Norfolk- Boats, Trains & Seaside

Norfolk- Boats,Trains & Seaside 

 

We were so lucky with this amazing warm weather….and in September too! We drove to Sea Palling, a small village harbouring the ‘perfect’ beach with a Blue Flag status for its pristine waters. What a wonderful find! After a fish and chip lunch, we settled on the beach and spent the afternoon paddling, playing ball and some fun beach games and relaxing in the warm sunshine. It was so enjoyable. 

The morning was spent in Great Yarmouth, a busy seaside resort, known for its long, sandy beach. We walked along the seafront, then ventured onto the pier where there were many photo opportunities especially with the seaside photo booth; we had great fun posing in that! We tried our luck on a few fun fair games, horse racing and ‘stack them up and knock them down’ were a few of our favourites. Ice cream was definitely a must and just what was needed to cool us down.  

We sat and enjoyed them in the glorious sun as we waited to board the land train, a fun method of transport offering trips along the seafront. This was fantastic and we loved it as people waved at us as we passed by.

Another sunny day, perfect for our trip on the Broads. Canoeing was our first activity and once life jackets were donned, Mark and Rodney assisted us into our vessels. We split into 2 groups, some on a speed boat and some in a double canoe and we then headed off on the calm waters for our exciting day.  Lots of people were out on their vessels, making the most of the glorious sunshine. Later in the morning, we stopped off and some of us swapped over to also experience the canoeing. Rodney, a volunteer of 17 years taught us how to paddle, turn the canoe whilst relaying facts about the Broads and the vast wildlife in the area. What a great morning we shared.  

More boating fun was had as we spent the afternoon aboard a sailboat, a 20ft Falmouth Bass boat. We learnt how to sail the boat and loved joining in and becoming crew members. We all took it in turns at the helm, helping to steer and pull the rigging. Once again, we all proved to make excellent captains! It had been a marvellous day out on the water.

On dry land, our adventure started at Bure Valley Railway in Wroxham where we boarded a steam train bound for Aylsham. The whistle sounded and we were off, chugging along through the picturesque countryside. The time flew by and suddenly we were alighting the little steam train in Aylsham. It was a great experience and we even got to say hello to the station master! 

 We joined David and Sheila embarking on a motor cruise for the morning.Everyone enjoyed the relaxing cruise along the Broads heading for Irstead. It was another warm day, bringing many people out onto the water. 

We passed many windmills and large, expensive houses lining the waterfront. It was fun guessing the cost of them, many worth well over a million pounds, hence its name of ‘Millionaires Row’. 

 Back at Great Yarmouth and we all full of excitement as we made our way to the Hippodrome circus to watch the Summer Spectacular Performance. The show was electrifying from start to finish. We were on the edge of our seats with the motorbike globe riders zooming around a tiny spherical cage at great speed, not just 1 of them but 3 at one point! Then our hearts started beating even faster as the daredevil duo ran, skipped and danced blindfolded on high spinning wheels. It was action packed! The acrobatics were graceful and mesmerising and to top it all off, the water show was spectacular. The circus floor sank into a pool where acrobats and show swimmers all performed perfectly times routines.

Today we headed towards ‘Acle’, a village en route to Great Yarmouth, known as the ‘gateway to the Broads’. It was another warm day enticing so many people out to spend a day on the water. The wildlife was plentiful and for a while a family of swans and cygnets followed us which we caught on camera. We all loved driving the boat, taking it in turns to be captain!

We moored up at Acle and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the banks of the river and then we took a walk along the winding water’s edge to a souvenir shop where more pennies were spent.