Gold Coast, Australia
New stories update on 24 March 2012
New stories update on 24 March 2012
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A Note for You from Graham and BevEco Islanding if we don't ask, we don't get (seek and you shall find out)
Equal Rights = Equal Responsibility just give me poached eggs and hold the rules
Imagination is Free Separation - what effect on children, who to love Mum or Dad?
Leave your Mark our enduring worth
Love is Stronger than death how love is timeless and forever
My New Best Friend is your button in the "Press Here to Start" position?
Timing is Everything how do we know when the time is right?
NEW To Have or Not to Have is that a question?
Eco Islanding
...if we don't ask, we don't get (seek and
you shall find out)
Life is full of the unexpected - the good and not so good - and going on holidays to Eco Islands is great fun for a week away with no cooking or cleaning and hanging out in a swimsuit but on one island (named after a bird) they didn't warn us about mutton birds nesting under our hut.
At our island destination in the New Arrivals Room they tell us it's a keyless society and everyone trusts everyone so no key to our hut. Are you kidding me! We stow our gear in our hut then go to Reception to fix this “no keys - trust everybody" idea. We asked politely for a key as we had valuables. The girl said no way, nobody has keys (but there's a keyhole in our door?) It was a standard response system so we ask, politely, for the Manager. We explain to the Manager we live on the Gold Coast (the real world) and believe in people but don't trust everybody. Does he trust everybody with his stuff? He totally understood and now we have a key and security in our hideaway. If we don't ask (the right person) we won't get.
Its fun time - let's go snorkel. We nearly caused a riot on the snorkel boat. We'd brought our own gear - masks with snorkel, flippers, gloves, knives. We get to the drop zone over a reef and suit up - lots of spitting into masks, flippers on and we start strapping on knives. Graham has a BIG knife - it’s a guy thing. I have a medium knife. A lady says in a loud voice: What are they for? I look up innocently and lots of eyes are checking out my knife. I say: Sorry, er what do you mean? She says louder, sorta squeaky: That - what’s that for? She points to my knife. I say: Oh this (my knife), er, it gives me confidence. (Is she serious? It's a big ocean and, yes, there are sharks!) She says: I’m sticking with you and everyone jumps in the water - on top of us - and follows us around which was kinda nice. The boat staff ask casual-like on our return: Did you see any sharks? Er, nope, not this time.
About mutton birds - picture this - you're exhausted from swimming like a maniac looking at the amazing, beautiful fish and coral. You've eaten lots at breakfast, lunch and the Buffet Seafood Dinner. You need sleep in your hideaway and the mutton birds fly in sounding like ghosts: Whoo, Whoo ...... Whoo, Whoo. Is that why they gave us earplugs?! You insert earplugs and the ceiling fan is roaring overhead like a helicopter but you still hear them: Whoo, Whoo. I'm sure they're under our bed! Graham (who sleeps through a thunderstorm) can’t sleep and we wriggle around ad nauseum and get up exhausted with bug eyes next morning. The birds have flown the coop and we had two hours sleep.
Day 2, Night 2 and Graham (with commonsense) once a farmer, always a farmer and no bird's gonna ruin my holiday says: We have a broom - in our room - and under our hut is dusty and needs brooming. He stalks about in the dark brooming away "dust" and "lurkers" under the hut (HELPING them find a good spot).
Brilliant! We slept lots and woke up like a kangaroo (who opens his eyes naturally when he's not tired anymore). At breakfast we're wide-eyed and bushy-tailed ready for adventure and everyone else is exhausted.
Day 3 - Sitting beside us in the boat is a tall Canadian bloke, Howard, in marketing and is excited about getting in the water. Martha, his wife, didn't sleep and is tired. Do the mutton birds bother us - asks Howard? Er, no, says we. Howard worries Martha has come all this way and will miss out next day diving with him. We quietly tell him our broom (closet) secret. He says: Sounds great, I’ll try it tonight. We advise him to keep our secret. Howard nods and we have a co-conspirator. At dinner we see Howard and meet Martha who says: This idea with a broom sounds good but I’m not sure about doing it WITHOUT my clothes on? Graham is shocked and looks over at Howard laughing his head off!! Thanks Howie, got us on that one.
Day 4 - At breakfast we bump into Howard. Looking around (sneaky-like) we ask: Did Martha sleep? Yes, Martha slept well and so did he. Only problem was getting the birds out of the trees. Huh! The Noddy Terns sit in tree branches around the huts and Howie, in go gettum mode, walked around in the dark bashing the trees with a broom scaring the little Terns. We advised him to leave the quiet Noddy’s in peace!
Okay, I confess, I told a lady in the laundry when she said her family was exhausted and asked (curiously) if I was sleeping okay. I gave her our farmery hint and swore her to secrecy hoping her family would get some sleep.
There was also the snack pack, doggie bag thing we started in the Restaurant. We asked if we could take a few nic nacs away for night-time snacks. It was great for a few days until management had to stop people taking HUGE takeaway doggie bags full of nuts, yoghurt snack packs and custard croissants (yum). Wouldn’t you love to come on holidays with us!
A footnote on Howard B. We exchanged emails and turns out he was CEO and President of a large marketing company in the heart of downtown Chicago, USA. I wonder what his mates would think if they knew he scampered about on a tropical island in late November 2002 and, in desperation like us, became an Aussie bush basher. Go Howie!
There are lots more stories of Prof Al and wife, Ruthie, from Fresno and Ruthie and me chasing rays around the bay but I suppose life sure cut us down to size that week when a little bird humbled all of us, even Corporate Hot Shot Howie, Graham and me.
...Fishermen at Sunrise ... seek and you shall find
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© 2012 Copyright www.aworkinprogress.com.au. Stories by Bev D. Photos by Graham D. Website by Bev D. The Authors, Graham and Bev, assert the moral right to be identified as the Authors of this work. No part of this website may be reproduced and published without the prior written permission of the Authors. All rights reserved.
© 2012 Copyright www.aworkinprogress.com.au. Stories by Bev D. Photos by Graham D. Website by Bev D. The Authors, Graham and Bev, assert the moral right to be identified as the Authors of this work. No part of this website may be reproduced and published without the prior written permission of the Authors. All rights reserved.