Chrissy at the Surf Shack

Clint planned our Christmas accommodations in secret -- the rest of us had only a vague idea of the direction we were going. We ended up at the Injidup Surf Shack (http://www.stayz.com.au/12494).

The view was fabulous. We were in bushland above the Indian Ocean. And we were completely isolated. The Shack was located on the ridge above an undeveloped bay along the south western coast, thirty minutes from the more developed Margaret River area.

The Shack was an artists' vacation home -- so it had lots of funky touches: hand-plastered walls with embedded shells and driftwood, a completely open floor plan, a bed that could easily sleep 6 (though there were other beds too) and an awesome outdoor shower.

As is the Aussie tradition on Chrissy, after opening our presents, we went to the beach for a morning dip. The waves at nearby Smith's Beach were perfect.

After Christmas dinner,

we went back down the hill to Injidup beach -- the water was a little rougher there, but the sand dunes were magical. We felt like we were skiing down them.

The only bummer was the fact that Clint threw out his back moments before our long car drive to the shack. If he looks a little drugged out in this picture -- that's because he is. We were sorry he couldn't join us on the dunes or in the waves, but he was a good sport. And he remains very grateful to the Aussie chemist who dispensed the strong stuff on Christmas Eve without a doctor's signature.