the rock pool
For the child who lives on the Australian coast, the rock pool is a place where memories are made.
It’s so close to the ocean, yet so far from the waves. A protected pool where little friendships are forged and beach toys are shared. Regardless of the weather, young families flock here, lured by the promise of an easy, carefree day.
This morning we took Poet down to the water; grey skies and big surf didn’t deter. She let her feet sink into the sand, followed the stream of salt and waved to me as I scaled the rock wall, capturing her adventure from afar.
For the next few months we’ll take our towels, beach baskets and snacks to the rock pool. The car will be full of sand, we’ll loose the keys at least once and I’ll wonder where on earth I put the sunscreen. We will visit a multitude of beaches, some close, some far, and indulge in the blessing that is the Australian summer (and the sleep that naturally follows salt, surf and sand).
I love rockpooling. We used to do it loads when we lived in England, when it was too cold to venture into the water. The beach is what I look forward to most about our NZ summer and you are right – children sleep so well after an outing at the beach.
I am so looking forward to summer days spent at the rock pool.. This will be my first summer with my little one down the beach but we already go down from time to time to take in the fresh salty air, of how I missed the fresh salty air when living in Melbourne it's a cure-all!
This makes me want to move to the coast! x
salty sleep is the best in the world. love the rockpool, it's our new home :)sarah
Ah Aussie Summer days! The cloying humid heat, cicadas, sweet icecream dripping on salty fingers. But the beach…best of all. What a gorgeous little protected spot for your babe to explore this watery world. Wishing you many mild and sunny days to while away there.
Steph 🙂 x
Salt, surf, sand: such evocative words. Keys lost on the beach – been there many times.
Enjoy 🙂
Are these pools built up for families and children at all the big beaches? I wsn't familiar with this…growing up near the very wild and unprotected Oregon coast in the U.S. Todepooling is popular to visit small critters, but only at low tide.
yes, they are usually man made (sometimes nature made) pools that remain quite shallow, even at high tide. They are perfect for toddlers x
I meant tidepooling, not todepooling…
We have a beach holiday planned early in the new year on the east coast of our beautiful state. Although we live only a few minutes from the water, there's something magical about an escape elsewhere. New sites, sounds, discoveries. I'm sure Sage will revel in the delight of sand, salt and waves, just as your gorgeous Poet does x
Just gorgeous – makes me nostalgic for the summers of my youth.
Typing that just made me feel old!
ive never seen man made rock pools before! Rockpooling reminds me of my childhood – i went to a school across the road from the sea and we'd go on class trips to the beach, picking cats-eyes off the rocks and watching the shellfish inside "close their doors".. lovely post!
ps. Poet in that top picture – stunning. A little lady. x
Ahh…looks so nice…I want to get my feet wet!
Enjoy your summer!
oh lovely! Everything you described resonated with me so clearly. We grew up on the beaches of northern new south wales – perfect memories of throwing ourselves in the sea at The Pass and then floating our way – in the knee deep, crystal clear, little silvery fishes swimming below us water – down to the beach in front of the caravan park where we would jump out onto the sand, run back and do it all over again. No wonder we slept so well! Enjoy!
This is one of the things i've been most looking forward to since becoming a Mama. My little one will be too small to explore the rockpools this summer but i'll still wade in the shallow water holding her myself. Next Summer i'll get to see the beach through her eyes.
Love that spot. A favourite here too. Grey skies are a big plus. I often find a cloudy day has a calmer energy about it and the boys can splash about without me going nuts about bare skin!
Beautiful words and pictures Jodi. Poet's top is perfection x
your words just transport me there jodi! My children love the beach, the sand and the water…we don't often go the beaches, but do visit the lovely Murray River dividing ViC and NSW a lot. there is something quintessentially australian about being near the water during the christmas time. That rock pool looks amazing x
ooooohhhhh jodes i feel it's still so cold for the beach ha ha ha… absolutely beautiful images by the way.
The photos are amazing 🙂
We lived close to the beach before moving inland to the country, and ohhh this post makes me miss it! Gorgeous.
I jealous. In Poland winter is coming. We are waiting for snow.
you write so beautifully.
How did she get so big so suddenly?! x
These photos are just beautiful, Jodi. Truly beautiful – especially the one of Poet.
And your words – just as wonderful.
Ronnie xo
This makes me dream of my weeks at the beach this December…
we live very close to the water and find ourselves walking the sandy shore every week. it's an easy lifestyle to soak up especially this time of year. your photos and words are always so divine jodi. really beautiful. xo
Poet you gorgeous girl, you look like such a gentle old soul in that image.
http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/
wondrous and wonderful. what a special place to grow up.
gorgeous photos. love the first.
kw, Ladies in Navy
Beautiful photos, as usual. 🙂
The rock pool seems like the perfect compromise between the actual beach and a swimming pool. Oh, and I have yet to take my daughter to the coast and was wondering how did Poet take the sand for the first time?
What an absolutely adorable first photograph and lovely words to match. The rock pool reminds me of parts of Waikiki, though the waves are generally not that large anyway, there are areas protected by rock walls as well, where the sand is soft and the waves are ones that are barely millimeters high that lap at the shore.
Have an amazing beach-filled summer. We are looking forward to some winter beach trips with flasks of chai here in the UK – not quite the same as an Australian summer but we have to get to the sea whatever the weather.
Salt surf sand and sleep – sounds ace to me! 🙂