I was on a social roll. Australia Day reignited my motivation and knocked me out of my working rut. After another morning shift at work, I came back to the cave, made a magnificent sausage sarnie and slumped on a chair in the common room. As I happily munched on my delicious creation, one of my friends mentioned getting the bus to Palm Beach. The weather was glorious and I felt like doing something productive with my day other than working.
My friends (Joey, Oriel and two random guys) were about to go when I protested, sausage sarnie in hand. They kindly waited for me and we set out on our beach day. As we waited by the bus stop, we slathered ourselves in sun tan lotion. Joey was part way through when the bus came. The bus driver abruptly told Joey that he can’t board the bus shirtless. Ha, you can board the bus barefoot but you need a shirt. Good to know.
We didn’t realise how long the journey to the beach would take. By the time we arrived there by bus, the weather had changed from sunny to cloudy and breezy. Arse.
The two random guys had already decided to walk up to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse. Oriel, Joey and I weren’t that keen to begin with. We took a more leisurely stroll on the beach and watched the kite surfers at work.
They make it look so easy. I know if that was me, I'd be falling arse over tit right now!
A short while later, the sun still had failed to make an appearance. The lighthouse walk seemed like a better and more worthwhile feat.
Everything was named after Joey.
We walked to the end of Palm Beach but we couldn’t see an easy route up to the lighthouse. We cut through to the other side which was practically empty.
No sign of the Home & Away cast here.
It was a steep climb but worth it in the end.
A nice little resting point.
A great view but we weren't quite at the top yet.
Joey hammed up for the camera.
Cheese personified!
Perfectly relaxed at such a height...ahem.
Oriel looks like he's going to jump!
We made it to the top and before I saw the lighthouse I saw a bunny!
Oh there it is.
We took a few photos, had a water fight then made our way back to the hostel. It felt good being productive.
*****
Sydney hosts a lot of free events throughout the city. Dee Why Beach, where I work, usually has something on at least once a month. As free stuff attracts crowds, I’m normally at work, fending off the hungry. I’m never that fussed as it’s usually aimed more for families anyway.
This time it was different. This time, they had Slip ‘n’ Slide.
Oooooooo!
The Slip ‘n’ Slide event took place on a Saturday and it was gloriously sunny. Naturally, work was rammed. We had plenty of staff on but I was kept on until the afternoon. It was a bittersweet moment. I need the money, but I’d rather be on the beach.
Mel and Steff came in for something to eat. I’ve eaten at Mel’s work plenty of times so it was nice that they came in to see me and trial the service. I’m certainly glad they got to witness certain people that I have to work with!
Once I finished, I rushed off to the toilet and got changed. We only had an hour of fun time left. It was worth it though.
Everyone slid down the slide with ease.
You can just about see Steff sliding.
Steff told me I need to be fearless and just go for it. My first attempt was a massive fail. I stuttered and lost momentum. In other words, I fell on my arse. It was so embarrassing. I tried again but it was so slippery, I fell again.
Can you see that little figure at the top there? That's me falling on my arse.
And again...
Undeterred, I queued up for another go. Steff and I were the oldest and tallest in the queue. We didn’t care! The next time I went on I was definitely more feeble than fearless. Still, I had tonnes of fun and Mel captured my glee perfectly. It was a brilliant day.
Naiiiiiiled iiiiiit!
Now, how do I get out without falling over again?
We dried off, got an ice cream and sat on the steps by the beach. Steff was engrossed in the nearby boat races. It was an impressive sight but Mel and I were more intrigued by what was going on behind us.
Uh-huh, ok. That's different.
Mel and I laughed as Steff was more interested in looking out at the surfers and boat racers than the random women pole dancing! A couple of the women were really good and effortlessly twirled round the pole and gracefully turned upside down.
Others however…
Kudos for giving it a go ey.
I did mention that events on the beach tended to be family orientated but I think this is taking it a little too far.
Now what did you do with mummy today?
Oh it gets better!
Another great day spent with my good friends. It’s nice to have days like these interspersed with the drain of an existence in the cave.
*****
I have gone in the ocean before but not ventured too far out nor have I been in for an extended period of time.
For some reason I can’t actually fathom, I decided to go out for a surf lesson given by my roommate Steff. He always goes out surfing but it was never anything that interested me. I don’t want to fall off of the board and get knocked out by waves. I can’t hold my breath for a long time and I panic.
Steff asked me if I wanted to go out surfing with him, probably as a joke. I instantly said yes. What was I thinking?
I obviously didn’t have the right attire so bodged it with some swim shorts, bikini and a t-shirt.
The first challenge was carrying the board across the road. It was massive! It was also incredibly heavy and quite tricky to manoeuvre without overbalancing. This became quite apparent when the back end of the board whacked a parked car I passed. Whoops. No damage was done though.
Steff gave me a few pointers before we entered the water. I was quite excited, if a little nervous that I’d drown.
The waves were strong which made it a bit challenging for Steff to teach me seen as I kept slipping off of the board. Rather than get impatient (which isn’t too much of a stretch for Steff!), he stayed with me until I felt more confident. This was a nice gesture as I know that he was itching to surf himself and not be bound to a flailing eejit. It got to the point where I found the right balance on the board and was able to steer, paddle and glide across the wave. This was all whilst I was laid down on the board of course. It was my first lesson don’t you know! I certainly wasn’t expecting any miracles.
I was impressed that I managed to stay on the waves and let it carry me to shore without over-balancing and tumbling over. That is my one great fear, being knocked out by a wave and not being able to reach the surface in time. Even though I was in shallow waters, sometimes the waves are so overpowering and repetitive that it takes all your strength just to get back on your feet again. I’ve had that experience in the ocean, but not today. I was king…king of the waves…which kind of reminds me of Katrina And The Waves…now I have Walking On Sunshine stuck in my head.
Anyway, I felt triumphant with my effort and thought about enrolling in a proper lesson. Unfortunately I never got round to doing this. Although my enthusiasm was sky high, my funds were crumbling away. I need all the money I can get for my trip so I have made the decision to wait until I get further north. Perhaps I can learn on Byron Bay or somewhere equally awesome. Who knows, this could be the push I need to get my confidence back when I’m in the water. This trip is full of little surprises like that.
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