THE TRULY DIGITAL HOLIDAY

The car was suitably loaded to the roofracks and bikeracks but what got me was the matching load of high tech gear. Seriouly - it's getting like you're taking ASIO with you. Except we actually get things done! It's reached the point where I bought a box just to put all the bits in.

Here's the list :

• HDV Video camera + charger
• DSLR + charger + USB cable for dowload
• Laptop to download to + power + external hard drive
• External self powered speakers for laptop
• Notebook + power + USB mobile broadband stick thingy
• 2 x mobile phone + chargers
• LCD projector for movies (I knew it was going to be wet this week) + VGA cable for laptop connection.
• Portable DVD player (we had been told the house we rented had a DVD palyer that wouldn't play "backed up" copies)
• Electric guitar + emulator + headphones (because only I should suffer)

Overkill. Probably, but it's all been used. The convergence of technology means each bit works with the others and setting up takes less time than getting a tent up. The girsl watched Barbie stuff off the DVD and movies on the projector. I watched Top Gear (series 15 off a certain internet site) on the laptop and dealt with some unavoidable work stuff on the notebook.

Rochelle bought stuff off Ebay and emailed on the notebook (the USB broadband wouldn't work on my laptop for some reason yet to be worked out). The laptop served as a useful chess board because we forget to bring the real one. I wrote some stuff and edited a video early one morning. I used the laptop to mess around with some home recording using my emulator and electric guitar - no it wasn't good. It's rare for me to get playing time and this week I played more than I have in the past year. The headphone option means you can play and not drive everyone nuts. We don't do singalongs anyway.

So now you're all recoiling in horror. Did we need all that? Did we neglect our three gorgeous girls? Is it ridiculous? The answer is no. Useful use of gadgets is great. My only regret is I forgot the cable that gets pics out of the video camera to the TV. after a few days it's great to watch what we've benn doing. The girls love doing that while we are still away.

We have lazed in bed each morning. Read real books. Played board games. Been riding down the bike tracks. Baked and cooked in the kitchen. Climbed mountains - small ones. Had a great treasure hunt. Played at the park and on the beach. Had morning and afternoon teas together. Took a cool train ride. Had dinner together every night. In short one very cool week away with the family. laughed a lot - sometimes at the same things.

My point is that a family holiday no longer involves dropping all the gadgets that are fun to play with at home. You can do it away as well and not lessen the family holiday at all - in fact it enchances it. Technology is now a part of life and it can travel with you wherever you go. It's a question of balance.

A couple of years ago we camped in the Clare valley in winter - very cold. The fun bit was sitting by the camp fire at night roasting marshmallows and knocking back the odd red or three. Nearby a family in a caravan crossed the holiday tech line. They set up an outdoor theatre and chairs and played a movie on the side of the van. Clever but really annoying. Maybe they could all have had headsets!

I'll be interested to see what you all think...