Sunday 10 February 2013 - Murwillumbah

Sunday 10 February 2013

Well, we’ve survived our first official pack-up, although it was a lot easier than it normally would be because the girls hung out with their extended family while Glenn and I did the hard yakka. Normally they’d be asking questions (Yasmin), whingeing and wanting to be picked up (Sienna) and generally getting in the way (both)! 

The stay at Hastings Point was great - the weather cleared up after some heavy rain early Saturday and we made the most of it. Quite a gathering of family and family friends formed in order to say goodbye to Bernie. Grandma spoke beautifully and from the heart, using the phrase “if you can’t beat ‘em, join em” when describing Bernie’s desire to make his favourite fishing spot his final resting place. Glenn’s father and uncle Peter had both made an early pilgrimage (whilst it was still teeming with rain!) out to one of Bernie’s favourite spots to fish in his honour, but didn’t manage to bring anything home. But fortunately, setting out after dinner on Friday night, Glenn and his uncle and then last night, Glenn and Brian caught a few whiting and bream. Fish for dinner for two nights in a row, yum!

After Bernie’s ashes were scattered, we had morning tea with the family, our last chance to see all the uncles, aunties and cousins (Brian’s one of eight!) for quite a while. Then some of the men decided to go worming, so I organised Yasmin and one of her second cousins, Isabella (7), to come too and we set off for the beach. Once we waded through the creek, we rounded the corner at the mouth and there stretched out in front of us was a real surf beach! I hadn’t been swimming in the surf for years - even though we’re surrounded by water at Shoal Point, we’ve avoid getting in due to the presence of stingers. 

I took the girls down from where the men were worming so they didn’t bother them (worms are skittish creatures and the vibrations and noise from the girls would have scared them off) and we headed for the patrolled waters. It was such a treat to splash around and play in the waves with the girls. They played all the games I remember when I was young and visiting the beach, lolling in the water and searching for shells.

Earlier on in the day, Isabella’s youngest brother Henry (3) had cut his foot quite severely on an oyster shell at the mouth of the creek after Bernie’s ashes had been scattered. A visit to emergency earnt him a few stitches but the wound was bleeding after he started putting weight on it and his mum, Glenn’s aunty Helen, decided it was best to pack up and go home. Yasmin was sad to see her ‘big girl’ friend leave. The rest of the day and evening passed peacefully but uneventfully, with the girls, Glenn and I just enjoying the company of the family who remained.

Today, Sunday, we’ve only travelled about half an hour inland, to visit some family friends of the Wilson's. Bernie’s old fishing mate Frank, his son Mark and daughter Judith, all live on a property just out of Murwillumbah. We’re staying on Mark’s front lawn (which his wife Marion kindly mowed for us, jumping on the ride-on just after we arrived!) and have spent the day doing not much at all. Mark and Marion have eight kids aged 7-21, but seven of them are boys!! Emily (10) has been mothering the girls and Yasmin is again thrilled to have made friends with another ‘big girl’. Both girls are quite taken with the pet bunny rabbit and two pigs who also live here.

It’s an absolutely beautiful spot here. Mark, a wood-turner, has built the house himself, featuring great big timber poles and a glorious timber floor. The place is huge and features gorgeous timber-work everywhere you look. He said the poles alone took three months to sand. The older boys are constantly jumping on dirt bikes and taking off, which is pretty much a way of life for kids in a place like this. We even saw video footage of Emily’s first ride, looking cool as a cucumber at only 5 years old! Apparently Mark had a rope attached to her for safety, but she took one look at him and set off in the opposite direction and has been fine on a bike ever since.

Mark & Marion's beautiful kitchen

  

Massive timber poles support the house - it won't come down in a hurry!

Monday 11 February 2013

Glenn and Mark got up with the early bird (4:30am daylight saving time) and took the boat out from Kingscliff, chasing mackerel. Unfortunately they came back empty-handed. The rest of the day was spent pottering around the place, which was fairly quiet while the kids were at school but livened up in the afternoon. 

Around lunchtime we put Sienna in the backpack and set off to find a little spring nearby, but turned back after hitting a lot of lantana and listening to Yasmin whinge about how tired she was. We did find a few macadamias though and collected a small bag of nuts, which we cracked in the afternoon once the kids were back from school. They were big, fresh and juicy – so much nicer than what we buy from the supermarket.

Yasmin and Sienna are having a ball here – they’re loving playing with the younger kids and are fascinated, if not a little bit daunted by, the older boys. Sienna is finally sleeping later in the morning – today it was Yasmin who snuck out of bed 10 minutes before 6am (Queensland time), but Sienna slept for another half an hour and woke up a much happier girl than she has been of recent. Tonight she was running around playing with the kids so vigorously her cheeks went red, and when I carried her down to the camper she immediately lay down and pointed to her sleeping bag, very ready for bed! Yasmin gets to stay up a bit longer with the ‘big kids’.