A wild ride and a great day out in Padstow


Speedboat leaving the harbour at Padstow with other boats moored up.

For the final day of the 30 Days Wild Challenge, we thought we’d share our latest adventure – and this one’s really wild! There’s nothing quite like getting out on the water and feeling the spray on your face!

We finally managed to entice Farmer Dave out for a trip to his favourite seaside haunt, Padstow. Squeezing a trip in around the demands at Bosinver is always a tall order but we made it just in time to catch Rick Stein’s take away and enjoy our favourite version of a seaside classic (in posh boxes, not newspaper) – delicious!

It was a glorious June day and as we arrived at the quay a local brass band began to play – just perfect. The harbour is always busy but today it was crammed full of boats of all descriptions. They have added a new pontoon and every space was taken, rigging clanking and flags fluttering, adding to that good ‘I’m on holiday’ feeling!

Parents and children crammed into every available quayside space dangling crab nets over the side with buckets full of crabs of all sizes. What is it about crabbing that’s so addictive? A smelly bit of meat, a line and a bucket has us occupied for hours!

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We had a mooch round and shared a boy’s crab line but Wilf and Megs agreed that we could go crabbing any time – and I think they felt sorry for the poor creatures squashed in buckets in the hot sunshine (take a look at the Cornish Rock Pools website for tips on how to handle crabs carefully).

After a while we decided to join the queue for a speedboat ride. Dave and I used to bring our children to speed around the beautiful Camel Estuary on these classic mahogany boats built by Gerald Pearn of Morval, near Looe, in the 1970s. We always choose the back seat if possible as the powerful engine pushes the back of the boat down into the water and you get wet! It was quite calm so good for Wilf and Megs’ first outing. We were on Thunder but there are also three other speedboats to choose from: Jaws, Sea Fury or Fireball XL5.

It is a thrill of a ride and a great way to see the whole of the estuary from the sea. They take you out to Doom Bar on the edge of the open sea. Megs wasn’t too sure and snuggled into me with her hands held tightly on the rail in front but Wilf was whooping with delight.

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After we landed safely we walked out towards Hawkers Cove, a beautiful sandy beach, ideal for a picnic. The views from the path are breathtaking: azure sea, golden sand, and at this time of year, wild flowers.

The children ran free, doing roly polys and balancing on walls, as children should.

I just love where I live….

Inspiration for wild adventures

Although we’re at the end of the 30 Days Wild challenge, that doesn’t mean our random acts of wildness will stop.

If you’ve been inspired by some of our adventures this June, why not plan your own series of wild activities over the summer? You can find loads of suggestions for nature-focused activities on the 30 Days Wild website.

We’d love to hear what you get up to, so why not post a message on our Facebook page or tweet @bosinver?

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!