Red Gum Springs

We took advantage of the sunshine and blue skies on Saturday to take the kids to Red Gum Springs for a picnic lunch and a hike up the nearby hill. We met a friend from school J and his dad Mr D in the Stirling Range National Park, and enjoyed the opportunity to be outdoors together.

At first, Jeff wasn't keen on climbing the hill; "It's too big, it'll take too long, we'll get lost!"
I told Jeff, "That's why we call it a Family Adventure not a Family Activity!" And we did discover a path up the hill ... once we had already made our way half way to the top.


The kids made their way to the top ahead of the three adults. They knew to stop when they reached the (obligatory) cairn, which Anna and Abigail promptly claimed as their own.


The views from the top were lovely and the kids had a good time exploring around a fairly flat knoll near the proper peak, which we didn't get to.



The canola which is one of the local crops is starting to flower, and some of the paddocks in the distance to the south were showing yellow-green rather than grass green.


The wildflowers which are just starting to appear brought colour to the nearby scene.


When we returned to the bottom of the hill, Samuel and Abigail both wanted a photo taken of the rocks they had found. I had explained to them the bushwalker's maxim,
"Take only photographs,
Leave only footprints."
So they wanted to be sure we had a photo of their treasures before we left them behind.



As we walked to church on Sunday, Anna told me she'd like to climb "another mountain like the one we climbed yesterday." So I'll have to judge this Family Adventure a success.