A very kangarooey birthday

by Caz Makepeace on October 21, 2013

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When we first started planning for our #yTravelOz road trip, I said that on my birthday, all I wanted to do was wake up with the kangaroos on Pebbly Beach. I first visited with my parents when I was 19 and fell in love. Where else can you see kangaroos on a beach in Australia?

And its not just on any beach, but an unspoilt, remote beach that has few people pushing you out the way for photo opportunities.

I dreamt about crawling out of my tent early in the morning, after being woken by the sound of the birds, to embrace the day, and visit with the kangaroos.

But, our readers kept encouraging us to go to Kangaroo Valley. We could not ignore their enthusiasm and decided to change up our itinerary to visit Kangaroo Valley (so glad we did btw—awesome place)

This meant we would not be waking up at Pebbly Beach on my birthday. We’d be arriving on my birthday, but staying a few beaches up north on the road in cabins at Pretty Beach . We had a free night for the eve of my birthday. I’d heard about the beauty of Green Patch camping in the Boorderee National Park, just south of Huskisson, the main town of Jervis Bay. I was told it might be hard to get in as it’s usually so popular. I tried and we secured a tent site straight away.

As soon as we arrived, I forgot about the Pebbly Beach kangaroos and fell in love. This place was so beautiful. It reminded me of Hazards Beach, Tasmania, the place that sits in my heart as one of Australia’s most pristine and magical.

Waking up here for my 38th birthday was going to be amazing. We had such a fun afternoon exploring the coves and beaches nearby and chasing possums under the moonlight—well really flashlight.

When the sun woke up the next day on the morning of my birthday, the kookaburras starting guffawing right outside our tent. Their laughter pried my eyes opened and the silence made me smile. Kalyra woke up and jumped out of her sleeping bag to give me a hug Happy Birthday. Savannah and Craig were still sleeping.

“Do you want to come for a walk to the beach with Mummy?”

It was only a 200m walk to the beach. We started down the track when I saw something at the end behind the bushes.

“Stop, Kalyra, look!”

A kangaroo stood scratching his tummy, watching us. He bounded away and a few steps further, to the right was another one, munching on the grass. And then to the left were two more. We crouched down staring and enjoying the magic of seeing our kangaroo friends in the early morning light.

We walked out onto the most beautiful beach and had it all to ourselves. We earthed a little, yogaed a little and meditated a little.  And then snuck back to the tent site. Out the back of the tent, a Mumma roo and her bubba munched on the grass. We followed them until they bounded away.

When Savannah awoke we took her to see the roos. She stared in awe.

After a BBQ breakfast, we packed up in the rain (worst camping nightmare) and headed to our cabin at Pretty Beach. As we drove through the coastal towns, we saw paddocks, gardens, front yards filled with kangaroos.

We pulled up at the driveway and munching outside on the grass were several kangaroos. Savannah and I went for a little walk down the the beach, there was no one around, just a bunch of kangaroos.

We all hopped in the car to drive down to Pebbly Beach. If I couldn’t wake up there, I was determined to visit the kangas in the afternoon. We pulled up in the car park and walked through the picnic area. There were no kangaroos. I walked to the viewing deck and stair case that lead to the beach. There were no kangaroos.

Oh dear. I talked this place right up. When I was here, nearly 20 years ago the place was full of kangaroos. The girls chased each other with their my little ponies and I frantically searched for kangaroos. We ran down the dunes and looked to the left, way away from the Pebbly Beach campsite, on a patchy piece of grass in the corner there were kangaroos grazing.

One bounded out of the pack and hopped along down to the beach.

I died and went to heaven.

We spent the next hour playing with the kangaroos on the beach and avoiding the mad swooping insane bird who must have been protecting her babies, or she was just totally possessive of the roos. Savannah, with raised sword (aka Stick) scared her right back with her fencing moves. (We did have to have a little talk after she threw it at a nearby mumma kangaroo.)

We had such a fun time.

We came back to our cabins. Craig and Kalyra played frisbee on the grass out front and a kangaroo stood in the background watching and clapping.

For real.

I had kangaroos coming out from everywhere for my birthday. They were there when I woke up and surrounded me for the next couple of days.

Never discount the Universe’s ability to bring you what your heart most desires.