Staycation, Or Vacation-Chapter 4 (A Beginners guidebook-Zack)

Yesterday was the perfect way to start our vacation. the breakfast was fantastic. The café was cool too. They had so many instruments on display. My favourite was the saxophone. I can’t wait to see what we’re doing today. We have a day tour of the Melbourne docklands. Then after having lunch we’ll come back to the hotel I guess. Because we don’t have to head out to Queen Victoria market until 6, and the tour, along with lunch, ends at 3. I guess we can catch a quick nap.

Breakfast at the hotel was just like any other place I guess. Same food, similar seating arrangements. Nothing really exciting. Except for Mr Smith’s waffle plate. I’ve never seen one man eat that much-whipped cream. “Hey, um, uncle where’s your waffle? All I see is whipped cream, chocolate chips, and maple syrup on your plate,” Pepper said. “There are waffles,” he asked with surprise. Oh well.

By eleven, everyone was ready to go. We first headed to this car rental place. We would rent a car, and from the 17th, we would get a camper van with a driver. That was to make our journey a little more comfortable, so we could cover more stops in lesser time. Once we got to the place, Mom went up to the clerk and said, “Hi. I just wanted to check, I have a booking under the name of Ashley Martin, and we had booked a van. Is it available right now?” “Yes, it’s in the back,” said the clerk in a very bored voice, throwing us a set of car keys. We went to check the car out. It looked so much like the mystery mobile from Scooby-Doo. It was even green with floral print. Yikes. What’s next? Fake ghosts and ghouls to deal with? Like, send help!

We got the car out of the garage with great difficulty. Millie, Rebecca and Alexandra were in their car seats, fixed to the back. Tamara, Max, and Rachel were with them. I and Pepper were in front. Mr Smith was driving. Mrs Smith and Mrs Lavigne were next to him, with Tyson and Leo. Mom was with Pepper and me.

We reached the docklands in an hour. We were taking a boat tour, with an onboard lunch around the docks. There was a playpen on board as well, for the little kids. Our group of kids had pretty much got the whole of it. With five kids, all of them super energetic in one tiny crawlspace, I think all the other little kids would be too scared to even go close to it. All of them got themselves busy with emptying the ball pit. Tamara offered to stay with them, to make sure they didn’t turn the whole pit upside down. She didn’t like boats much anyway.

The rest of us when up on deck to hear the tour. It was about the history of the docks, and how they evolved to be what they were today. Pepper was just staring at the architecture the whole time. She didn’t care how the hell the docks came to be, or what kind of wood was used to make them, or how many grams each board weighed. All she cared about was the buildings and the view that was there today. Rachel, on the other hand, wanted to know every little detail about the docks, right down to the ratio of the metal on each kind of nail used to hold each and every board together. Max was trying to see who knew more, the tour guide, or her guidebook. And boy was her book losing big-time. Remind me not to talk to her until her book finally gets something right.

Mr Smith told Tamara she could go up on deck for some time, and he would watch the kids. She agreed and began climbing up the stairs. The heel of her shoe kept getting stuck in the holes in the metal. Pencil heels, and perforated metal. The deadliest combination. Finally, she gave up, took off her shoes, and went up on deck barefoot.

After she went, the bottom deck was completely empty. But ten seconds later, we all had to run back downstairs. There was someone screaming. “Oh my god stop it hurts! You’re killing me! Somebody help!” We thought something serious was happening. Then we realized the only person down there was Mr Smith and all our precious little kids. They must have started throwing all the plastic balls from the pit at him. Sure enough, that was what was happening. The tour guide gave him a dirty look, and announced, “Attention everyone! Lunch is being served on the main deck. Everyone find the table under your reservation name, and have a seat.”

Lunch was roast turkey and crepes. We had lunch and headed back to the hotel. We needed to get enough rest for today evening. We were going to the marketplace that evening, and we needed the kids to sleep, or else they would be so lethargic all through the evening.

We got back to the hotel, all of us very tired, and Mr Smith in trouble. I’m guessing there’s another time-out. Once we were back, and the little kids were all in bed, Pepper and I ran off looking for something to do in the hotel garden. All the other girls were up in the suite, continuing that k-drama they started. Some, ‘Snowfall’ or ‘Snowflake’ or something. I really don’t know. And the adults were confirming bookings or talking about the weather, or something boring adults do.

The night market at Queen Victoria Market was supposed to be really pretty. And it was. Everything was lit up with fairy lights, and stars. It was really cool. The first thing we did was look at the food stalls. There was every country's street food. Indian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, you name it. We had a bit of everything. Pani-puri, tteok-bokki, soufflé pancakes made up our early dinner. Then the fun began. There was live music, and people dancing around. We all joined it. Except for Mr Smith, who claimed the balls thrown at him ‘hurt more than bullets.’ Oh well. At least someone could sit and keep watch on the strollers. The rest of us were having fun, dancing and singing and eating. Mom, Mrs Lavigne, and Mrs Smith were shopping for souvenirs.

We had a ton of fun dancing around, but soon everyone was tired. We had to travel tomorrow, we all needed the rest. And we were spending the day at Brighton Beach. Finally, the highlight of Australia, its lovely beaches!