because I know it is just him and I and our music – just perfect and my idea of a perfect Polka Dot.

We had a wonderful stay at Booti Booti this year, amazing weather with just one rainy day which was perfect for going to the movies and sitting in a café.

But I have to tell you this story. On the first night we were there we decided that we’d have a nice bottle of wine (Wirra Wirra 12^th Man Chardonnay 2008) with smoked salmon, cream cheese and bread at Sunset Picnic Area. It is a really pretty spot overlooking Wallis Lake. After we had picked our spot and unpacked our lovely picnic Dave warned me about the Kookaburras, that I should keep my food close to me to stop them from swooping down and taking it out of my hand – small critters can be very scary sometimes. I had never heard this before but the warning came with an eye witness account so who was I to ignore it. So Dave and I were enjoying our food, wine and sunset – cue sunset…

…when out of a tree close to us swooped a rascally Kookaburra. It didn’t get my bread but I did drop my salmon on the ground and it frightened the life out of me. Yes, they really do steal. My heart was pounding and I was sad about my salmon (who wouldn’t be sad about loosing their salmon?) and tossed it to the Kookaburra, Dave was consoling me and BAM, another one swooped down and success, Dave’s bread and salmon was gone. I tell you it was amazing, we didn’t hear it, didn’t feel it and our bottle of wine and two wine glasses only a foot away from us were still standing. They are cunning and very clever and I have to hand it to them, they got much better than a sausage sandwich with tomato sauce on that particular evening. Kookaburras 2 / Carmel and Dave O.

I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to enjoy The Great Outdoors in such a fun, exciting and memorable way with a person I enjoy spending so much time with.

I hope you enjoy some of the pictures I took during our camping trip at Booti Booti National Park.

Do you have a favourite camping story that you’d like to share?

Thanks for stopping by.