 From my bench above Friars Cliff beach at Christchurch I could see the last rays of evening sunlight sparkling off the Needles across the bay. Pretty idyllic, I would say.
It had only been a pleasant 10 minute stroll along a tree-lined boulevard from where we were staying at Hoburne Park to reach the coast. Hoburne’s location could not have been more perfect.
Seaside caravan holidays always spark recollections from my childhood of an overwhelmingly damp and musty smell and my father cracking his head on the low gas lamps. Our caravan at Hoburne Park bore absolutely no resemblance to those from my memories. Indeed, it was rather luxurious. No wonder I began to feel somewhat smug.
Earlier in the day we’d been to Compton Acres, in Poole - 10 acres of magnificent gardens - which had proved surprisingly popular with our two girls, Elena (17) and Sophie (six).
The thought of visiting gardens had initially wrought groans of horror from Elena. But it was my birthday and I was choosing to go there. So it was the proverbial icing on the cake that Elena and Sophie enjoyed Compton Acres. So much so that Elena, in particular, had to be almost dragged away.
Compton Acres’ charm, you see, lies in its series of themed gardens. Secluded paths took us through a grotto to a very grand Italian garden with exquisite statues of Bacchus, the god of wine and the famous wrestlers of Herculaneum. In the Wooded Valley the peace was broken only by the tinkling sounds of falling water; not rain, thank goodness, but waterfalls cascading down rocky banks. Undoubtedly everyone’s favourite was the delightful Japanese gardens, where stepping stones led us across ponds filled with the biggest Koi carp I have ever seen to an authentic tea house prettily draped with Japanese wisteria.
To cap it all, there were spectacular views over Poole Harbour to Brownsea Island and the Isle of Purbeck beyond. Compton Acres is justifiably hailed as a garden for all scenes, with colour and scent all year round. Botanists and gardeners alike must almost think that they have arrived in the Garden of Eden. To us it was an oasis of exceptional beauty and calm in what is otherwise a very busy, touristy area.
If it all seemed to be too good to be true thus far, then fate soon took a hand with the weather. The next day we found ourselves queuing with hundreds of other weather-beaters outside the Oceanarium on Bournemouth’s seafront. In fact, the queue was so long that it blocked the turning circle of the little train that runs up and down the prom. Thankfully, the queue moved very swiftly and we were soon inside with our noses pressed up against hundreds of tanks.
In my experience, aquariums never fail to amuse whatever age you happen to be. Bournemouth’s Oceanarium was no exception. A couple of huge turtles were the stars of the show here. They could be seen from a wooden platform above their tank and from an ‘underwater’ tunnel below which we walked through to get a close up view of their fellow occupants. These included sharks, rays with their ghost-like faces and equally spooky-looking eels.
 Unfortunately for us the Oceanarium’s latest attraction - the world’s first Interactive Dive Cage - was out of order on the day of our visit. The very appropriately-named general manager, James Eels, described it as a “memorable” experience which educates visitors about creatures the Oceanarium could never display, such as dolphins, great white sharks and manta rays.
But the hiccup with this ‘virtual experience’ did not disappointment us. After all, there were thousands of creatures to see and feeding demonstrations to watch.
Despite the rain and wind, Bournemouth’s lovely beaches and long promenade were busy with well-wrapped-up families eating ice cream and candy floss under their umbrellas.
We beat a path back to our own ‘retreat’ at Hoburne. It seemed most guests here stay on site for their entire visit, which is no surprise considering the facilities. Even my husband, with his aversion to hi-de-hi-like activities, was to make good use of them. Evenings found him joining in the Sammy Seahorse club entertainment, which Sophie obviously revelled in. Though I have to say it was me who had the difficult job of dragging a very reluctant and over-excited Sophie out of the disco at bedtime.
We could easily have filled our days in the heated indoor and outdoor pools, complete with Jacuzzi and adjacent sauna, a fabulous adventure play area for youngsters or playing crazy golf, mini bowling, pool, snooker or tennis.
But we wanted to explore the wonderful coastline around these parts, wander through the New Forest close by and visit a few of the many attractions that this area has to offer. Though it is one of the most popular holiday regions of the UK we only encountered the crowds in Bournemouth. Elsewhere we enjoyed space and peace. Particularly so at Buckler’s Hard, where we took a relaxing trip up the river aboard Swiftsure and learnt something of the history of this tranquil spot on the banks of the Beaulieu river. There is an interesting exhibition here about the village’s history. Its’ claim to fame is as the place where some of Nelson’s fleet were built, including Euryalus, Swiftsure and the Admiral’s favourite, Agamemnon, all of which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar. We thought a trip to Lord Montagu’s famous motor museum nearby at Beaulieu - of which Buckler’s Hard is part of the estate - might perk up a somewhat tiring Elena.
Her interest was stirred, but maybe not shaken, by the James Bond Experience, with cars and even boats from numerous films, including the wonderful Lotus submarine car from The Spy Who Loved Me.
In the end, it was a fascinating exhibition about spies, The Secret Army, centred on Beaulieu’s wartime role as a training centre for the Special Operations Executive, which captivated her, and me, too. This was the story of those men and many women agents who were trained at large country houses around the Beaulieu Estate before being sent to work with resistance groups throughout Europe. Many of them never returned.
Even if you are not a car fan, it’s almost impossible not to find something intriguing among the 250-plus exhibits at Beaulieu. Perhaps there are vehicles which, like me, would take you down Memory Lane. I found a little Hillman Imp just like one I owned briefly before the engine gave out and an Austin Cambridge and an A40 from my childhood. If you’re a sports car fanatic then you’d certainly be thrilled by the display of four of the most famous World Land Speed Record Breakers, including Donald Campbell’s Bluebird. There’s also the Autoglym Supercars exhibition, which is running until next Spring, with such ‘exotic’ models as the Enzo Ferrari, Aston Martin Virage and the Bugatti Veyron, the fastest, most powerful and expensive road car in the world.
Certainly Sophie loved riding on the open-topped bus and spotting Del Boy’s Reliant Regal and Mr Bean’s Mini from the monorail which travelled through the enormous hangars filled with vehicles.
The public relations lady for Beaulieu had told me how much she “loved” the rain because it brought in the customers. Granted, most of the attractions here are under cover. Nevertheless, it would be a shame to overlook Beaulieu on any other day. For one, the drive here through the New Forest is glorious. The 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, the pretty gardens and Lord Montagu’s family home, with its Victorian ‘characters’ in attendance, are also well worth a visit in themselves.
It can be difficult, as anyone with a number of youngsters probably knows, to try and please everybody on a family holiday. I felt that staying at Hoburne, with its excellent facilities, location and entertainment that was fun without being raucous, was a real plus for us.
By the time we ended our last day with a walk along the prom again, this time at nearby Barton on Sea, where the girls skimmed stones from the pebbly beach and played ‘chicken’ with the incoming tide, I felt supremely content.
Yes, indeed, our visit to the Christchurch area had been pretty idyllic and showed us that you don’t have to chase the sun to foreign climes to have a wonderful time.
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