Beached at Last.

Yesterday, I convinced Gom I would go insane if I didn't get some beach time I had to go to the beach.
He does not share my mania love for the beach, never has. In our younger days, a trip to the beach would be last on his list of preferrances.

I don't really know why I am so drawn to the sea, but perhaps it is because it was always a part of my life. We have always lived close to the ocean in New Zealand, & some of my happiest memories are of being at the beach as a child.

We went to Terrigal, which is a nice beach. It has a reputation as a great Surfing beach. It is has a very large Resort Hotel on the waterfront, & is a popular destination for Syneysiders wanting a break within reasonable distance of home.

This is not a good shot, the sand is really gold. I just wanted to capture the seaweed, torn from it's sandy bed in the deep, & cast up on the beach to dry & rot, or be washed out again by the next high tide.
Sad somehow.


Here is the view towards the Skillion. Foolish young ones jump from this point sometimes. Sometimes they don't return alive. This facing the East.

This is a bold Pelican, which was strutting about very happily sharing chips & scraps thrown by beach goers, who were enjoying food under the inevitable pine trees. I tried to get a better picture of him, but by the time we got there, he was ready to fly off.

This is facing the North, & was a portent of what was to come later. Gom said he could see a dog in these clouds, but I don't think I caught it.

We could see huge ships out on the horizon, & I tried to capture them. I didn't have zoom or long distance on either of the cameras I took, & one of them had no card. Next time I will take the larger loaner camera.

Here is the sweep of the bay, looking in a northerly direction. There were quite a few swimmers, & the surf was quite boisterous, but not really huge.

Here is trusty lifeguard equipment. I tried to get a little close up.

Here is the little jeep for zooming up & down the sand. The lifeguards are on duty for the whole of the Summer, & I think, much of our winter, which seems to still have the hardy swimmers.

I dug my toes in the lovely golden sand. I waded in the beautiful foamy salt water, like a child, venturing too far, & snatching up my jeans so they didn't get wet.

Gom, who has been down of late, carried my sandals, and never took his off. He just doesn't have the feeling for the beach, or the ocean. He stood, watching me splash in the foamy little waves.


We strolled back up past the huge Resort, to our car. We drove home, via the township, stopping at the shops for a quick purchase for the dogs.

We arrived home at 1pm. By 1.30pm the skies darkened to almost black, there was the rumble of distant thunder, then it got closer, the flashes of lightning clear & close. Down poured the rain, much like a cloudburst.

I thought of the contrast, from the beach, to the dark drenched outlook we were faced with then. As these thunderstorms approach, the air becomes so oppressive with humidity, it almost seems impossible to breath.

As the rain pounds down, & the temperature drops a little, it becomes a little easier, but still retains the heat.

I was glad we got home in time to have the dogs indoors. Leo is terrified of thunder storms & shakes violently. We try to be casual so he wont be worried, but it doesn't seem to help his terror.


Joan Baez, Blowin' Away.