***Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde Challenge.***

Products used:
Graphic 45 A Ladies Diary papers- Moments in Time, A Ladies Diary and Delicate Details.
Kaisercraft Alphabet Stickers- Belle Collection.
Prima Decorative Wooden Embellishments- Rosarian.
Paper Doily.

Journalling reads:
For as long as I can remember we had spent our holidays and weekends at the caravan park. I don't think I have an earlier memory before the caravan park.

Papa, Nanna, Dad, Mum, Tarina and I used to go there every Easter, Christmas, long weekend and school holidays.

I will always remember the fun times like spending hours at the beach swimming in the lagoon, climbing trees with our friends, walking around the park on dusk with an ice cream.

They had Christmas parties where we saw Santa, barn dances and the Scripture Union Family Mission church group used to have movie nights, games nights and get togethers.

Every night we used to play board games as a family, yahtzee and pass the pig.
We used to play endless games of solitaire, do crosswords or just read.

I remember how Tarina and I used to run across to the toilets in the safety of the torch light so no "monsters" could get us. Little did we realise that being in the spotlight would make it easier to be seen.

I remember spending many hours a day with Tarina running down the sand dunes, running and hoping not to fall over as the hill was so steep.

So many good memories.

But on January 1st 1988 when Nan and Papa were holidaying there alone, Papa had a massive heart attack and died in his sleep.

I still remember the phone ringing at home, being called in to Mum and Dads room to be told that Papa had died. The days after that were a blur.

After a while we decided to go back to the caravan park, to try to move on and recapture that happiness but we couldn't.

The memories were just too strong and everything reminded us of Papa.

The owners of the caravan park dedicated a plaque to Papa's memory that was won in an annual golfing tournament. I still remember going to the golfing tournament with Dad and the presentation nights. Papa's love for golf spurred me into golf.

After a few years Nan decided to sell the caravan as it was just too painful to keep going back. We all decided that the memories were just too strong and painful.

About 8 years ago (around 2003) Peter, Mum and I went back to the caravan park to have a look around. I wanted to see how much it had changed.

The changes were devastating. Papa's plaque that used to be on the wall of the office were taken down, the caravan park was under new management and the new managers had changed it around a lot.

But there was so many familiar sites, I could easily pick out our old caravan. The playgrounds that we had spent some much of our childhood were still there, the fort that we used to play house in was still there.

I will admit it was very hard emotionally to be back there. I had tears in my eyes while walking around looking at the familiar places.

We've been back twice since, this time to show my children where I used to play as a child. Again there are more changes, better changes for the children with more playgrounds and better equipment.

With every visit, it is getting easier and easier. I am starting to see the park with new eyes. No longer looking at it through a child's eyes but making new memories with my children.

Watching them play on the play equipment and explaining to them how I used to do the same when I was their age. Seeing them play in the sand as Tarina and I used to.

Every year though I say to Peter I want to take the children down there for a holiday at Christmas but so far we haven't. I don't want to forget the fun times we had as a child, I don't want to completely lose those nostalgic memories of my childhood when we still had our beloved papa, when so many things were different.

Maybe the memories are still too strong, even after 25 years.

Lake Tabourie Tourist Park ~ 9th August 2011.