Nick didn’t want to sit around at home today – who can blame him? So we drove east in the direction of the Millennium Forest and then headed out to Prosperous Bay Plain. We’d never walked this particular part of the island, or even seen it, really, up close. First stop was a crushing plant which came with a few old cars too – the boys thought this was a fairy land, and were disappointed to learn that this wasn’t our final destination!
A bit more driving took us as far as we could go in the car, and then the hike/walk began. The first bit involved some scrambling up and down soft dunes which I did NOT enjoy but Nick and the boys were again in their element.

Then the scenery changed from brown to bright green as we trampled through little succulents which were growing pretty well despite the harshness of the coastal weather.

After navigating the dunes and crossing a small river we found ourselves on a path, which we followed for what seemed like a very long time but was probably only about 15 minutes – during this time we played silly games to help pass the time. The path disappeared when the ground become more rocky, but we could see our destination which was an old ruin of a house at the top of a hill. We walked and walked, walked some more, walked and scrambled, climbed hills, until we finally got to the top. The walk was worth it for the view! I wish I could tell you what the name of the bay is, but our big map of the island is at the manse, so I’m clueless. We luncheoned at the top; Nick threw rocks off the cliff to listen for the thud at the bottom, but it was too far down anyway…such a boy thing to do. Aaron found a piece of old rope with a loop on one end which he dragged around with him like a dogless leash until it got stuck on a rock a bit later on.

Once we had rested up we headed back – Caleb was hoping for a circular route but it was pretty much a straight there and back. Well, except for the fact that we bypassed all the paths we had trodden earlier, instead navigating directly by line of sight to the car. I couldn’t help feeling like Frodo as we wandered through the barren wasteland, headed for a target which never really seemed to get much closer. At one point Nick took the boys into a valley and up a hill, while I decided to see if there was an easier way along the top of the ridge. Turns out my way was both easier and quicker, but none of the Clevely men will admit to it. I stand alone in my theory, just as I stood alone waiting for them yesterday… (spot the three tiny travellers in the photo below - they really are there!)
We were home after three hours of walking where we were glad that nothing else needed doing in the day. Being a Friday I made pizza for supper, and, not feeling like washing up dinner plates, I suggested that we go to town and eat at the docks where we could watch the sun set. What we hadn’t reckoned on was another parade in town, and people everywhere – but we found an isolated spot where we could eat in peace. We didn’t really feel like milling around with people, so we came back home after supper and the boys went to bed.