SUMMER MEANT EXCITEMENT...


My favourite, summer holiday-spot in Queensland has been Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, for as long as I can remember.  More particularly, Golden Beach, where my grandparents owned a beach shack.

          Every Christmas we would pack up, along with various aunts, uncles and cousins, not forgetting of course grandad and grandma, meet up with more aunts, uncles and cousins and proceed to have a whale of a time.  At least, we kids had a whale of a time.  Apparently, that’s not quite how the adults remember it. Sometimes we’d go at Easter time but Christmas and those hot summers, complete with Christmas beetles and the buzz of cicadas, are the memories I recall most fondly.

          It seems it was only we children who thoroughly enjoyed sleeping on the floor or camping downstairs; trooping off for another glorious day at the beach; counting the hours till Santa (or the Easter Bunny) delivered the goods; thinking up some new trick on play on the adults or just generally having a great time. Isn't that what kids are supposed to do?  Today, I might think kids like we were, a tiny bit.... well, feral, not to put too fine a point on it.

          To our parents it was just another hectic time and hardly a holiday for them. No doubt, they dreaded the bath time hysteria and bedtime scramble; feared the times it was their turn to watch the brats at the beach; slaving away in a hot kitchen feeding the hungry hoards and counted the hours till said brats finally went to sleep before falling into their own beds, girding their loins to get ready to do it all over again the next day.  I don’t remember the Mothers having any fun but surely they must have. Why else would they turn up year after year? The Dads got to go fishing and escape the rabble. I believe one year the record was set at 19 adults and 23 children – not bad for a two bedroom, high-set house with sleep-out, wood chip hot water heater and one outside toilet! 

          Fifty years on, the house was long ago sold and our holidays at dear old Golden Beach are just memories. Whenever I am over that way though, I am almost overcome by those memories - whether it was trying to stay awake to surprise Santa; building huge sandcastles; hiding from the designated adult behind moored dinghies waiting for their hysterical calls when they realised they couldn't see us; planning how to booby trap our sandcastles to stop other kids kicking them down or happily walking into town, if we were very lucky, to see a movie.  Summer meant excitement.

                 Two things I'm aware of as an adult is that despite our lack of technology or even transport while we were there, none of us ever said, “I'm bored” and, nowadays, Queensland summers are to be endured.

Condensed version originally published in Sunshine Coast Daily 1/2/92 © SMG

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FAREWELL MUM...

Image
Farewell Mum We celebrate now in love, Mum's life from start to end And we're glad we knew her, as Mum and as a Friend. We remember all the love and lessons she taught us And thank her for the care and generosity shown us. Although Mum's now left this earth and taken flight, We know she's that voice in our heads, our guiding light. Remembering her will be easy, we do that anyway; Because there's an ache in our hearts that won't go away. But we're pretty sure that up there in Heaven She'll be painting and teaching pottery once again... S, P & R (26.9.17)
Read more

A PSYCHIC BENT...

Image
The article announced that Diana, an amazing US psychic, was to focus on Queensland at noon that Sunday.  If we readers were also to concentrate at noon, holding a spoon or fork, whilst staring into the eyes of the accompanying photograph of the psychic, we could discover our own powers. I devoured the story, soaking up the instructions and realised I would need to clear the house of all negative vibes. This meant my husband, The Great Sceptic, must be persuaded to go out with the children. I knew I would not be able to concentrate if I could feel his cynicism close at hand.  I cunningly discussed the idea of seeing a movie within earshot of the youngest and, true to form, after considerable nagging on her part, he caved and had the brilliant idea of taking the girls to the movies. By 11.45am I was sure I had everything ready.  I went over the instructions again, so I would be sure not to omit any important step.  As well as a sturdy, unbent spoon, on a tray on my lap, I h
Read more
Image
  DE JA VU -ING Sometimes, I cannot actually tell Where dreams begin and reality ends. Am I surfing a mountainous swell Or just dreaming about riding high? Surely, I’ve walked this track recently, Fighting through an overgrown path. Although it all seems so familiar to me, Perhaps it’s just the struggle that is real. Standing at the edge of the precipice I fight the urge to take another step Then fly like a bird high above the abyss Before landing safely way below. It’s just a dream and I wake in fright, But I see it’s time to keep walking Into reality. Not from that great height But forward towards new opportunities. No more dreaming, or de ja vu -ing. Time for authenticity in my existence, Some go-getting and positive ‘doing’. Dreams are for those sleeping through life.   © S Gillis 2023 Published Hinterland Times July 2023
Read more