Even the young ones got dressed up for the party!

One of our neighbours helped get everything ready... She played a big part in the haunted garage this year.

Apple bobbing featured again this year. The kids actually got all the apples, so we had to put them in for another round.

Mom gets the kids excited about the yucky dip... This year there was a surprise bonus: scorpions!

Yuck.... yuck... yuck...

LR gets a... slime covered scorpion! YUCK!

The kids are excited to line up for the piñata. Some friends helped us set it up this year...

B is the first to whack the pumpkin, and already it's not looking good.

We raised it up higher to try to increase its longevity... It helped, but not quite enough. RJ still got some powerful hits in.

By the time LR and her friends had a go, the piñata was leaking candy everywhere!

It's down! FEEDING FRENZY! ... Next year, we'll add armour plating.

Mom hands out the clue buckets for the treasure hunt.

LR's team did really well, but there were some super hard clues in there.

At the end of the day, everyone lined up for the grand finale and selected their projectiles from the three rubbish bins filled with watery ammunition.

Run, pirate! RUN!

Your feeble sword is no match for the assault of 35 kids with water bombs!

ANOTHER DIRECT HIT! SPLASH!

We took a trip down to Eagle Bay and had a great time in the water. It's a lot easier to do now that the weather's warming up!

We climbed to the top of Sugarloaf Rock where we stopped and watched the ocean attempt to smash it down. The waves were HUGE.

While the other two girls were at horse riding, we set off on a hike around the bay.

Eventually we could see the ominous "Dragon Mouth Cave". Perhaps we'll go inside next time.

While the other two enjoyed breakfast and reading in bed, he just sat there, staring.

Grammy helped RJ and LR make their own dolls. RJ made Bear Grylls, complete with snake and sports watch, while LR made Cleopatra, complete with snake but no watch.

RJ had his first T-Ball game. WHAM! A great hit RJ! Drop the bat first and run! No, not over there! To first base!

... and he leaps into first base. He's safe!

We spotted this elegantly dressed lady on her way to work.

Off to Scitech, where LR is trapped in an underwater bubble.

RJ constructs his own fog tornado... His next version will be bigger, much bigger... MWAAAHAAHAAA.

Off to Gingin for the weekend! Mom and Scarlet enjoy the sunshine, but not the flies.

Poppa shows off his new phone cover... Angry birds! The kids loved it!

You da man, RJ! No! You da man, Dad!

There are certain dangers you must be aware of when letting Dad operate the fork lift.

This year we netted some of the fruit trees, in an attempt to stop the parrots from eating our delicious peaches. There were, however, some complications.

The latest version of the flying fox got even longer and faster, especially when RJ started pulling.

Time for sleep! Goodnight!

LR discovered a passion for playing the guitar. She happily entertained the group as we waited for the rain to pass.

Still raining... So Rod helped the kids make Johnny Cakes. Yum!

It was still raining, so Colleen took her guitar back and played some great music for us.

It was still raining... So we went hiking anyway! Hiking down an overgrown track with an oversized umbrella is RJ's kind of challenge.

I guess this is where all the rain is ending up!

After spending the night in Denham, we got up early the next morning and drove to Monkey Mia. Every day, a crowd gathers on the shore to wait for a pod of dolphins who have been fed there, every day, for years.

LR and RJ try to spot them from the jetty.

The water was incredibly still and calm... Dad had the rare chance to get some early morning photography done while waiting.

LR stands knee deep in water as the pod arrives.

One of the park rangers hands over some of the delicious booty.

The kids spent some time snorkelling and exploring the shallow waters of the bay.

LR and RJ discovered hermit crabs near the shore... There were hundreds of them!

LR heads off to collect another handful of crabs!

Mom booked us onto a boat cruise. It was a great way to get out into the bay and see some sharks, turtles, dolphins and perhaps even a dugong.

RJ and Dad rode in the net, trying to spot sharks as we cruised the reefs.

The boat stopped by a pearl oyster farm where we learned the ins and outs of farming pearls. As we watched the presentation, RJ suddenly darted forward between the speaker's legs to save this tiny crab from being stepped on.

RJ had an audience as he practiced his surf moves!

On the ride back, LR and Dad made up their own jokes to entertain themselves.

One of the wild dolphins had great fun riding the bow wave from the boat.

Once we left the reef area and returned to deeper water, the captain loaded the net behind the boat with passengers and took off -- the ultimate ocean cold-tub.

The next morning, we were off again, heading north past Carnarvon and on to Gnaraloo Station. We stopped along the way to watch the blowholes, as whales happily flopped about just off the coast. Despite the best efforts from the blowholes, with deafening roars and tremendous columns of water blasting from the rock, the kids were still way more interested in the tidal pools.

LR did her very best to break her ankle by leaping maniacally from rock to rock across the puddles, but failed miserably.

At this point, we had 80 km (50 miles) of this kind of track ahead of us. Every few hundred metres, we would encounter another massive bog which would require getting out and inspecting. We very seriously considered turning around and not continuing on.

We arrived, triumphant, but utterly nervewracked and exhausted. We took our place amongst the four wheel drives and tried to pretend it had been great fun.

At the base of the cliff in front of camp, there's a famous surfing spot. It was pretty spectactular, with great waves rolling in continuously, all day long.

Dog digging competition!!! On your mark, get set, go!

What's that, Mom? The water's a bit cold?

RJ really enjoyed snorkelling too. He spotted all kinds of fish, and thought he had made friends with two, but discovered they were just damselfish trying to scare him away from their algae farm!

At every opportunity, LR hunted for the most precious shells on the sea floor.

At low tide, we could explore the safer sections of the cliff face. There were lots of little caves and rock pools along the way.

We hiked lots of trails around Gnaraloo, climbing cliffs and exploring. It was a terrific place to watch whales happily flop and splash about, with a few showing up every ten minutes or so.

Some awful, terrible, bad parents set an awful, terrible, unsafe example for their children by jumping down into this sea cave to pick up some pretty rocks, and then frantically scrambling out before the waves came crashing into it.

RJ and his new favorite pet... A 'cuddle' fish.

Big news!!! We discovered RJ's first wiggly tooth!

These super cute bearded dragons were everywhere. They were incredibly curious and had absolutely no fear of people, but at the speeds they dart around, they have no reason to be.

Gnaraloo Bay is absolutely stunning -- some of the most spectacular coral and aquatic wildlife in the world, just a metre below the surface of a huge expanse of crystal blue water gently lapping against perfect, white, fine-grained sand, and aside from this amazingly great family that showed up, almost completely deserted.

RJ and LR gathered shells and rocks built an enormous city that spanned the beach.

These huge sand dunes were just a short hike from the campsite.

It took a while to climb to the top; they were bigger than they looked and we were weighed down by an impressive number of dead crabs.

We finally made it to the top, where we watched more whales springing about.

LR and Dad wandered off with their cameras to get some pictures of the surfers. They had to be pretty brave to attempt the entry from the reef into the crashing waves.

The kids made friends with the boys at the neighbouring camp. Ledgy, their dad, even set up a totem tennis set for them, which our kids promptly dominated.

Oh no! Camping hair!!! (and she still looks gorgeous.)

Being wintertime, we were allowed to have a campfire. RJ worked on his marshmallow chargrilling technique.

LR, to Mom's delight, worked on a careful, slow-roasting technique, producing a series of perfectly toasted marshmallows.

Seven hours in the car? There's definitely time for a pit stop along the way. Hello, Cervantes!

After a delicious picnic lunch, we ran down to the beach to explore and get rid of some energy.

The magnetic sands at Cervantes are amazing. After searching around for just the right spot, LR was able to float about 6 inches above the ground!

RJ didn't have the patience, and jumped instead.

Mom had a problem after her lower legs disappeared.

And Dad.... Dad's just a goofball.

We arrived at the caravan park in Geraldton and discovered a giant jumping pillow. The kids immediately disappeared while Mom set up camp.

It seems that the rules are just meant to be broken... No inverted maneuvers when LR is involved? That's just not going to happen.

Later that night, we joined our friends for dinner and watched the huge ships drift into harbour.

LR and RJ watch passers-by on the streets below.

The next day, it was off to the Hamlet at Greenough to see some history.

RJ, LR and E. sprint across the grass to the hall. Most of the buildings have been restored and filled with turn of the century antiques.

E. and LR sit down in the old school to take a test. Lucky kids got to use ball-point pens instead of quills and ink!

LR was a severe judge in the court room. RJ was sentenced to live out the remainder of his years in the colonies.

The day-care facilities were just fantastic... and conveniently just out of hearing distance from the cafe too!

Mom and LR wait outside while RJ and Dad explore EVERY SINGLE ROOM.

After Greenough, we stopped back at a playground for lunch. LR clutches tight to the swing as RJ does his very best to throw her off.

At the Geraldton Museum, for good luck, RJ and LR rub the head of Max Cramer, the discoverer of the wreck of the Batavia.

RJ explores an interactive map in an exhibit about the Shipwreck Coast

RJ also made friends with this guy (super huge thanks to the Gero museum staff who helped us take this).

LR, E. and RJ make a pretty mean work crew.

The next day we travelled to Shark Bay. After a long stretch in the car, we finally reached the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool!

Nothing like watching mats of bubbling cyanobacteria photosynthesise away while slowly building their layerd accretionary structures, eh LR?

RJ and LR relax, watching for fish and tiny bubbles of oxygen drifting up from the stromatolites..

Almost to our destination and we reached... THE BARKING FENCE! To protect the delicate ecology of Shark Bay from introduced species (feral cats, foxes, goats and rabbits) this fence was constructed dividing the peninsula from the mainland. The only way through is via the highway, which is protected by a large, animal-proof (and nearly human proof) metal grate covering a deep pit in the road. When anything approaches the opening, this white post suddenly launches into a terrifying cacaphony of barks and growls. The kids loved it!

Immediately after the fence is Shell Beach... Like many places in Australia, it has a remarkably creative name -- this one apparently being inspired by the fact that the beach is made up completely of shells. There is actually no sand here along this bay, covering a few kilometres, several metres deep and up to about 100 metres from the ocean -- nothing but billions of tiny, white shells.

A typical afternoon on our holiday... RJ jumping on Dad's back while RJ stuffs Dad's pockets and underpants with shells. Meanwhile, Mom sits, relaxed, enjoying a book, a few metres away.

Underneath the shells? More shells, shells and broken shells...

RJ watches for dolphins on the fast ferry across to Rotto. LR was the first to spot them though!

As usual, the local quokkas were really happy to see us.

A lot of bike riding took place. This year we were on the busy street through the middle of Geordie Bay.

As always, Mom was looking great despite the rental bike helmet.

RJ's bike has suffered from a catastrophic mechanical failure, so we weren't able to get enough two-wheel practice in. We'll definitely have it sorted by next year.

The cool kids always sit at the back of the bus.

The ride back to the settlement from Geordie Bay is a very long one if you're in a bad mood.

Not content with simply riding around like a normal human being, this year LR started performing tricks -- no feet, no hands, and amazingly no crashes.

RJ took every opportunity to torment his poor teacher.

Living with a devious mastermind can be daunting, but we manage to keep him in line with massive amounts of tickling.

This year, the treasure hunt was for characters out of fairy tales. Some, like Jack here, were fun to find.

Others, like the disturbingly ugly step-sisters, were a little more daunting.

The witch was handing out lollies and candy, so she was much more approachable. Don't take things from strangers, kids!.... Yeah, right!

This year saw a surprising upset -- the kids beat the parents... again! RJ took off faster than anyone expected.

LR flies through the course with incredible speed and enthusiasm! Where on earth does she get such competitive spirit?

Oh yeah... I see now.

LR traded some 'magic beans' for Jack's hat and pet cow... Those 'magic beans' looked suspiciously like something that came from a quokka.

Just before we left, we did a tiny bit of fishing on some very feeble gear... and had great success! LR caught this pretty little wrasse.

LR and RJ sing the fishing song, "Heeere fishy fishy fish". We caught five different species of fish in about 30 minutes. Dad was kind of amazed.

RJ caught this feisty silver bream.

LR took this beautiful photo of the pelican that was eyeing our catch hungrily.

We caught a red-lipped morwong that swallowed the hook. We tried to be as careful as we could, but he was injured fairly badly. Rather than let him suffer... We fed him to the pelican! YAY! Nature wins again!

RJ and his mate C. go exploring the dunes while the grown-ups waste their time having boring grown-up conversations.