On holidays ...

(Written 20 February ... finally posted 5 March)
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here only a little over 24 hours. We are at apartments on the Gold Coast, on the 16th (next to top) floor – and I am typing this as I look over the shadows lengthening on the beach below us, as the sun sets over the Hinterland behind us. The surf is pounding the beach and there are people, lots of people, walking, wading, swimming, fishing, paddling their way along the kilometres of sand stretching north and south.

We walked part of the beach ourselves this morning. Just after 5 – just after we’d watched the sun rise from the ocean and start the new day. Of course, we weren’t the only ones out – there were lots of people enjoying the best this strip of coastline has to offer. And at least one of the businesses knows this is holiday territory and that there will be early risers – so at 6, when we reached the “shops” there was at least one coffee shop open and already serving.

I can remember the first time I came to the Gold Coast. I was only young – and asked the question about the Gold that was used on the beaches here. I’m not sure if I asked if you could take it home or not. I do remember that we arrived in the middle of the night – and for the first time I heard the roar of the surf. I had no idea where it was – and I’m sure I thought it was just across the road. Of course, when morning came, even though my aunt and uncle lived on The Esplanade, the surf wasn’t just “right across the road” as I’d imagined. But it wasn’t far away. (That house was sold, torn down and the site became a motel many years ago now.)

... and that was it. I had expected to write much during my holidays but this was not to be.