Oh. What did we do with the grumpy baby early in the morning?
Put him in a backpack and took him hiking.
For those of you who have little people and haven't discovered the wonders of the baby backpack, I highly recommend it. It means your mini me can come along on adventures like traditional wilderness babes in their papooses, but without the back ache for the big people.
My sister and I took the youngest trouble-maker/ heart-breaker to Belair for his first proper hike. Trussed up like us in his bush waking gear and stashed in the back pack which also held our water and snacks, he had a fine old time.
We chose Echo Track for its easy walking paths, its end location and of course for the slightly spooky trip through Echo Tunnel which is a winner for young adventurers. No need to pay entrance into the park for this track so it's an affordable way to entertain the whole family.
If you set out in the am you are sure to encounter lots of birds creating a raucous distraction so full of colour and noise that it never gets boring no matter how many times you see it.
It's a great way to get exercise, be out in nature and give little ones some new 'firsts'. As we travelled along he sagaciously pointed out to us, rock, tree, bird, becoming a good learning experience for him and reconnecting us with simple wonders.
Echo Tunnel is a sensory experience and while it's always very dark as you head towards the light at the other end, you can overcome young fears by singing their favourite songs or testing the echo power of their favourite nonsense words. Our little companion opted for shouting 'Ninja' and encouraging us to sing, 'We all know frogs go, La di da di da'.
Walkers emerge from the tunnel into slightly more lush, if European, vegetation and it's a short uphill from there to the lower waterfall. This has long been a favoured resting spot for Belair hikers and new improvements to the track and viewing platform make it safer for toddlers.
The view is well worth the walk and if you haven't run out of steam you can continue to the upper waterfall. We stopped for a snack, (banana of course) and enjoyed the view while spotting birds, planes and trains, all of equal interest to little boys.
He was happily tuckered out on the way down and so well behaved that we took him out to eat in Blackwood and he was a perfect little gentleman.