There is something wonderful about the Norfolk Broads. The peace, the tranquillity and the stunning scenery are just some of the things that the Broads has to offer, add to that the miles of winding waterways and you have a truly unique day out or holiday. The Broads holds a special little place in my heart, there were many a year spent on holiday with my parents on a boat having the time of my life. For anyone not too sure what the Broads is all about, they are basically a collection of rivers and lakes that are navigable, full of wildlife to see and memories to be made, for more information check out the broads website.
When my Mum said to me a little while ago that they were heading to the broads for the day and invited us along I put it straight on the calendar, no way were we missing out. So last Sunday we took the 45 mile journey over to Wroxham to meet my parents and close family friends for the day. Alfie was pretty excited about this as (providing the weather was ok) we had told him that we would get a boat out for a couple of hours and have a little fun on the water!
We were so lucky with the weather as the few days prior were absolutely rubbish but I'm so pleased that the sun shone and the rain stayed away as it made for a really lovely afternoon.
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Aye Aye Captain!
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You can hire a boat for a day or just a couple of hours, as we did (£32 for the 2 hours), the boats fit a max of 8 and as you can see we were able to fit the pram on too which was handy. We decided to boat from Wroxham to Horning which took an hour there and back. Heading down the river and looking at the stunning waterside properties is great, some of these houses are simply stunning. I can't imagine what it must be like to own one and have that incredible view on a daily basis!
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| Dad & daughter selfie! |
The views are stunning and there really is something so incredibly peaceful about just bobbing along on the water, there is almost a sense of calm that came over me (or maybe that was the effects of the large glass of Sauvignon I had for lunch, ha!). The boat itself is quite simple to drive (I've no idea if you drive a boat, I don't think these are the type of boats you sail......my husband reckons pilot........I'm going to stick with driving!). We all took turns to have a go, all is well and good until you get told that the yachts are 'tacking' (thanks for that dear Dad but I had no clue what to do!)........I was told to stay behind them, ermmmmm, genuinely had no idea so my Dad thankfully leapt to my aid (not before I nearly took the front end of a stationary boat out as I didn't get out of the chair quick enough, ha.......good job my Dad has years of experience of driving these boat things!
Alfie really did have a great time, once we'd managed to persuade him to keep his life jacket on he had a fab time helping Daddy and Grandad steer the boat. We did have to do an emergency wee stop for him which then turned into my husband nearly been dragged into the river trying to pull the boat in AND then being stranded on the side as we needed to steer the boat in a little more in to moor.....cue a huge crying fit from Alfie who thought we were leaving Daddy behind (haha, was actually very funny!). Anyway, wee stop was over and done with and our journey commenced with no other delays! He did start to get a little twitchy towards the end but I managed to alleviate a disaster with snacks and the promise of an ice cream once on dry land!
I would highly recommend heading to the broads for a day out (definitely weather dependant, it would be pretty miserable if it was peeing it down to be honest). I'm really enjoying our family days out, nothing better than exploring some of the gorgeous places within the UK.
Have you been to the broads? Would you like to?
