Travel Journal – Isle of Wight Weekend Aventure

The one with the Needles, a battery, a boat ride and a chine.

A big thanks to all who joined me on this wonderful amazing adventure. We will 100% do this again next year.

HIGHLIGHTS:-

FRIDAY, TRAVEL DAY.

Sid and I arrived at Stoat Farm Camping and Caravan Site, which is an extremely well maintained site. They have recently renovated the place and the shower and toilet block were pristine with underfloor heating! Talk about luxury. The WhatsApp group started pinging and we arranged a group meal at The Waterfront Inn on the beach. It was a beautiful setting with the waves lapping against the beach wall and the moon shimmering on the sea. What a great way to start this weekend adventure. SATURDAY – Organised walk – 12 miles I set out early from the campsite and walked over the cliffs to Freshwater Bay, where I would meet the rest of the group. I scoped this walkout in February when it was cold, very wet and muddy. Today I am in cut-off trekking shorts and my AG t-shirt. The sun is shining and there is a hop in my step. The beginning of the walk is quite challenging as it climbs up onto the cliff edge. It reminds me of The South Downs Way, especially the Seven Sisters section of that trail. The PUDS (pointless ups and downs) are not as steep, but it’s still a good walk. We reach Tennyson Monument and pause for a group photo with epic views. The walk then takes us via a farm shop cafe (which was closed when I visited in February). To my delight it was open and we all stopped for a coffee, cake or homemade scone. They did sell alcohol, but it was a bit too early to indulge. To my surprise, The New Battery, Nr the Needles, has a display on the history of British rocket development between the 1950s and 1970s which we all found fascinating. By now it was lunchtime so we stopped at Alum Bay where some people ate their packed lunch and others simply purchased something in the cafe. The walk continues up, up, up and then up onto the Heddon Warren Barrow. Now we are walking through bright yellow gorse bushes, fields of sheep and cows and some areas were rather overgrown. It wasn’t quite a jungle, but not far off! “This is the adventurous part!” I shout to those protecting themselves from stinging nettles! We ended the walk with ice cream on the beach back in Freshwater. Gillian went for a paddle (it wasn’t that warm! The evening meal tonight was at Hightower Inn which is a gorgeous little pub not far from the campsite. The food selection ranged from a shared seafood platter to a roast Hake (with its head still on!). I devoured a rump steak followed by summer fruit crumble and custard. I was stuffed! 14 of us were in our own little room so it was like a private party. An Adventure Geek tradition on our organised holidays is to each share a rose and a thorn of the day. A rose is something good that made this trip special, and a thorn is something that wasn’t so good. I love this part of our trips as you get to hear about things that you may have missed. We had all sorts of experiences from one person finding a mouldy quiche in the oven of their B&B to enjoying the time spent with new friends. SUNDAY – Cruise & Chine I cooked a full fry up in Sid my van and sat outside in the sunshine to enjoy my breakfast. It was already very warm at 8am! 17 of us then ventured down to Alum Bay and we hopped on a tour boat to see the Needles and Lighthouse up close. There was no wind at all and seeing the different coloured cliffs was wonderful from the sea. Some of us then drove to Shinnick (such a quaint little tourist town) and visited the Shinnick Chine (a historic gorge with waterfalls and little streams) we had a giggle (like teenagers) as we spotted the hidden giant dinosaur eggs!) Lunch was at a pub on the beach with a beer. We chilled, ate ice cream and then walked back to the car via Nic Nac shops. (I didn’t buy a thing…. Pat myself on the back!). As I type I’m on the ferry heading for Southampton. It has been a fabulous weekend and I’ve loved every minute. Good people, amazing weather, good walking and some downtime to relax so that it feels more like a holiday than a job. I’m very grateful that I can do this for a living. I can’t wait for the next trip which is Beatrix Potter weekend in the Lake District in a few weeks. Thank you for reading this blog.