GETTING THERE
From adrenaline-fuelled activities to coastal adventure, Ruth Klinger discovers why teens go wild in Dorset
FOR more information on activities and accommodation in Dorset, see visitdorset.com
A two-house taster windsurfing session at the Official Test Centre costs £49. otcwatersports.com
Adult bike hire costs £18 per day with Jurassic Trails Cycle Hire. jurassiccoastactivities. co.uk
A private fossil hunting walk costs £100 with Jurassic Coast Guides. facebook.com/ jurassiccoastguides
One-hour waterpark session at Dorset Adventure Park costs £15 per person. dorsetadventurepark. com
Entry to Corfe Castle costs £10. nationaltrust.org.uk/ corfe-castle
Pirate Adventure Golf & Weymouth Sealife costs from £24.95 for adults. visitsealife.com/ weymouth EDITED BY CATHY WINSTON cwinston@thejc.com
see. The next two hours were spent along the beach where Martin pointed out fossils to us.
It was very special to handle objects that were 190 million years old and I have to say that without Martin I don’t think we would have found any! Coming home with a bag of ammonites and belemnites, I can’t recommend this unusual way to spend an afternoon highly enough.
And if Charmouth Beach is pretty, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are absolute must-sees. Lulworth is clearly on the international tourist track as we saw more foreign tourists there than anywhere else. But, if you ignore the massive carpark (no one can drive down to the cove — fortunately), it is glorious, with white pebbles surrounding an incredibly clear sea.
You can walk to Durdle Door across the cliffs from Lulworth and personally, I loved this natural marvel even more. Durdle actually means drill in Old English and that explains just how this iconic arch was formed, around 10,000 years ago, by waves piercing the limestone rock and forging a hole through the middle. We swam in the (cold) sea and took an inordinate amount of photographs, but they can’t capture the utter beauty of this wonderful place.
With the sun shining all week, I don’t feel any foreign holiday could have been better than our Dorset trip — and with our teen firmly won over too, we’re already planning to return. Perhaps next time we might even make it to Bournemouth!