Summer holidays...

When I booked an island holiday in Queensland, I just presumed it would be sunny and warm. After all, it was going to be October. And coming from Adelaide, even mid-twenties would be a treat.

So, grey skies, rain and 18 degrees was a bit of a shock. So much for the summer holiday to Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island. Where are my relaxing afternoons lazing on the beach after touring around? Instead, we are scrambling around for umbrellas and ponchos and venturing about the resort when the rain subsides a little. We don't even get to see outside of the resort. Something that annoys me - I love to know where I am and go discovering when somewhere new.

But, we adapt. We grab the umbrellas and ponchos and wander. Ashton wades through puddles. Belle cartwheels across the lawn. They both build a fort with their umbrellas on the beach. They even get me in the pool once. Brr.

Reception has board games, we play a few games of pool, and visit the marine centre where we learn about marine life. I am shocked at how dolphins and sharks have been slaughtered. I never knew that sharks were caught for their fin and then chucked back in the sea to die.

I'd definitely like to re-visit with the sun and warm weather. Moreton Island looks magical, and the resort itself is a little haven of relaxation and chill.

Kids on the beach… without toys.

My kids love the beach. Normally they trawl up and down the shoreline looking for shells and building sandcastles. The shells then decorate their sandcastles like jewels around a womans neck. Just recently, they have begun to get more adventurous - taking to the water on boogie boards and skim boards. Getting wet! Oh my.

Before our recent trip to the Gold Coast, I was imagining days spent on the beach, plonked in the sand, building sand castles. Forgetting the bucket and spade as we amble out front of our accommodation, I wonder what the kids would get up to. I needn't have worried. The multitude of jellyfish that were washed up on the beach give the kids a workout as they run up and down spotting bigger and bigger ones. The thunderstorms that dazzle every afternoon provide the stage backdrop for many a show put on by the kids. And watching the surfers paddle out and catch zippy waves keeps me entertained.

The Gold Coast is known for it's surf beaches, and Mermaid Beach, where we are staying, is no different while we are here. I'd asked people before arriving, if it was an ok beach for surfing, and the answer I kept getting was, only in the right conditions. Well, this must have been 'right conditions'. Every day there were surfers running to and from the surf, in search of their wave. I want to hire a board but from my vantage point, the waves look too big. And the speed some of the guys are getting, zipping along the face, was fast. I get scared. I lknow I will regret it after. I think I would have fun. Oh well.

So, here we are on the beach. Kids nearly nude. Running around like mad cows. Laughing. Spraying water at each other. And building volcanoes in sand. No toys. Definitely no plastic toys or electronics. Everyone loves it. The kids are screaming with laughter, Ben and I are beaming with satisfaction. It makes me want to live up here. I can imagine coming down the beach at night; running around in the warm, humid air. I can see the kids eventually taking to the water, joining a surf club. I can feel my surfing improve with the near daily practice. Ahh, makes my heart sing. But for now, our airplane waits, to take us back to Adelaide.

Beaches… 10 South Australian differences

I travel a lot. Aussies can travel a lot. But for near perfect beaches, many Aussie beaches can't be topped. Compare the beaches in South Australia (let alone Australia) to Bali or Phuket - beach destinations we flock to.

10 South Aussie differences:

1. White, smooth sand that doesn't hurt to walk on

2. Clean sand and water

3. Beautiful clear water (most of the time)

4. You leave the water without itching from sea lice

5. No touts to harass you

6. You can drive to a number of suburban beaches within half an hour of the CBD. An hour drive to the Fleurieu beaches of awesomeness.

7. Litter doesn't float to shore as you swim or surf

8. You don't have to sniff some strangers armpit as you lie on your towel, squeezed on a snippet of beach

9. Experienced surf lifesavers patrol sections of beach for safety

10. There is a beach for everyone - placid kids splash-around beaches (Horseshoe Bay, Glenelg, Kingston Park), trendy 'be seen' beaches (Henley), nudist beach (Maslin), all to your own beaches (KI, Eyre and Yorke Peninsula), and surf beaches (Mid Coast, Middleton, Waitpinga, Chiton, Parsons… all close to Adelaide).

Anyone have any favourites?

BSKT cafe yummies, Mermaid Beach QLD

I spot a number of cafes on the way in, and make a mental note that coffee is not far away. Thank goodness. I see a place called BSKT on the corner, two doors down from our apartment. It looks full and bustling with energy. Another mental note, 'I must go there'. A social media comment from a friend in Adelaide cements my thoughts, I need to go there. A coffee buff, he says I need to go there after my run one morning.

So I do. We go for coffee, and sit out the back. To my gleeful surprise, there is a kids play area. Hallelujah. We have been entertaining the kids on holiday with no toys, and finally, they are away from us. Happily. I eye the food coming out, and wish I had not just eaten breakfast at the apartment. The menu has me wanting to eat again, but I resist. Just. I tell Ben we are coming back for food tomorrow.

Pancakes with raw cacao, blueberries and other yummy super-food crunch. Awesome! Sweet potato and quinoa fritters. Yum! This is my kind of food. Delicious AND healthy. The menu is laden with super-foods, coconut and protein, I don't need to feel ultra guilty indulging at this place.

We sip on lattes in peace, looking out to the whitewash of waves (while not salivating over the menu). That rarely happens. Ahh. Double whammy - great coffee and time out from kids.

Bali Travel with Kids - 10 tips

BK… before kids.

We travelled a lot. We lived in various parts of the world. We penny-saved our way around Europe. We had adventures. We did an around the world trip in 6 weeks. We hiked. We home stayed.

And then kids came.

Having kids halts many, but it didn't stop us. Before our daughter turned one, she had been to Bali. Before our son turned one, we took them both to Phuket. And now, at three and five, they have returned to Bali. We've also had plenty of camper trailer holidays, interstate trips and holiday home getaways. Yes, the travel has tamed down, and surely nowhere near as adventurous as our travels before, but we are doing it.

Here are some tips to get you to Asia...

1. Don't call it a holiday. It's travel. With kids. These are two very different types of 'getting away', do not get confused.

2. Resorts. Pay for the luxury. The pools, the other adults, the restaurants and room service. It all comes in handy when you need to hang around for sleeps and early nights (before restaurant opening time in Asia).

3. Don't expect to tour much. Can you imagine going on an organised day tour with two little ones? Crying, toilet stops, noise, long day... Instead, hire a car and driver, and go at your own pace. You can see what you want, stop for nappy changes, not worry so much about screaming kids and go home when you have had enough.

4. Meet the locals. The locals love to get to know kids, and it is so much fun for everyone. Sit and play with local kids then laugh as restaurant staff fight over who looks after baby while you eat. You are spoken to more, and not just to sell.

5. Take nappy wipes and antibacterial spray. You will need it. Use everywhere, all the time.

6. Strollers are handy in the heat, even if they have outgrown them at home. Whiney kids are kept quiet when they don't have to walk. And soon enough, you will be used to sharing the road with the cars, tuk-tuks and motorbikes. I believe they know what they are doing, so trust in them, and just walk straight.

7. Take snacks and known food from home. Packet fruit, crackers etc are handy when you have fussy eaters.

8. Make sure your room has dark curtains for sleeping during the day - and doors that completely close to keep mosquitos and bugs out.

9. Get a nanny. We got Holiday Nanny Berta, and LOVE her. The kids took to her within minutes, whisking her away to show off our resort.

10. Take a trip without the kids.

It is worth it - no matter how hard.

Holidays with Kids

A melt down after a fight with his sister. At the beautiful Menjangan, in northern Bali. Amongst the silence of the forest and cheeky call of monkeys… there's one unhappy camper (or should I say resorter).