The Blessed Peace of Holidays.

What a beautiful place. We used to go to Rainbow Beach a lot as kids. Not much has changed there. There are a few new developments and of course land costs a small fortune but it's still beautiful and preserved and has that small coastal town feel about it. The Rainbow Shores development, where our holiday house was located,is nestled in bushland. All the homes have access to the beach through bushland walking tracks. It really is a bush meets the sea kind of place. It's so quiet and peaceful and the permanent residents and holiday home owners obviously have a great respect for the environment they're lucky enough to own a small piece of.

Henry had a great time with his cousins. He followed them around trying desperately to join in whatever it was they were doing. When they yelled, he yelled, when they laughed, he laughed. Little did he realise they would rather he just went somewhere else. They were as patient as they could be and when their patience wore out they went and locked themselves in a room he couldn't get into.

My mother and stepfather had Henry sleeping in their room so they got up to him at 5am each morning and took him for a walk so he wouldn't disturb the rest of the sleeping household, including me. For that I will be eternally grateful. I got to sleep a little longer, have a cup of tea and read for a bit without interruption.

The hardest part about going away is coming home. The real world is fraught with financial worries, time constraints, housework, and work pressures. Holidays take us away from all of that if only for a short time.