The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 1 July - 28 July 2019
Miss Lash & her beautiful baby. Magnetic Island 2019.
July 1stIt feels rather refreshing to officially be away from work, well a few things in the office still need doing but apart from that all signed off. We are both relaxed around it all, working out this second stage. I've had quite a few calls and emails around projects and even 4 full time work offers but nothing striking our fancy - yet! I must say it's kind of good to be able to say 'No'. After 38+ years am allowing for some "us" time, which is nice.Jean & Bruce steal me away for a Montage coffee. It suddenly got very cold outside, but our favourite coffee haunt is warm and toasty. Our friend Ros drops in and gives me the own Private Driver card which is great for parties and airport drives, art shows and such. July 2ndA very strange dream last night that Mum & Sis had a chimpanzee in the linen cupboard at my Mums place. Of course I let it out & it went crazy wrecking the house. The strange thing is that suddenly Mums house changed, totally different rooms, all very odd.A really fun chat to Allie tonight , lots of laughter. I had to steal the phone off Marky as he hogged it. He's so close to Allie which is great. I found about 40 packets of film negatives, not certain if I have scanned these before, so I'm hoping to find some cool photos. July 3rdGreat to see Brenda and Bunny today, we took Miss Bunny home, and then went for a drive. The perfect day for it, no tourists and the hills bursting with a day of colour. We were driving around Olinda and I swear I saw Paul Kellys doppelganger walking down the main street.We are such big fans of Mark Pellegrino. We still call him "Dahlia's Husband", our Dexter/Buffy crossover moment. He was perfect as Jacob on "Lost". We will have to watch Beirut , as he played Cal Riley in that one. I am amazed that it has been 50 years since the Rolling Stones founding member Brian Jones died. Sadly the Stones rarely talk about him or give him the credit he deserves. But man, fifty years, where does it all go. July 4thLOVE the Harry & Louis from One Direction (One Erection?) animated sex scenes in the latest episode of EUPHORIA. Kitty Kats now writing porn fiction & it is appreciated.We have hamburgers at Montage- it's been awhile & they tasted magnificent. Radio station Triple R's Stephen Walker dies, he helped shape the sound and style of that radio station. Always very generous to myself and our artists. July 5thPraises to our Mary , who we call Mary Magdalene now. Helping out apostle Peter and Mark the evangelist! We look after each other, it's what good friends do.Dinner tonight was Nigiri salmon and Chicken Teriyaki avocado roll with sushi sauce. I really do love 'the odd bunch" vegetable company-Australian grown , the carrots are especially great, I buy a bag for our juice every week. The 'extras' on the Hedwig bluray just FANTASTIC. July 6thI always laugh at people who drink Diet Coke seem to be even fatter then those who don't. It's Coke, it's not good for you, we all drink it but seriously talk about denial. (rolls eyes). Try some exercise, sugar free coke won't make jack shit difference.I go for the Bus adventure today in search of stories. - for once, actual people on the 866- the Peruvian guy from Pisaq, just arrived in Oz, wearing SHORTS! Nice bloke, nice legs but I hope he packed something warmer for the Kalorama night. The 2 punk girls were fun and the strange old man with the hiccups. One of those amazing sunny Winter days. A joy to be alive. July 7thNew toy for us, the Iridium GO! Military Grade durability. Global voice and enhanced data capabilities. WI Fi connections for 5 devices, etc. If we head to the island I'm taking this with me, handy for my photos etc to go up on Sheepbook no matter where we are. So nice to be able to use a camera & not a shitty phone and hopefully people enjoy them. Plus you know we love shit like this.An afternoon jog, just a few laps around the oval. I take my friend Belles awesome hand painted Kookaburra bag and fill it with pine cones from the trees. Perfect for our evening fire. I love practical gifts. Work on the "Deny me and be doomed" punk shirt. Off go the sleeves too, could be a good hike shirt for the island visit. It's falling apart anyway so a natural deteriorating style. July 8thEnjoyed "Cinema Verite- An American family" doco movie. I wish all the episodes from the original American Family were available on dvd. I wonder why they won't release them all?A strange mobile call from MIM and Forky from Toy Story 4. It freaked me out! Trim more jasmine from the side of the house, Marky helps and we fill the green bin. We both smell pretty, like we've been washing ourselves in old lady jasmine soap. July 9thSome friends call in for breakfast and give Mark some cards & a birthday present that he isn't allowed to open till we reach Magnetic. So cool, very generous of them too. Just great they made such an effort. They love him so much.I pick a huge bag of lemons from our tree for Jean and Bruce, no coughs, colds etc for us this Winter-well so far. Fairly healthy which is great. We have been sharing our lemons around the neighbourhood. Our tree is so productive. I bake the perfect loaf of bread today, sometimes they can be hit and miss but when you get it right, they are worth all the trouble. Our mates Pip and Jen visit and we eat fresh bread with Greg Skyhooks wonderful marmalade on it, while sitting on the decking. It surprisingly wasn't that cold , but by afternoon all that changed, the clouds and rain rolled in. Banshee snuggles under the couch blanket, ten minutes before- she really is the best weather predictor. A huge wind storms hits the national park but all ok at Ailsa Craig. We can hear the trees come crashing down on the Tourist road. July 10thThe car man arrives and gives the 4WD a bit of a service, will get it to Holden for a few extra bits while some of it is under warranty. I'm in no rush, maybe in a few weeks. I've been looking at some new cars as a few are really lovely designs, still so totally undecided, we feel very safe in our 4WD.Chat to Narelle and James who are our private drivers, sometimes it's nice to be driven. Really nice people, Narelle use to go to all the same music Venues as us in Sydney. Love they take us to the airport and are waiting when we return , straight out the door and home. July 11thStart packing my bags, Mark rolls his eyes. I really AM that eager to get in the surf and swim every day. Good for the old body too , some may vegetate on the couch and get obese but that won't be us, well maybe a little bit.Happy Birthday to Jang , call in and see her before she escapes. What a lovely lady , never bitches about anyone, totally classy, we have a bit of a laugh. July 12thCrowded House's "Very, Very Best Of" out today in the UK on vinyl, will be interesting to see how it goes in England without our support. Surely really well in Oz though, as you don't need many sales here to go top 10 on the vinyl charts. It peaks at #18 in the UK for a mere 1 week , which seems a bit "blink of an eye" considering how massive Crowded House were in the UK.Sometimes you shouldn't wish for things, I wanted a "Bus adventure" and I got one. Jumped on the bus and was the only one on board, the driver didn't have change so told me don't pay. He's playing music and Crowded Houses "Distant Sun" comes on, he sings it , rather loudly but surprises me by getting the lyrics correct. He starts taking the bus a different way and ends up at Sky High, the look out on top of Mount D. "Last Stop" he bellows, well to me as no one else is on the bus. He forgot to change the bus sign on the front. Says it's ok and directs me to a bus stop around the corner. Only problem is that the buses from that stop are going in the opposite direction. As I ponder the situation & consider heading into Sky High for a coffee, I spot this girl walking towards me. She has the best burgundy Doc Martens on, my favourite so she instantly gets the thumbs up. She freaks me out a bit as she is a regular diary reader and I met her and her sister on a tour in the States. She turns out to be really nice and encourages me to head in and have some really nice fried haulomi chips-YUM. I agree to pose for a selfie, strangely enough I look ok-how rare is that. I didn't have the heart to tell her that my ventura bus dumped me up here. Oh well i wanted an adventure. So i wave goodbye, cut through 3 car park levels and the gardens. I end up near the exit area and to the left a hike track. I'm carrying my lap top and also a bag with bread & chocolate in it. The sky is getting a bit grey. So off I go, into the forest , heaven help me if I get lost. The track eventually extends to a more rougher terrain, and after all the rain it's a bit of a mess. I get why no one is hiking today and you can hear tree limbs crashing down around me. 45 minutes later I wander out near Five Ways. At least i went in the right direction. I take a short cut home via the Old Coach Road, as I arrive at our office the rain starts, so my timing is good. So that's it, my adventure and a pretty decent bit of exercise. What a day. July 13thHail & rain today. The perfect morning to hide in the supermarket with Mary and Mark and shop. We have such a hoot , sometimes we drive, sometimes she drives, but it's endless laughter.Great to see McCartney inviting Ringo on stage at the last USA show. They both are looking & sounding fantastic. Good to see. I have Mum searching the house for my sixties plastic Beatles guitar, would love it if she finds it. July 14thIt scares me that a picture of myself as Frank n Furter gets more 'likes' on my FB page than anything else this month. Must be those good legs. Oh we #1 Narcissists, it's all about the legs. Could be worse I could have "Bat Wings".The wind God Boreas was in fine form tonight. July 15thA date with Trudi today, we head off to lunch- all three of us stay a long time, chatting, laughing, and then we visits Dans as we have all these gift coupons to use up. We look up and suddenly it's 4.00. As I'm at Dans a message comes in on my 'other' phone that Alan Turing gets the honour of bering on the UK 50 pound note- marvellous. What an amazing man he was.July 16thThe Solar guy turns up , seems to know his stuff, good to get the system a service. In the future I'd love to have the entire roof covered in panels. The Victorian Government is offering some exceptional solar deals.Harper Finns recent interview was cool (thanks Paul xx) he's playing at Aucklands Ding Dong Lounge on July 25th. Go Harper! A gigantic birthday parcel arrives for Marky from Mum, Sis and MIM. Some I'll take to the island, I know Mums given him a Woolies voucher so he can use at Townsville. July 17thSo sweet that Wendy & Doug made the drive through all the fog to catch up with us at Montage before we headed out. They sneakily brought along the "captains hat" so Marky can wear it on the island boat. Plus birthday presents. We happily cover lunch, we love these guys, good people, they'll be in our lives forever (poor things, stuck with us).On the way home , in the mist and fog I pull us over at the Arboretum and 3 of us pose for a photo in the pea soup, Marky is taking the snap. It's an image I have in my head, almost like a hippy seventies LP cover. We laugh so much, almost fall over in the mud , the things my friends do for me. Still we all looked back and went "marvellous moment". Mark finishes packing his bag, mine have been ready for a week. I have a chat to Banshee (always the hardest part). Mary calls Marky to wish him a happy birthday & a nice holiday. After that a call from Fen & Giles and Allie. Feeling the love guys. July 18thMelbourne-Brisbane-Magnetic IslandWe now have a new company that drives us. Pretty much anywhere we want , when we don't want to drive- the airport, parties , gallery openings- and they are always on time. Today they arrive a few minutes early and we head down the Tourist Rd and drop Miss Banshee in. I call in and give Jace the keys as he is house sitting , fun as he works for the security company we use, so if the alarms or cameras go off our security man is probably on our couch. Now that IS peace of mind. We arrive at the airport with 50 minutes to spare, so live it up in the Freaky Flyer Lounge. The staff go to the kitchen and give is a big container of jaffas (it's HUGE) so we hoard some for the flight. We have extra leg room seats , (14A + B) so my long legged boyfriend can stretch out. The flight is only a few minutes late when it touches down in Brisbane, so a short time at BrisVegas Freaky flyer. For the first time ever, we didn't see Steve Cummings in the Lounge. Our flight to Townsville boards on time. The food on the Brisbane-Townsville flight was actually good (shock horror). I lose count of the beautiful little islands that we fly over, so many of them and the ocean is crystal blue. I'm smiling, I know Magnetic isn't too far away. Marky grabs the bags, I get our 4WD . My GPS won't work (i find out later that the tiny fuse fell out into my bag) but no worries, I've gone to the Townsville Woolworths a few times so find it without any hassle. I put the window down, that beautiful warm North Queensland air and sunshine on my skin, Melbournes icy weather has almost left my system. We fill up the grocery cart. The Island has 2 supermarkets so if we happen to forget something or run out, we can always grab it from the store. Very happy as the full grocery cart ends up costing us $1.15, after we use the gift vouchers. I have a cool bag in the car so the few perishables go into that and they stay cool. We arrive at the car ferry with 30 minutes to spare. It's the last ferry for the night and I can see Magnetic shining in the distance. I sit with Mark on a bench near the water and he gives me a cuddle, he loves this place as much as I do. Something wonderful about sharing it with my best friend. It brings out the best in both of us. Yes HE discovered Magnetic island not Captain Cook! Not a lot of cars this evening, and we head up to the top deck to watch whales and pose for a photo or two. I've lost count as to how many times I've been photographed by the fluttering flag at the end of the ship. 40 minutes later and we drive off and I call into the real estate place which is near the terminal. Our key is left in a lock up with a code and it works. The sun is starting to set as we turn down Lilac street & locate the house. They've put all the lights on for us which was kind. We love the house, and it backs onto the national park. Plenty of space , great kitchen and a funky pool that reminds me of a giant foot. It's a cool house. Mark has a quick shower and we jump back into the car and drive to The Marlin Bar at Horseshoe bay. Just in time for tonights Parma and beer deal. $15.00 bargain and the parmigiana is gigantic. Only afew locals and the girl looking after us is also a Victorian, from the Mornington Peninsula. We finish the meal with a Drambuie shot - which is a bit of a tradition. That nice warmth inside after we scull the booze. We have a walk along the beach, our friend Allie would be chasing the way too many Curlew birds that are hanging around us. It's so wonderful to feel like we are at "home" again. July 19thFor a brief moment I'd forgotten where I was as lovely sunlight flooded my bedroom. I slept with only a sheet covering me, the night was so warm. I've missed being warm. I crawl over the bed and look at the clock, still early, only 7.15, I climb back under a pillow. I keep hearing a scratch scratch near the house so sneak a peep and see an Echidna run by. I control the urge to wake Marky as I know we'll see more.Soon after Marks awake so i join him for a tea. I peel one of my bananas and sit out the back on a rock. A girl rock wallaby joins me. She's very cautious, which is good- don't trust us humans I tell her. Eventually we are sharing the banana and I am obsessed by her eye lashes. They are lovely, black and CURLED like some 1950's starlet. Mark walks out and goes 'wow look at her eye lashes' - so decide to call her Miss Lash. She's a pretty Wallaby. We drive to Scallywags for coffee and brunch. It's the same as always, good food, the staff are mighty and we get our regular (Dr Seuss table). The main adventure for today is to get to Balding Bay. One of the bays we've never been to before. With the road to Radical Bay damaged it's almost impossible for us to approach Balding bay from that direction. But we locate the old hiking trail that is at the end of Horseshoe bay , so that is our plan. We are carrying a lot today, food, water, shade tend, camera and video gear. PHEW! We time the tide right and only have a small wade through the lagoon backwater. Some kind person has left a wooden chair under a paper bark gum at the start of the hike trail, so i sit and put on my big chunky hiking boots while Mark is off videoing. The trail is around average, a few tough bits in the more rockier areas, and a couple of stops for breath on the steeper slopes (only 2.5 kms return). Beautiful Aussie scenery. Life would suck not being able to hike, I couldn't think of anything more boring then being unable to do that, so we both try to stay in some sort of shape. (as I pant under the weight of this back pack). We swing a left on the Radical bay trail and the beach isn't too far away- the final rock slope and we emerge on a fabulous Bay. The water is that azure blue. We claim a spot , maybe a dozen people and only half are nude. Oh yeah Balding Bay is the local nude beach. I'm in board shorts for the day but may well strip later, if the mood takes me. As Hessie always said to me, "It's all just skin Peetey"! It's a beauty of a Bay, quite a few tropical fish are nearby. Mark is like an excitable school boy when he spots one, giving me endless details-size, shape, colour. As we depart the water after our umpteenth swim, we both spot a HUGE sting ray , really close to shore. It departs and we miss filming it, it has to be the largest one we have ever seen on the island. I'm so use to the cute ones that live at Alma Bay. I guess even baby stingrays become BIG stingrays at some stage. We have our lunch at our base camp , scrawl a few postcards and chill out. A nude man keeps walking up and down the entire length of the beach , it's like his stop button has broken and he can't stop walking. Possibly it's just exercise, kind of freaky. By afternoon the Bay is basically empty, so I strip for a subtle photo for my FB page. I have an idea of Mark photographing some Aussie beach thongs and in the background I will do a jump in the air and in theory my nude backside etc is in the shot but ever so subtle. Of course I have to do this several times to get the right "jump shot" , which cracks me up as my cock and balls go everywhere and I fall over, fall side ways, and just laugh and laugh. Which makes Mark laugh even more. Nudity is sure hard work. By late afternoon we are ready to head back. (Yes I have my clothes on) The return hike seems easier and we chat to a few other hikers. By the time I exit onto Horseshoe bay beach I have such a craving for a Midori Margarita . Mark points out that the Mexican restaurant looks like it is open , so the Margarita Gods are smiling on us. We are the only people at the restaurant and it has the perfect name after our nude day at the beach. It's called "Noodies on the Beach"- how fitting is that. We meet the owner AJ , who has a wicked dark sense of humour and we like that. He also mixes a potent Cactus Margarita (Lemon, Midori & good Tequila). Tastes sensational. Plus enchiladas. I end up having a second Cactus. If I keep going i will have another and score a free sombraro - so I stop. Plus I'll be legless. The place is filling up, I've now formed a Conga line and singing Mexican love songs to Mark. We are having too much fun, I splurge and buy him a Noodies T-shirt. We make it home eventually. July 20th50 years since the Apollo Moon landing today, so i wear my NASA shirt to breakfast. One has to honour those 3 amazing astronauts.We go to the Magnetic Island bakery, which has moved, It's now near the Food Works Grocery store, really nice home made pies and rolls. The local St Vinnies store are selling fundraising tickets so I buy some, I still don't know what the prizes were, but good to support St Vinnies on Magnetic. We take our 4WD to Picnic Bay, find some picturesque spot and eat our pies. Mark is filming, and I'm watching kids swing on vines like Tarzan across the water. Good to see Mama Rosa's is still happening. Around the corner is the Historical Museum and Island craft building. We always try to visit and check out old photos and bric a brac. The volunteer today is really nice. She's originally from New York City , so what an incredible sea change it is for her. We end up telling her a lot about the island. "You guys should work here" she tells us- one day, maybe. We find a homemade present for Trudi and a little crafty item for MIM. Next stop is a drive down Picnic St, where we find a car park. All part of our plan to finally get to Rocky Bay. It's so isolated and the high tide covers a huge part of the beach each day. The original hike track has vanished but we plot our own. First off we start walking up the Hawkings Point hike track. Around the half way mark (300m) , we head inland slightly and sit on a big granite stone-which gives us a prime view of Rocky Bay. I use my zoom lens to check out what we have named "Hoop Pine Valley" . We named it a few years back. I'm looking for an ancient walk track. I find some possibilities and off we go , cutting across the valley and then straight down the middle. I'm singing, talking LOUD hoping it scares away any death adder snakes. We spot a family of Echidnas , the valley must be full of them. So we snap a few pictures, we stop every so often for video footage. At one stage I balance on top of a granite rock with the bay in the background- on one leg! It gives the impression I am levitating. Finally we make it to the beach and we are both surprised how easy that was. Hoop Pine Valley looks tougher, steeper etc but it's mostly an illusion. There is a massive rock on the beach that i call Whale Rock. I walk around the side of it and piss myself laughing. Mark joins me to find out what is so funny. In giant painted letters "NUDE ONLY". Holy fuck , day two and our second nude beach. What are the odds. We'll have to get a "Peter & Marks Magnetic Island Nude Beach Tour 2019" T-shirt made. We've only been on the beach for 5 minutes and already a tanned nude man comes up to chat. It's hard to keep eye contact with someone when they are totally naked & their dick is blowing in the wind. I'm trying not to laugh as it always seems so bizarre, not the nudity but the general chat ABOUT nudity. He's from Wangaratta and I cheekily ask if he knows our friends Giles & Fen as they are major players in the Wangaratta nudist community, which is a total lie. But i was in a frisky fun mood. Still Fen does call the place "Wang" and doesn't that mean cock? I head in for a swim and leave Mark with Mr Nudity, much to the alarm on Marks face. He continued to encourage Mark to get it all off! All this talk of nudity and I've stripped off my boardies and just in speedo's , which eventually come off for some short while, when I'm dun baking on my chest.. The surf is a bit rough here but still enjoyable. We stay for a few hours just loving how tranquil it is. We head back up Hoop Pine Valley , spot some more Echidnas and thankfully no poisonous snakes. I sit on a big granite boulder while Mark heads off to Hawkings Point lookout to film. A young man, backpacker from Base camp breaks my tranquility and stumbles through the bush. Very tanned so i wonder if he has been on the island for awhile. He is also attempting to get to Rocky Bay so shares my rocky overhang while i explain our quick and less deadly route. He asks me if it is a nude beach, so i'm guessing it's some base camp must tell its tenants. I tell him i'll keep an eye on him while he makes the descent , and will direct him from above to the ancient trail. He only stuffs up twice. Finally makes it to the beach and strips and waves naked. Of course I laugh again. OK nudity does make me laugh. He was way cuter then Mr Wang! Mark seems to be gone awhile but finally turns up. He has been carrying the large HD video camera and a tripod up to the look out so it slows us down. Mission accomplished he gets his footage. So back down the trail to the car. Call into 'home' and call Mum from our pool but she's away from the phone, so just leave a message, the mobile connection can be so so , depending where you are on the island. Just want her to know we are safe & very happy. July 21stWe had a fantastic sleep last night, really deep and wake up rested. The hiking is good for us. Once again wake up to Sunshine and the wild bush chicken is again turning leaves under the house. It sees us and is off like a roadrunner. Beep! Beep! I sit with Mark on the upper deck and have some breakfast, & share a banana with Miss Lash the wallaby. I head to the car and buy some fresh rolls at the bakery down the road, they are just taking them out of the oven , so smell like heaven. The bakery lady knows us now and greets me like I'm a life long friend. That happens a lot on the island, it seems to be arsehole free, no one bitching or moaning, or maybe we have been fortunate.Today we drive back to Picnic Bay, right to the end of Yule street. Apparently Sail Rock or as the locals call it Tom Thumb, has great views and is a cool place to meditate. It's not really listed on the Touristy things to do , so I'm hoping it's people free. You can access Tom Thumb two ways , the easiest is to head up the paved road to the water storage facility. There is a locked security gate with Do Not Enter , but there is a small well worn entry trail on the side of the gate so I'd guess a few dozen people break the law every day , ourselves included. or you could take the hike track which is near the road . The road is steep for 5 minutes but after that a very easy walk. The small climb to Tom Thumb is fairly obvious as it's a worn hike track. Expect to climb over or in between boulders, if you are a bit large, you'll have to climb over. It's not too hard & only one spot where there is a suss deadly drop. We arrive at the plateau where Sail Rock is located. One big flat granite area has 3 people chilling out. A guy, his very pregnant wife & small child. We say hello & apologise for interrupting their peaceful moment. We end up talking to them for awhile, locals and really nice. Eventually his phone rings & he has to go to work, so they head off. We make a pact to catch up on this very spot in a years time. So now we have Sail Rock to ourselves. I check out the tiny 'cave' and there is a plaque dedicated to Frank Steele who at age 13 climbed sail rock. "The adventurous challenge the unexpected" ! When you see the rock you kind of go "wow" how did he do that. I take a shadow photo of us both, myself with my beloved canon camera & Mark with the video unit. I love it, it's us. Just two shadows, awesome. We sit and chat, look at the 360 degrees of beauty. Mark wants to film right at the top and I'm near a huge drop and suddenly have some small anxiety attack. Not certain why, felt very 'chemical'. It didn't cause me to freeze or freak out but rattled me for a few minutes & I was rather concerned about Marks footing and the death drop 2 steps behind him. We were fine, and even now uncertain what triggered this tiny internal freak out. I was happy to move a metre away from the edge, settled me down again. A quick walk down and off we go. The car is great, finally work out the back locking system. We head to The Forts turn off and venture down Radical Bay road. I wonder just how far we can go before the stretch where the road is destroyed. I get us to Arthur Bay , but we venture past and I manage to drive around huge holes and drops where the road use to be. I go around another corner and it is impossible, no road, just holes as deep as my car. Mark climbs out and helps me with a turn of the 4WD, we have about 2 cm spare. So back to Arthur bay for us where we spend the day. Swimming with a turtle, several sting rays and tropical fish. We have lunch and call our friend Trudi to wish her a Happy Birthday. She says the Melbourne weather sucks. For awhile i'm just floating on the flat calm ocean, I'm letting the water take me, I hear myself breathing and very little else. This is nice, this is perfect, calm. We decide to call into Alma Bay on the way home. Mark has a photo of his gorgeous Mum with the kids at the Bay, so it's a moment to be in that same spot and think good thoughts about Margaret. Now Alma at Arcadia is very safe, the family beach, but if you know Alma, it's also a bit cool. On the far left, a little way out (I can just stand up on tippy toes) there are some rocks all covered in seaweed, so quite a few tropical fish that you can swim with if you are not a confident swimmer. I like that it is an easy swim, as Arthur Bay used up a lot of energy. A few brilliant corals too and as of late I've spotted quite a lot of baby stingrays which freaks some people out. Mark sneaks off to see how the abandoned holiday village is doing, and reports it's now incredibly overgrown, so no progress made. It would make a great place to film a movie. Back in the 4WD and both of us in wet board shorts & looking tanned. We are both hungry, and decide to check out the new food place. It's called S.O.S. which stands for "Stuffed On Seafood". (1/4 Arcadia Rd, Nelly Bay). Mark has the barramundi and I'm having simple chips & potato cakes but they were in excellent beer batter. YUM. July 22ndToday was a lovely moment with Miss Lash. She now joins me for a banana each breakfast. Today I find her staring at me. I wonder what is going on in her mind, and in her pouch too , as I keep seeing a little bit of movement, so i'm guessing she has Jnr in the pouch. So I'm gently talking her, lecturing a wallaby not to trust humans as they will let you down. She moves closer and while looking me in the eye, uses her paws to slightly open her pouch. I'm flabbergasted, and the cutest little head pops out to say "hello". Her beautiful Joey - and I feel so honoured. She trusted me enough to show me this cute little fella. Mark walks past and is amazed, he manages to film a bit of this and I take 2 photos. I didn't want to frighten either of them. Absolutely amazing, the thought of this kept me smiling all day long.We walk into Scallywags and the guy working the tables goes 'It's Peter & Mark"! It's brilliant, it's our new friend Pete who was up at Sail Rock, he's one of the owners of Scallywags - we love it! What are the odds. I'm feeling like we have tapped into the rhythm of the Island. We seem to connected well with the locals. July 23rdWe are back at the Old Wharf and no rock Wallabys in sight (first time ever) , they've asked people not to feed them. It's creating a few problems with the local population. Today the wharf area has a lot of reef fish. Some of the tourists are freaking out when they see a new fish. That makes me smile.At dusk we drive to West Point , after some sunset photos. In the past it's just been us but in 2019 the Point has about 50 people. People in deckchairs, with BBQ's, music playing people dancing. I'm ok with it as they all seem happy. I try for some not so obvious shot. The sunset lighting the rocks by the shoreline. Sometimes it's nice to sit in the sand and just admire the colours. The West Point road copped a bit of a beating by the Monsoon, so probably not good to take a regular Hire car , our 4WD doesn't falter but i see some smaller cars coming the opposite way and I expect they'd get stuck. More swimming, hiking today, posted a couple of cards. I cook spaghetti for dinner, we eat it outside as it's a beautiful warm night. Our house is surrounded by Palm Trees and I manage a swim before dinner. You can see some of the ocean too from the deck. It's not abad life, no not at all. July 24thDrive to Horseshoe Bay and get our boat. Mark talks me out of taking my camera, salt water etc is just too much of a risk. The weather is perfect again, and we visit a few bays. Mark puts on his Captains Hat (thanks Doug & Wendy for this). "Captain, MY Captain" i chant as he takes the wheel. I love being with this man, he brings out the best in me. We are so bloody lucky to have each other. You and me against the world baby. We have some block out on but a bit sunburnt today, or maybe it's some wind burn as we did get around to most of the remote parts of the island. We manage to get the boat back without destroying the propellor. (Phew). The Ocean is beautiful and at time scary.July 25thHike to the Forts today. We leave our food etc in the car, which I park behind the bus shelter. Glad the money arrived from the State Government to extend The Forts car park as it is the busiest place on the island. We spot two Koalas on the way back down. One with a baby, and one low in the tree- so ok guess that makes it 3 or 2.5! We let some European backpacker girls know where to find them and they are so SO excited. They scream and run off in the direction. It's kinda cute. A lady shows us a picture of a snake and asks if it is dangerous (it wasn't) but it freaked her kids out. We have to remind people they are in a national park , wild creatures not a petting zoo. Mr Koala has an itchy nose and face so scratches them much to my delight- he also has HUGE claws. Wolverine meets Freddy Krueger !!!! Do not mess with him.On the hike down i call into the giant reservoir as you can fill up your hiking bottles. We head back around the corner to Arthur Bay again as it's a nice bay to have lunch and swim. I use the Iridium to go online and time delay a few posts, I've taken way too many photos. People seem to be loving the photos which is wonderful, lost of comments from mates on each posts saying they are glad we are having a nice time. We are not missing any of you. Ha Ha Ha (joking, we are). Mark chats to Allie & threatens to mail her a Curlew. The "Cactus" margarita is calling me again & I try to call owner AJ to book a table for dinner but the mobile service is shite and we can't understand each other. Stuff it, we just drive and turn up. Noodies is packed, but he says he will always find a table for us. I spot one they don't use which is nearly in the actual kitchen so I point & say 'we'll have that one' , so for now on it's OUR table. The staff come over and chat and we are truly honoured as AJ's wife Dee pops out of the kitchen to come and say 'hello" .Apparently a very rare event and she is fantastic. Another fun night at Noodies and I know the "Cactus" were getting stronger and stronger. We go for a dusk beach walk as I want to be sober (ish) when i drive. Even on holidays I am sensible over such things. We watch a few people stumble onto the island bus, maybe they have the right idea. Home by 10.00 and we snuggle up on the couch and watch one of our fave shows THE LOST ROOM. July 26thOn the way i drop the house key into the agents and tell them we will see them soon as I am determined to own "THE house" that i have been fixated with for a year. Little did I know that it is the most expensive house on the island. ($$$$$ Don't ask!!). So we park near SOS and walk up to the smaller entrance to the house and check it out- yes I've become a "house stalker". I spot all these cool extras , and even get Marky to take a photo of me in front of it. Tragic, sad but I have the vibe. Warning Stalker Alert!It's also cool because the small entrance is just down from the Gabul Way, a pedestrian walk that runs for 1.5 kms along the ridge and road. Beautiful scenery . I can imagine us with some of our best mates walking at sunrise , and watching whales and admiring the beauty of this magical place. I even have a list of friends who we will spoil with a visit. I lean on the railing and take some deep breaths, sucking in this fresh air. On this our last day and we try to find The Lagoon. It's a boardwalk through a fresh water lagoon area and not sign posted. Which is weird as they spent so much money on the boardwalk bridge. It's at Horseshoe Bay and for those visiting the island, the entrance is at Pandanos street. We didn't know this so we make an educated guess and end up at the other side, I look for tree tops ,fresh water type trees, spot some, scamper over a sand dune or two and find the lagoon. It's another world, like nothing else on the island. Lots of paper bark gums, heaps of birds in the lush green marsh type area. Just two other people here, so basically all to ourselves. Environmentally perfect. So happy we tracked this down. We have a bit of time to spare so drive to the breakwater, no people just wallabys. Take a cute bloke and other bloke selfie. Who says romance is dead? We look up and spot the car ferry arriving fast, time has evaporated so we rush to the car and arrive at the ferry pick up with a few minutes to spare. Soon we are onboard. I head up to the end of the ferry and whisper a goodbye to Magnetic. I'm a bit emotional, I really don't want to leave. We are soon at the Qantas Frequent Flyer lounge,eating food and chilling out. I'm excited to get the latest issue of Tracks magazine (issue 572-so cool that tracks still exists). Excellent Surf and board snaps, my wild hair looks almost surfish today. I sit among the business men looking more like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo & frankly not giving a shit. The Qantas girls fuss over us , i think they find some rebel DNA in us that they like, instead of the usual dull suits. Our flight is running a bit late, so we rush to the gate at Brisbane & manage to make it on board the flight to Melbourne. I spend the flight writing, checking photos and thinking about our time away. It makes me smile. Arrive Melbourne airport on time, it's been raining. We are at the baggage area and as expected a call for Mr Goulding to go to the luggage counter. Our bags didn't make the flight from Brisbane. I half expected this but Marky was pissed off. The Qantas guy organises them to be delivered to our place at 7.00 in the morning! All good. I say to Mark we don't have to hang around the airport. We head out and our driver is waiting , Narelles hubby. So home at 11.00 instead of 12.00. Big thanks to Jace, and especially for vacuuming the house- and the welcome home gift. That made us smile. I'd been in contact with Woolworths and all our grocery's are delivered on the 10.00 PM run. So they arrived at our door when we arrived home. So the house is stocked up with food but weird without Banshee. It was a bit late for them to drop her home. I climb into bed and fall asleep still clothed. July 27thHappy Birthday Mark.I sneak out of bed really early and bake Mark a birthday cake. Next i decide to jump on the bus and go and get Banshee before Marks out of bed. She is so excited to see me...and she's going to have another adventure. Miss B on the bus. It's empty till 2 stops from our place and 2 really old people climb on board. Banshees sitting on the elderly citizens seat area and they join her, sitting next to her. I wish I had my camera. Banshee cat talks "hello", they chat to her , like it's totally normally that a cat is on the bus. She loves it, watching the forest roll by. Finally home she sneaks into Marks bedroom and meows "Happy Birthday" while I sing and he blows out the candles on his cake. We walk to the oval and do a few laps and then to the General Store to grab the mail. Nelly says our tanned we are and welcome home. A few phone calls come through at home and on the mobile which is awesome, nearly all our friends have phoned. Mark asks me to thank those who emailed, called , sent cards and even presents. Totally happy to do so , so i pop up the image of his birthday cake and the thanks on FB. A really lovely birthday! July 28thTwo friends needed a chat at Montage so I worked at my own little table. People sat down and asked about the holiday, lots of compliments , and I do feel recharged.Bust a friend bitching about me (again) and so over it. Well and truly over it, and even worse when they deny it. Who needs a volcano in Singapore when you have angry Penguin having a meltdown eruption on Mount D! Life is good, no make that life is great. Peter xxxx |