How to Faux Camp. Your step by step guide.

Every Easter Family de Hewitt pick a place to go camping. Not just the four of us, no, we don't do little at  celebration times. Just like at Christmas, when around 65 of us come together, at Easter we do the same.

There is just one little problem.

They go camping.

I am just not much of a camper. I have a long list of reasons why, but I think we can classify most people into two 'camps'. The campers and the non-campers...and then there is me, the Faux Camper.

Here is how you Faux Camp.

Start with shopping for Easter clothes

• Tell people you are going camping at Easter, especially the kids.
• Pack: This takes a couple of days, you need the fishing rods, the Esky to be cleaned from last year, gumboots need to be found (has anyone seen Popps' red gumboots? Brand new ones lost somewhere in the house) Include multiple outfits for the kids. Include excessive amounts of food. 
• Get up really early Easter morning
• Drive to Family de Hewitt Easter camp
• Unpack.

This is where the kids now run off, Mr H sets up fishing rods, you start chatting with everyone and request another fire closer to the river, please.

Excuse the random VB bottle, must have been from another family. Three Generations of campers, Grandpa is now also a Faux Camper!

You now start the walks back and forward to the toilets as apparently the girls never need to go at the same time.

You watch Mr H have to jump in the river to fish out the fishing rod, sans fish.

Your kids learn about the pest of the Australian Rivers as a pile of dead carp begin to grow.

Sausages and burgers are cooked over the fire.

An Easter egg hunt of massive proportions begins as cousins big and small work together to build a stash of eggs and ensure they have not left a single egg hidden in the bush.

Who needs shoes? There is a mud pit, so you just let them go in it. You know where it is going to end but it doesn't really matter.

The smalls will empty out the worm bait bucket and start playing worm families. Some Aunties will gladly accept live worms in their pockets, you know, to keep the babies warm.

There is a lot of talking around the fire.

Everyone is happy.

Now it is dark.

Your camping trip is nearly over.

To end the Faux Camping:

• Throw everything into the car.
• Bribe the kids to get into the car as they start asking why we can't sleep here like everyone else.
• Start the drive home. 
• The kids will be asleep within 10kms and transfer straight to bed.
• Shower in your own bathroom. 
• Jump into your own bed.

The following day your laundry will still smell like a campfire.







PS We were at Bridgewater in Victoria. For those that love camping, this spot is available FREE for the rest of this year, but there are no powered sites, it is going to be developed into something non campish very soon, so get in before it really is all gone.