And so, we return to the present: September of 2013 in the town of Brooklyn, NSW, Australia. I was most fortunate to come back to this idyllic region, especially on such a sunny, warm day! No really, it was one those days that only existed in the minds of daydreams, children, or the animal denizens of the bush. The sky, an azure blanket accompanied by a warm breeze, and a shimmering reflection of the sky off the river sparkled like a newly mined opal. What did you expect, a diamond? This is Australia! Mushy metaphors aside, I was so happy to be walking along the river. But I was in no mood to just walk, I wanted to jump in!
I looked eagerly for a spot where I could enjoy a brief, yet enjoyable swim. I found a small sandy shore, dug next to a man-made stone staircase, going down into the river. Behind the steps, I saw a pair of changing rooms. As I prepared to change, I came across a horrible surprise… I FORGOT MY SWIMSUIT! But would this stop me from getting into the river? NO! I just put on my khaki shorts, trotted down to the river, and then… Oh wait, I realized another big problem: I had no place to keep my backpack safe. Too bad there were no lockers like there were at Bondi Beach. Not to sound paranoid, but all my valuables were in there, and none of them were waterproof. With no options open, I tied my backpack to a pole, using the straps around the bag as crude ropes. That left me with one more problem: I didn’t want to run risk of swimming off too far, and leaving my back turned. On the one hand, I felt kinda bad, in that I didn’t want to give anyone around me the wrong impression that I was mistrustful. On the other hand, my wallet was inside. Finally, realizing I was wasting too much time worrying, and decided to just jump in! I did, however, keep one eye on my bag, and the other eye on the passing scenery.
When I wasn’t playing lifeguard with my valuables, I was treated to the sight of family’s day at the beach, Hawkesbury River style, that is! Under this awning, there was a picnic table where I saw a mom setting up a picnic lunch, and I saw a dad happily playing with his daughter in the low tide. I was about chest deep in the river when I saw this adorable tableau. Suddenly, my day got a little better. It didn’t matter if my khakis were saturated with river water, or that I was with in an arms length of my backpack. I was too happy to be worried! Surrounded by playful splashing and the sound of anklebiters laughing. A small part of me wanted to join in the fun, but why ruin a nice moment?
Drying off took a little finesse; trying to dry yourself when you have only one towel, and when you have only one pair of pants is my idea of roughing it. I was just thankful that it was a warm, sunny day. With my backpack and belongings all accounted for, I walked back to the Hawkesbury River Marina for lunch. Since this place was teeming with fishing boats, naturally, a seafood lunch seemed like a no-brainer! A simple plate of fish and chips, with a rather tangy tartar sauce found its way from my plate and intro my belly! That, plus an iced tea and cold beer made for a perfect lunch!
NEXT TIME: I take a ride into the wilds of the Hawkesbury River, and I find myself among even more anklebiters. STAY TUNED…
Jared–what a day–sounds like your ingenious thinking lead to a day of sheer pleasure!! The pictures were also amazing.