Ooops

On a whim, I decided to take Clare - 8 and a half months pregnant - and Molly - two and a half, down to the beach today.

We went to a beach a bit further from the house this time as I fancied going to a different beach and maybe get some driftwood for the fire. I've been building up firewood over the spring and summer for next winter because it can get cold and the wood I had delivered wasn't exactly dry.

The weather's been scorching recently so I thought I'd top up my firewood shed (pretty full now thanks to the old boys next door chopping down our trees for us).

Me being me, it didn't go exactly as planned.

We went about 15km away from the house to a beach that Damian and I spent last Xmas day at - one where I'd forgotten that we needed to cross a ford to get to. Doh! Clare was adamant that the car wouldn't make it across (the BMW has been lowered) so she insisted we went another way. There were two options. Number one was a route that had a sign saying "Deep holes - we tow - you pay!". At this point Clare thought we should go back to our home beach, but number two had no sign, so away I went.

The track started out as grass and rapidly led into the volcanic sand that we have at a lot of the beaches, but I kept going. The track was running parallel to the beach with no sign of an access after the first 5km. I kept going.

By now, Clare has been repeatedly telling me to turn around - all of which I ignore, but I suddenly find myself on a slight incline and within a few seconds - stuck. I tried all of the things I'd seen in the movies - digging out the tires, putting sticks and things under. Nothing worked.

Finally I decided to walk back to town and phone my brother-in-law for a tow. Off I go in the searing heat, being sun burned and wind whipped for 5km - uphill and in thick sand. It took an hour. I get to town and realise this is one of those retirement towns where no-one lives and therefore there are no shops. I muddle around for 20 mins beginning to panic worried about the girls when I flag down a car.

I explain to this simple (I think) guy my predicament and make sure I mention Clare's condition. Instead of letting me use a phone, he takes me to his parents house and we drag out his dad and his 4x4. On the way to Clare, his dad explains that he was the guy who put up the "We tow - You Pay" sign. Arse.

Lucky enough, it takes 2 minutes to tow the car out and he never charges us. Nice guy, Neil was his name. We thought about Clare making him a cake to say thanks but we both agreed that we didn't want to go back to the beach again...

Molly thought it was hilarious, I paid for my cockiness and Clare was good enough not to say I told you so. Though I knew she wanted to...