We have just returned from the boys second proper camping trip. This time we took a two and a half hour drive down the the New Forest with the car absolutely crammed full. We made one stop en route for a lunch break and to stretch our legs, then by about 1 o'clock we arrived at Roundhill Camp site and began pitching our tent. For an early September vacation the weather could not have been more perfect as we enjoyed 24 degree plus weather for the entire week without a drop of rain.
The camp site itself is in a beautiful part of the New Forest and is completely natural and unspoilt. No electrics or fancy club houses. This was the most basic of basic camp sites where you could pretty much pitch anywhere in the forest and the only amenities were a toilet/shower block and a drinking water supply. Perfect for a quality outdoor adventure with the boys.
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| Our tent all pitched up. Could this be the last time the old tent gets used as we had a few poles break over the course of the week. |
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| The front awning went up at first, but we had to take this down to repair the main tent poles. Fortunately the weather was so good that the awning wasn't really necessary anyway. |
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| When you see all the camping equipment setup, its makes you realise what a small miracle it is that all that fits into the back of a C-Max Grand. |
We took the boys bikes with us this time and what a great decision that was. Every single day, morning and night, they would be out and about riding on their bikes. It was really nice to see them playing and cycling in a completely safe and open environment. As usual the boys loved being let of the leash a little (so to speak) and having a bit more freedom and independence to explore and go off on their own.
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| The boys on their bikes. |
One of the most amazing aspects of the New Forest which you cannot help but notice is the wild donkeys and cows that roam around. Its absolutely unbelievable to just be walking around and sharing the woods with these beautiful animals. Even more amazing is when you come back to camp after being out all day and find them shacked up around your tent making themselves at home!
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| Brandon was a bit cautious around the animals but by the end of the week he had no problems cycling around them and even interacting with them. |
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| This pond at the entrance to Roundhill seems to be used as a watering hole for the donkeys and cows that reside in the area. |
After the long journey and the effort involved in setting up the camp we decided to head into Brokenhurst on our first night to grab a bite to eat. As with just about everywhere these days we managed to find a Tesco's to stock up our camp supplies. Then we found a nice local little public house called the Snakecatcher to get some dinner.
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| Joshua posing with a wagon wheel in Brokenhurst. |
Once back on the campsite I played some ball games with the boys and then we explored the woods a little and found some sticks to play with. Den building would come later in the week.
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| Joshua practising his balance on a tree trunk. |
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| And even Brandon had a good go. |
It was a long day and as such the boys were absolutely shattered. So after a shower and a teeth clean it was the usual routine of story and bed time. The boys were both very excited about their first night in the tent but soon were fast asleep ready for the long day ahead at Peppe Pig World.
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| Sound asleep at the end of day 1. |
Apparently there was a problem with the main sewer from Roundhill down to Brokenhurst and as a result of this the camp site effectivly closed down and were not allowing any other campers on site. This really worked in our advantage as we pretty much had our area of the woods entirely to ourselves with barely another tent or caravan in site. The added advantage of this is that the boys could have more free reign and also make pretty much as much noise as they liked without disturbing other campers.
Anyway check in for Day 2 when we set off for Peppa Pig World.
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