Hibiscus Sunset
Without Prejudice
The sea is palest grey today, a dowagers glove colour, buttoned up with pearl buttons of white caps. Moreton Island is shrouded with mist that will burn off later today. I'm a tourist and sit in bathers and sarong, while people around me shiver and put "Woolies", on.
I've brought no Winter "Woolies" here as it never ever warrants it. Queensland to the Southerner in Winter, is Heaven on a stick. The big cities toil and trouble seems so very far away. The sun shines most every day in Winter, and the temp even in mid winter is usually always at it's lowest 18 degrees Celsius and the sun will usually be shining. I love Melbourne, don't get me wrong, I am a Melbourne girl but when it comes to Winter, I would rather eat dirt than go through another.
Luckily I am blessed with 4 siblings who live in Queensland, my oldest Sister lives at Ormeau Hills, my two brothers live at Redcliffe and my younger Sister lives in a small fishing village near Bribie Island. It faces Moreton Bay her house, the water stretching far and wide in front of me.
It is deserted. There are no high rises, no hoons, no loud noisy traffic. There is a little square of shops in the Town Centre, a ten minute walk along the beach from here. Huge Water Tower in the main street, an RSL, and houses. Older style, faded with gentility, houses, old Queenslanders with shaded verandahs front and back. This place is like Redcliffe used to be in the old days, a sleepy seaside resort within an hour's drive from Brisbane. It doesn't have the wealthy feel of Noosa.
It has a Queensland feel, dry, laconic, taciturn, a cowboy hat with a big rim, feel. The old Farmers are still around, they sell fresh vegetables at the early Sunday Markets, these days. Weathered lined faces with a Paul Hogan grin. They all wear hats, grease stained in places from sweat. They have the fair skin of the celts most of them. And have lines and scars from skin cancers sown into their smiles.
I've lived in a country town in Victoria and it has a "feel", this too has a "feel" an entirely different " feel , from the Southern Experience, altogether. The town driven by the industry and the weather, usually. This little town is not like any of the other country towns I have stayed in. This is driven by the fishing and the "Serenity", not then popular with families if they are looking for theme parks or amusements.
Streets are wide, the gardens are lush and everything grows massively. ferns, trees, plants, the Hibiscus a ladies ball gown of yellow or red. An antebellum of showy splendor and I pick one to thread behind my ear like a scene out of South Pacific. Jackie my sister and I went to see it in Mornington once. The weather outside freezing cold and inside we were in Paradise. the first movie we ever saw in Wide vision.
It seems such old technology now, but back then we watched a trailer of a balloon ride, a roller coaster ride and a Motorbike hurtling down a mountain. And it was like you were there on the roller coaster and the motorbike and we were scared to death and clutched at each other.
My older sister gets seasick on a shag pile carpet. I.m more squeamish, but I just felt dizzy as my eyes tried to adjust.
It was stunning, South Pacific, for the scenery alone. I had never seen such beauty. The singing I wasn't.t fond of, I like some musicals and some I find just silly. But there was a love story, saturating music and I think some sort of tragedy and what I remember now is the colors, the light, the sun. I was dazzled. literally.
I see it now here. The colors vibrant in the sun, the lushness and richness of the loamy soil fading at the edges to sand. Life here so peaceful it's a feeling I didn't know up to now. Or have forgotten. A sleepy somnolence, a gentle retiring feel, a swelling of the ankles, a stretching of the mind, sideways. It"s a cancer hat wearing small town of quiet retires and indolent youth. Most of the youth moving out to new houses and new estates.
A lot of the retirees as well, seeking units and nursing homes. And there is a steady surge now of middle class families, willing to commute to the city. Wanting the lifestyle for their children, bike tracks through sandy hillocks and lanes. Wanting to scoop for pippies on the beach, early on weekends. Play footy with the local team on a bright Saturday afternoon or watch with a hot pie, pea floater that scalds your tongue in a torrent of mince meat and tomato sauce.
Do yourself a favour and have a morning tea sample at the award winning bakery of passionfruit iced vanilla slice. apple turnover with fresh cream or the deeply rich caramel slice, eat them down by the water with a big flask of tea, a blanket and the paper.
Just as I am about to do,
Love Janette
To be continued...............
The sea is palest grey today, a dowagers glove colour, buttoned up with pearl buttons of white caps. Moreton Island is shrouded with mist that will burn off later today. I'm a tourist and sit in bathers and sarong, while people around me shiver and put "Woolies", on.
I've brought no Winter "Woolies" here as it never ever warrants it. Queensland to the Southerner in Winter, is Heaven on a stick. The big cities toil and trouble seems so very far away. The sun shines most every day in Winter, and the temp even in mid winter is usually always at it's lowest 18 degrees Celsius and the sun will usually be shining. I love Melbourne, don't get me wrong, I am a Melbourne girl but when it comes to Winter, I would rather eat dirt than go through another.
Luckily I am blessed with 4 siblings who live in Queensland, my oldest Sister lives at Ormeau Hills, my two brothers live at Redcliffe and my younger Sister lives in a small fishing village near Bribie Island. It faces Moreton Bay her house, the water stretching far and wide in front of me.
It is deserted. There are no high rises, no hoons, no loud noisy traffic. There is a little square of shops in the Town Centre, a ten minute walk along the beach from here. Huge Water Tower in the main street, an RSL, and houses. Older style, faded with gentility, houses, old Queenslanders with shaded verandahs front and back. This place is like Redcliffe used to be in the old days, a sleepy seaside resort within an hour's drive from Brisbane. It doesn't have the wealthy feel of Noosa.
It has a Queensland feel, dry, laconic, taciturn, a cowboy hat with a big rim, feel. The old Farmers are still around, they sell fresh vegetables at the early Sunday Markets, these days. Weathered lined faces with a Paul Hogan grin. They all wear hats, grease stained in places from sweat. They have the fair skin of the celts most of them. And have lines and scars from skin cancers sown into their smiles.
I've lived in a country town in Victoria and it has a "feel", this too has a "feel" an entirely different " feel , from the Southern Experience, altogether. The town driven by the industry and the weather, usually. This little town is not like any of the other country towns I have stayed in. This is driven by the fishing and the "Serenity", not then popular with families if they are looking for theme parks or amusements.
Streets are wide, the gardens are lush and everything grows massively. ferns, trees, plants, the Hibiscus a ladies ball gown of yellow or red. An antebellum of showy splendor and I pick one to thread behind my ear like a scene out of South Pacific. Jackie my sister and I went to see it in Mornington once. The weather outside freezing cold and inside we were in Paradise. the first movie we ever saw in Wide vision.
It seems such old technology now, but back then we watched a trailer of a balloon ride, a roller coaster ride and a Motorbike hurtling down a mountain. And it was like you were there on the roller coaster and the motorbike and we were scared to death and clutched at each other.
My older sister gets seasick on a shag pile carpet. I.m more squeamish, but I just felt dizzy as my eyes tried to adjust.
It was stunning, South Pacific, for the scenery alone. I had never seen such beauty. The singing I wasn't.t fond of, I like some musicals and some I find just silly. But there was a love story, saturating music and I think some sort of tragedy and what I remember now is the colors, the light, the sun. I was dazzled. literally.
I see it now here. The colors vibrant in the sun, the lushness and richness of the loamy soil fading at the edges to sand. Life here so peaceful it's a feeling I didn't know up to now. Or have forgotten. A sleepy somnolence, a gentle retiring feel, a swelling of the ankles, a stretching of the mind, sideways. It"s a cancer hat wearing small town of quiet retires and indolent youth. Most of the youth moving out to new houses and new estates.
A lot of the retirees as well, seeking units and nursing homes. And there is a steady surge now of middle class families, willing to commute to the city. Wanting the lifestyle for their children, bike tracks through sandy hillocks and lanes. Wanting to scoop for pippies on the beach, early on weekends. Play footy with the local team on a bright Saturday afternoon or watch with a hot pie, pea floater that scalds your tongue in a torrent of mince meat and tomato sauce.
Do yourself a favour and have a morning tea sample at the award winning bakery of passionfruit iced vanilla slice. apple turnover with fresh cream or the deeply rich caramel slice, eat them down by the water with a big flask of tea, a blanket and the paper.
Just as I am about to do,
Love Janette
To be continued...............
