It brought me great comfort to now know that it was only 20 minutes to the beach that Joe had so desperately wanted to go to. Only 20 more minutes of complaining until a relaxing beach. Finnaly we had arrived, however the horror dawned on me, there was one path down to the beach and another path that took you further along the cliff edge. Within 30 seconds the decision had been made…. Walk on. 

Now with Mae crying, Joe moaning and me not having time to do either, due the fact that we were walking along side a medium security prison, with dad resiting the urge to sing: I want break free by Queen, I was terrified. Finally we had arrived at our destination and waiting to get the bus home we ate well earned ice cream as mum vowed that we would come back to the lighthouse at the end of the causeway.

The next day and we are back at the lighthouse  mum had read that they had some great rockpools, so we walk up the causeway and looked at the rockpools. There were  some amazing areas sea jungles and lots of anenomies ( I probably havent spelt that right). And then the time came. Mum and Joe were observing this.What do you see? Well Mum and Joe were debating what it was, Mum saying it was seaweed, Joe claiming it was a kelp dragon. When I heard about this debate I  came over to observe. Then it hit me, it was the shark that walked on land all over again (Joe once proved us all wrong when he said there was a skark that walked on land and we didn’t believe him only later to watch a documentary about them). I was in no mind to disagree with Joe, later to know i made the right decision it was a kelp dragon a type of sea slug. Now adding to Joes tally of unbelievably true facts I think I will be agreeing with Joe forever.

After a walk and a wail yesterday, I did drag the kids back to Corbiere’s lighthouse to walk out along the causeway, having watched ‘The Light between Oceans’ the night before it seemed even more poignant (even though it was not hundreds of miles from civilisation, just a few hundred metres along a causeway). I had read somewhere that there were the best rockpools ever, along the causeway and we were not to be disappointed, after a few minutes exploring we saw open anemones, little glass shrimps, underwater forests of the most beautiful seaweed and then finally a sea hare (a what I hear you cry, well to Joe it was a Kelp Dragon, and after the walking shark experience we were all inclined to defer to him on this occasion). However research at home proved it to be a Sea Hare – a species of sea slug – the most exciting slug I have come across.

The Jersey coastline did nothing to disappoint, an almost deserted route dotted with beautiful bays, surrounded by bright yellow gorse, lovely pink, purple and white bluebells. Probably only fair to mention the medium security prison that we skirted on our route, much to Izaak’s disdain, he seemed convinced we were going to be overrun by rioting convicts at any moment. The plan was to walk out on the causeway to the Corbiere’s lighthouse, however after about ten minutes of Mae wailing that her ankles hurt, her back hurt and we had promised it would only be a twenty minute walk we conceded that instead we would grab an ice cream and get the bus back. Family harmony was restored, but we are driving out to that blinking lighthouse and we shall walk the causeway!

April in a tent, even a fancy one was always going to be a risk, would it be great or just wet and freezing. Well three nights in and I can safely say we are chilling. When the dipping sun drags us, our glasses of wine and chocolate in from the veranda, a cosy fire awaits. Nights are spent playing cards, watching films and listening to the not so dulcet tones of endangered animals which sound like they are trying to further reduce their numbers.

Mornings are heralded by a distinctly cold tent – but tucked up in my double bed and duvet – am I bothered, no – and the call of every monkey and bird in the place, chickens and dogs in South America have nothing on this. But the kids sleep on, there must be something hard wired into their brain that just blocks out all noise, how they sleep through it god only knows.