What do you do at Night

We sit outside, weather permitting, and count the satellites.

Just me and the kids use to sit outside looking at stars, sitting around fire, etc, till about nine, then I sent them to bed, while I read for a while.
Made the mistake last trip, by having a tv and something to power it.

Drink beer....stare at the fire....stare at the sky.......this is called relaxing !!

Other times we play a game called the 1st thing that pops up...lol....this is called strenuous exercise !!

A game thats got the word rum in it, sounds okay to me!

We chat and have card and boardgames with the kids.
Then we put them to bed in a separate tent and we make love. Seriously we have much more and much better sex on camp and in our TVan than at home. One benefit of the TVan is that it is very soundproof, and quite stable (does not wobble).
Well thats the true answer to the original poster's question
Cheers
CJ

Hi alan, ..agree with suggestions of sitting about campfire and relaxing, the average person takes quite some time to be able to 'wind down' ... there's a need to do something for quite a while and having bored kids doesn't help. 2 suggestions: get away from or turn off lights, allow 10 mins to night sight adapt and go looking for nocturnal animals ( quietly as possible) . if you can afford it, get night vision device (helps with above). the various games mentioned are obviously ok as is looking for the many satellites and stars above or just kanoodling!. I used to take a 200 channel scanner on trips, its amazing what you can pick up on the airwaves as well.
mg.

Talk and just each others company and enjoy the peace and quiet of the bush.

No TV, no computer, no phones, no noisy neighbours or cars doing circles and watch the fire and, as others have already said above, count the stars.

Phil

Generally, if I’m not repairing a tyre or mending something that’s broken during the day, It’ll be cooking and camp set-up in time to catch the sunset. Then if by myself, it’s time to enjoy the solitude and the night sky. We keep a track of the ISS (Space Station) transits so we know when to look for it cruising stately overhead. Then there may be a bit of route planning and assessment before typing the journal and getting a few bits and bobs ready for the next days adventure.

I'm on a countdown. Only10 days to go and I'm back out west again. Boy this week and a half is dragging!

Cheers Mick

Hi Alan,
We sit and talk, and usually have a good laugh. We also play 500.
Leanne

If we are on our own and we can have a campfire we sit around it after we have had our meal and washed up. We chat, have a cuppa or maybe some port, watch the stars and satellites, go over what we have seen and done that day, maybe plan the next day. If its too cold we go to bed early and read - e-readers are great as you can carry plenty of books without worrying about how much space they take up.

For years we have carried a pack of cards and a small chess set but they have hardly ever been used.

I try to write the diary before dark, but have done it a few times by the light of my head torch. Uploading photos onto the laptop and burning back-up CDs also happens at night.

If we are in a group there is more talk around the fire. Have had some memorable nights when we have got together with others camped nearby (not travelling companions) and swapped travel experiences.



Cheers,

Val.

I am surprised no one has mentioned that old favourite. Squabbling about how best to manage the fire! You've all been there I am sure. The endless disagreements about adding wood, or moving logs, or when and where to add more wood.

You need a bit of distraction from watching the satellites and wondering what the heck made that funny noise - are you sure it isn't a dingo?

Wow.
Those t-vans sound alright!!!

We now have a tv. We got caught by a storm in Innamincka last year. Had no idea it was coming. An 8 hour blast that very nearly totally separated wall from floor on 2 sides. We just had to ride it out in the dark-it was like sleeping in front of a spinnaker! After that, we swore we would keep a track of the weather (ok, so we don't own cutesy iphones, either).
After the weather forecast and day's news, yes, we argue over the campfire's maintenance, too.
If we're in town we eat tea at the local pub-there's always something to learn from a local!

On my own I'll relax for a while, watch the stars, cook some tucker, and maybe drink a few warmies, and plan the day ahead.

More often than not I'll be camped by some beautiful feature so I'll go for a walk with the dog trying to remember which way I came from - the campfire is a good guide back to camp. Write up some diary notes if I have any energy left. Love the sound of a dingo howl at night.

If I'm with others pretty much the same things except more time is spent yapping around the fire and paying out on whomever had the best life experience of the day :)



Cheers
Alan

Spot the Sats ,and just sit around that camp fire and soak it all in .cheers GREENDOG