We had our first ‘family holiday’ experience towards the back end of the summer, taking advantage of the Roscoe cottage in Llanberis, North Wales.  We spent a lovely, relaxing week away which gave us a chance to explore the area with an 8 month old baby. We’ve always traveled as Helen and David but now there are 3 of us there is a lot more to think about. The car was full to the rim with walking gear, wet gear (this is North Wales we are talking about) a pram, a carrier, food, drink, toys…I wont go on.  Yes we definitely are more organised now it has to be said.

A week in Llanberis and here are some of our highlights…

Walking through Newborough Warren to get to the glorious Newborough beach on Anglesey, where Frank experienced his first handful of sand, and very nearly a mouthful! We managed to sit down for our first picnic of the holiday only to be threatened by a big, dark cloud which was heading our way. There was even a little tornado on the horizon. If it had swerved a little more to our left we would have been okay, but we sat it out a little longer and suddenly started to make a dash for it only to get absolutely drenched. It was good fun though. We managed to keep Frank nice and warm under our make-do picnic blanket shelter.

So beach time scuppered by the weather we drove down the road to the Anglesey Sea Zoo, which was money well spent. Frank again had another ‘first’ experience, this time of sea life and was mesmerised by the fish following them with his newly found pointing finger, at last he had something definite to point at and follow. It’s £7.50 per adult but the ticket lasts for 7 days and under 3′s are free.

When Nanni Barb joined us for the next few days we ventured over to the Llanberis National Slate Museum, which is free and a good option for half a day of ‘sight-seeing’, not that we were expecting anything else but you have to be open minded when it comes to finding activities that not only appeal to us but may also engage Frank’s ever increasing imagination. And so the Slate Museum did this for us, we even attended a slate cutting session which again was enjoyed by us all. So that Frank could have a bit of play time we took him to the village play-park which definitely helped him to work up an appetite for some dinner.

Another trip over to Anglesey, to Beaumaris saw us take in the Puffin Island cruise, which although there were no Puffin’s on the Island as they had all migrated for the winter, was still a really nice ‘family-activity’ to do. Having said that Frank snoozed the whole time, so perhaps we’ll come back when he is a little older and the Puffin’s are back from their travels. We did spot all sorts of birds though and a lonesome seal popped up to see us too. The boat trip costs £8 per adult and we were out at sea for 2 hours, along with lots of other families and a really fun tour-guide/boatman who was informative enough. On this very beautiful day we had clear views across to Liverpool.

You can’t really visit this area and not go hiking, afterall it is one of our favourite activities and with Frank we managed a couple of half day hikes. The first being a trek upto the Halfway house on the Llanberis Snowdon Pass, a moderate hike, probably one of the busier paths up to the top of Snowdon. When he is older we will go all the way up, this route is scenic and it’s nice to wave at the train as it makes its way up to the top. We also walked through Padarn Country Park around the back of the Slate Museum, not too steep, nicely sheltered from the wind and some lovely views too. Closer to the village it’s nice to walk around the lake and take a peak into Dolbardon castle too. Follow this with a hot chocolate at one of the many tea rooms and you will have a nice day planned!

Sometimes we didn’t want to put too much pressure on doing too much as a family. Afterall, not everything we did was free, suddenly there were various admission fees to consider, plus it’s nice to enjoy our time together, watching sheep through the window rummaging in the compost pile, or spending our time eating as a family and photographing it. Frank is used to the camera now and so it’s easy enough to capture his cheeky smile, or document him exploring his toy box. The simple things bring so much more enjoyment now.

Llanberis is a lovely part of the Snowdonia National Park and it’s a really good location to base yourself if you want to explore further. There are loads of family activities going on there too from canooing to rock climbing so we are sure to be frequenting this lovely mountainside village time and again as Frank grows. We did manage some child-free time too with a walk up to and around Moel Eilio behind the back of Llanberis village when the Roscoe grandparents came to stay and on the night time the Mennai Seafood festival was taking place and so we enjoyed our first night out together since before Frank was born.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0 and Nikon D600 with 35mm f1.8)

So here we are 4 months since the time our little man Frank joined us to make 3 in the Rutcoe camp. It seems as if he’s been with us forever and is still yet only 4 months old. We love being parents and the joy that he gives us every minute of our lives. A babies development is something to be in awe of, just today we put a glass up to his mouth, he held it around the edge and went to drink from it, like we do! There was nothing in the glass to drink, but he knew this was what he should do. He’s starting to let us know what he wants through more hand gestures, cries and laughs and we are greeted by more and more giggles each day.

In our backyard we have a wonderful array of English Bluebells growing wild, they look stunning at this time of year and so a week ago we decided on an impromptu family photo shoot with our old best friend the Leica M9. Getting stuck into parenting has meant less time with the Leica, more time with Frank…this is to be expected surely? I mean the Nikon D600 gets daily use but we tend to save the Leica for those one off moments, when the light is lovely and golden and we just know that something special will be captured. Just like when we were exploring the world, we often felt that if it was an image worth keeping it should be shot on the Leica, we didn’t really think we’d have around 30,000 or so images but this is how it is when you explore so many amazing places.

And so it was on this late spring evening that we felt we would create some imagery that would be something we will go onto cherish for a long time to come. Of course it helps when it’s all there ready for us, a wonderful backdrop and willing participants – us! Frank is getting more and more accustomed to the camera now so he makes it easy for us.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0)

Perth was our last stop in Australia before making our way back into South-East Asia. We were feeling ready for a cultural change having been spoilt with the Western world for so long. For our last week in OZ we stayed with Dave’s sister Louise and her other half Jason. They are really well located to the city with only a 10 minute walk to quirky William Street lined with boutiques, vintage clothing stores and Vietnamese Restaurants. That first night we went to What the Pho along this street after having a good snoop around the city.

On the Saturday morning we went to the local Chinese market, which infused Asian charm and food goods. It was a real bargain to buy fresh fruit and veggies for the week. The market is on William Street and opens Friday and Saturdays. Later in the day we went to Kings Park, probably THE place to get panoramic views of Perth City and suburbs. We enjoyed a nice little picnic and were introduced to some Aussie Rules Football action. Kings Park also hosts a big Botanical Garden but we didn’t quite have enough time to get around it all, instead heading out to see the plot of land that will form Jason and Louise’s new home, exciting times for those two! That night Rod Stewart was playing at the Perth Oval so from our balcony we could hear Rod belting out the hits whilst enjoying a barbecue.

On the 6th we took a drive out to Swan Valley and participated in some Supa Golf at one of the resorts. It was pretty tricky for Helen and Louise getting used to the golf clubs and just having the patience to concentrate on hitting the ball not too hard. After a spot of expert teaching from Dave both Ladies improved their game! Jason enjoyed fetching out his ball from the shallow lake whilst a few of us got stuck in the bunkers. Dave came out top after 9 holes with Jason 2nd, Helen 3rd and Louise a humble 4th. So if we’re talking couples teaming up together…we won! he he! Sorry guys!

After leaving Supa Golf we enjoyed some wine tasting at Little River Vineyard and The Ugly Duckling down the road as well as a few others. We bought a bottle of Ugly Duckling Rose which was very nice indeed. We also went to a chocolate tasting factory and to the Yahava coffee shop which offers tasting sessions too. So we had enriched palettes by the end of it all! Later on Helen managed to skype home and had a lovely sing along with her beautiful niece Sukie over breakfast, a real taste of home!

Back in the city the next day we explored the city some more and took in the Perth Museum of Contemporary Art which was a nice breather from the increasing outdoor temperatures. The Fringe Festival which was now in full swing were hosting events throughout the city and every so often we would come across one of their quirky caravans, performances were going on all the time and it looked like a good thing to be involved in. Skyscrapers, buildings, skylines and sculptures caught our eye as we strolled the streets of Perth.

The next day we didn’t do too much because we were busy sorting and planning for our next journey but we did do something that made us feel very good at the end of the day. Helen’s best friend Lois had asked us to do a favour when she’d heard we were coming to Perth to see if we would visit her Nana and Gramps who’ve been living in Perth for 30 years.This was no biggie for us and we were very happy to see them with flowers, chocolates and Pink Lady Apples. We really enjoyed spending time with them and wish them all the best for 2012.

They also gave us some vouchers to eat at their favourite restaurant in the city, Miss Maudes, a Swedish inspired eatery offering a huge smorgasbord of goodies. We couldn’t quite stretch to the buffet but instead enjoyed burgers and sandwiches and even had enough left over for a tart from the nearby bakery. Something else we’d been wanting to do whilst travelling in Australia was to visit one of their open-air cinemas. They have them in nearly every city an we’d been looking at going to one in Melbourne so when we found out what was screening in Perth the 4 of us went to The Moonlight Open Air Cinema in Kings Park and enjoyed the novelty of sitting on our picnic blanket watching the humorous and slightly awkward ‘Carnage’. How luck they are to have the opportunity to sit on beanbags, bring their own food and enjoy a movie in the outdoors. It was great.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)

For our last few days in Sydney we made the most of having a place to ourselves in a fantastic location. Just down the road and under the Harbour Bridge is the North Sydney Olympic Pool and so we decided to spend a good half day there enjoying it’s facilities. For $18 we could use the gym and pool for as long as wanted to, so we spent the first part of the morning in the gym and the second part enjoying the 50m pool. It’s in an amazing location right under the bridge and next to Luna Park, pretty surreal to have so much of interest built around this historic pool and with a famous restaurant overlooking us. We enjoyed the location and the workout. The pool still has much of it’s original art deco styling around the site and large windows line one side so you can people watch as passers-by walk past on their way to and from the ferry.

Later that afternoon we enjoyed a trip back to The Opera House, this time armed with the Leica so that we could get some better shots than our ones from a few days ago. We also walked around the Botanical Gardens home to many tropical parrots and birds and the Flying Foxes or Fruit Bats hanging from the trees above. The parrots are very tame and create quite a raucous sound as they come back to nest or feed from people gathering around.

Around the corner we could see an event taking place where the Open Air Cinema is located, it was actually the opening night for start of the summer season and the Australian Premier of Marilyn was being screened. So there was quite a buzz about the place with media and red carpets all around. What a location though if you have the money, some tickets are available each night on a first come first serve basis but you would have to queue early as they sell out pretty quick and all of the pre-booked tickets were already sold out for the entire month. We weren’t sure whether you’d spend more time looking at the city lit up than the film on screen. Luna Park greeted us as we made our way back to Kirribilli on the ferry, along with moody skies over the Opera House. The Diamond Princess Cruise liner still dominated the Sydney Harbour, impressive but ugly at the same time. Not quite seen one that big before!

We managed to fit in a beach day on the 12th and jetted off using the ferries to Manly Beach, described by many as being the nicest beach in the area. It is certainly a nice spot but it does get so busy during the holidays so perhaps on a quiter day you might find see a little more sand! The sea is good to swim in though and we were getting a bit of a beach day on the go!

On the 13th we enjoyed a pretty low key day which involved washing, shopping for food, planning and cooking some cookies and chocolate brownies. Helen wanted to bake something for the picnic later on and to take to her friends place where we would be driving to the next day. We also got a phone call to say that the Leica was now back so we planned to collect it on Saturday. We also enjoyed a pleasant walk around the Neighborhood and to Milson’s Park taking in the architecture around us. It is a very Art Deco area, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the city (well as far as we’ve seen!) and it has also been maintained to a very high standard. We could tell it wasn’t cheap to live in this part of the city, and so looked on in admiration to our surroundings. We had been very spoilt – BIG thanks to Rob, Monica and Lottie for letting us stay at their lovely flat.

On our final evening in Sydney we finally managed to catch up with friends Amy and Amit who moved here after a stint of travelling last year. They actually left the UK on the same day as us in 2010 and are now settled and expecting their first child! We had a lovely picnic in Glebe Park and an all round fab night catching up with them. Best of luck to them and wish we could have had more time with them whilst we were there!

On the 14th we were ready to make tracks and leave our little home for the past 7 days. We picked up a hire car in the city and packed ourselves in tightly into the little 3 door Hyundai Getz. Happily back together with the Leica we bought ourselves a 3 man tent and a new stove before making our way to Helen’s Uni friend’s family home close to the Blue Mountains.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 & Olympus PEN, 17mm f2.8 & 100mm f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)

This was to be 3 days of sheer relaxation and fun with Vic and Dave. Starting early we all piled into “Po” along with bedding, food, booze and games and set off for Picton. Dave G had arranged with his brother for a boat taxi to meet us at a pier east of Picton, so thanks to his brother’s boss we got a free taxi ride out to their bach in the Malborough Sounds. This would have cost $90 between us if we hadn’t had this ride! It took around 15 minutes in the speed boat to get to the Gillan bach house and we realised we would have passed the area the day before when we were on the ferry coming in. Dave’s brother was waiting for us at the jetty as he was then getting in the boat to go to work.

For the first part of the day we just chilled out, sat around the decking area, chatting, drinking tea, eating lunch and reading. The boys rigged up the fishing rods and the girls had a good catch up. We went out in their fishing boat for a few hours in the late afternoon, early evening with each of us having our own rod. This was Helen’s first stint at fishing and it was pretty unsuccessful, but for Dave G he got a trout and another mean looking fish. The trout went back in the sea and we kept the bigger fish for dinner later on. Vic and Dave R caught some spotties whilst Dave G kept on bringing in the fish, they were all small so we had to put them back in the sea. It was a lovely day weather wise and it was fun being out in the boat.

Back at the bach Dave G got the barbecue sizzling and we opened the wine. We enjoyed a fishy dinner, more wine and more of Vic’s birthday cake. It was a very funny evening indeed ending in part 1 of Cranium taking place.

The next day was equally as relaxing and hot. So after a lazy start we enjoyed more tea, more chat and a dive off the jetty into the freezing waters of the Malborough Sounds. We couldn’t quite manage the full swim out to the buoy but it was refreshing enough for us to spend a little while in the water before getting out. Back on deck we enjoyed lunch, relaxation and reading.

Later on we went out in the boat again and this time round Helen did catch some fish, she managed to get about 4 whilst Dave caught about 7, Vic 3 and Dave G got quite a few too. We weren’t counting but we caught a lot of spotties and as they are so small we just let them back into the sea again. Not pleasant but it’s better than killing them.

We went a little further in the boat around to Lochmara Bay and had a hot drink stop at the Lochmara Lodge. The day before a pod of dolphins were making their way around the Sounds so we kept our eyes open but there were none to be seen. Alas the chai and hot chocolate’s were a very good distraction. Back for our last night at the Gillan bach Vic cooked a lovely lentil and pasta dish and we finished Cranium, only to be defeated! The following day we helped to tidy the bach in preparation for the Gillan family Christmas holidays, we read and just enjoyed being outside in the warmth.

To sum up our experience we really enjoyed the Malborough Sauvignon Blanc wines, we loved just relaxing in the sun, reading and chatting with friends and it was so good to have a taste of home. The Malborough Sounds are pretty idyllic and the idea of a bach by the sea is very tempting indeed.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4 & Olympus PEN, 17mm f2.8 & 100mm f2.8, processed in Lightroom 3)