Jul 10, 2017

Rainforest Paradise and In the News

Coomera Falls
Every year we head up to Binna Burra Mountain Lodge in Lamington National Park for a few days with the entire St George clan. We spend the days bushwalking and the evenings playing games in front of a roaring fire. The Lodge has limited internet and mobile phone coverage so it is a wonderful disconnect from the world.

Glorious Sunsets
This year we walked to Coomera Falls. It was a 13.5km round trip. It had rained the day before, so the falls were running beautifully.

Misty Afternoons
The sunsets were amazing. And one afternoon we were covered in a shroud of mist which made the atmosphere feel very eerie.

This year we played a lot of the game werewolf. You sit around in a group, are given a secret role to play and then the action starts. It was hilarious. I loved that our group, aged 13 to 86 could all join in and play.

I also made an appearance last week in the Gold Coast Bulletin talking about romance writing and the Byron Writers Festival. Always fun to see yourself in the news but always a little nerve-wracking actually preparing and doing the interview.




Do you like playing silly family/friend games? Board games (our favourites are Settlers of Catan and Risk). Made up games? Card games (500 anyone?). I’d love to hear.

12 comments:

  1. We're a 500 playing family, Jennifer! The kids and hubby like Monopoly and endure Scrabble for me :-)
    Also jig saw puzzles ae great family projects that we love.
    Love you newspaper picture! I usually look like I've been pulled through a hedge backwards....

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    1. I like jigsaw puzzles too. Very good for a girl who doesn't know how to sit still (when I'm not working).

      Thanks re picture and no you don't!

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  2. We love games! Settlers of Catan is up there, along with Pandemic and 5 Crowns. I'm a big fan of Scategories but J hates it unfortunately.

    And fabulous to see your face in the news, it's a wonderful picture ad so nice to see wonderful people recognised for their efforts!

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    1. Don't know Pandemic and 5 Crowns so must check them out, Stef. We also have mixed reviews about Scategories.

      Efforts for the Festival are going well, but just four weeks to go - arrrhhh!

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  3. Your family getaway sounds perfect, Jen! It can be so good to unplug from technology and surround oneself in nature...and to actually interact with your loved ones without distraction. Happy sighs.

    We're not a big game-playing household. Though the occasional game of Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit gets played and the odd jigsaw pulled out for hours of teeth-gritting frustration... ahem, I mean fun. ;-)

    And how wonderful to see you in the newspaper! Fab photo -- go you!

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    1. It is the without distraction (i.e. we ban the kids from all technology whilst at Binna Burra) which is so wonderful, Michelle. Wish we could do that more often.

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  4. We love playing games, Jen. We're a Pandemic family like Stef and also enjoy Settlers of Catan and Exploding Kittens. We have one week a year where we head off camping with 7 other family and, for the most part, unplug and have a ball playing outdoor games/swimming etc...we also have a game that sounds similar to werewolf which is a murder mystery. I love unplugging, wish i could do it more often!

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    1. Exploding Kittens! That one sounds interesting, Louisa. Must investigate. I think Werewolf is a version of Murder Mystery. My son made up lots of new roles which makes it fun.

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    2. We don't unplug and play games nearly enough, but it's a favourite activity when my sisters visit. Open a bottle (or two) and bring out the cards or a board game. Our current favourite is Quiddler, which is a hybrid of Scrabble and gin rummy.

      We have a sisters-weekend coming up where we are planning a ski trip, which is prime territory for games nights. There are several mentioned here which we need to check out for inclusion.

      (I also love this picture of you, Jen. All the best with the last mad weeks of organisation and for the festival itself.)

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    3. Quibbler does sound interesting, Bron.

      Thanks re Festival - it is CRAZY at the moment.

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  5. Jenn, how wonderful! I've done that walk to Coomera Falls too - many years ago and the one between Binna Burra and O'Reilly's. Wonderful part of the country there. In fact I was just thinking how terrific it would be to go back.

    We don't play as many games as we used to but we do enjoy them, especially Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and some German ones whose names I forget. My daughter gave me an Aussie game a few years ago that's about parliament and getting bills passed and it's terrific. Once a year I get out the jigsaws, usually in summer, and have a ball. I don't know Werewolf

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    1. I so want to do that walk from Binna Burra to O' Reilly's, Annie, but have to wait for the kids to get a bit older. It is such a special place.

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