Caloundra revisited

Most of our family holidays were spent on the Sunshine Coast at either Maroochydore or Caloundra. A famous landmark of Caloundra when we were children was the Rock Pool at King's Beach. This was a natural rock pool which had been made safe for swimming. It was not very large and was filled by the tides so one chose the best time of day to go there.

This photo would have been taken in Summer 1936/37  and shows Alan and me in the pool and Mum and Lois sitting on the side. Although I loved the water I could not swim at that time so you can see me staying close to the side!




This is how it looked in 1987...(when we took Fiona there and discovered that she could actually swim with no fear at the deep end.)

 

I was disappointed to see that the natural look had been replaced ; this obviously had become the district's pool where training etc could take place.  The general poition was still the same

 

This is how it looked recently...October, 2012.

 

 

Position the same but the pool has been  very modernised. The youngsters today wouldn't have the same thrilling experience of swimming "in the rocks" as my generation.

 

The Pavilion with change rooms etc and I think a small kiosk for sale of ice-creams and the like is still there. The change rooms are still in use but I done think the kiosk part  is operating anymore.

 

 

 

 

Bulcock Beach facing Pumicestone Passage  was another favourite place for us at Caloundra. It was very natural with still ( tidal) water with a jetty from which people liked to dive.  It hadn't changed much from that when we took our children there for holidays but they would see big changes now...

 

Bulcock Beach -  October, 2012

 

One of the reasons I like going now to the Sunshine Coast in October is that that is the time when lots of young families take a holiday there before the busy and more expensive summer season starts. It is a good experience for an "oldie" to see young families doing the same things on the beach as we did many years ago.

 

 

 

Maroochydore revisited

While on the recent holiday at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, Bill & I spent a day at Maroochydore . Each time I revisit the area I see how it has changed since I was a young child. In fact parts are changing rapidly from year to year.
 I described some of our childhood beach holidays in earlier posts. Here is a photo taken on the Maroochy river in earlier days...

Alan gives Hilary & Lois a ride on the Maroochy river.

The foreshore of the river area has been landscaped and made into an attractive picnic area with bbqs, shelters, playgrounds, etc. They have thoughtfully kept a small area showing how it used to be...

 

 

But most of it looks more like this...

 

 

It is still a great place to sit and enjoy the river view...

 

 

 

Where the river enters the ocean has changed many times. Several huge storms have done much damage to the ocean side  over the years. This is how it looks today...

 

 

That small island in the middle  background used to be part of the mainland and we would walk along the beach to it. After the storms and all the erosion of the sand dunes and beach it is now quite a distance out to sea. In the photo it looks as if joined to land across the other side but it is in fact quite a distance to sea on that side also.

. Some of the erosion shows in this  photo when viewed larger by clicking on it.

 

Some beach has been regained over the years using sandbag groynes  but it only takes  another big storm to alter things again

 

I cant help wondering what these areas will look like in the future when hopefully my grandchildren and their children visit there.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Getting around

At last it is Spring here and I have been sorting out the winter clothes ready to clean and pack away until next year. We are off to Mooloolaba in a couple of weeks for our annual couple of weeks of sun, surf and sand...cant wait!
Thinking about what clothes etc to take and how our little VW Golf will be well packed for the trip over to the coast, I began wondering how our mother ever managed to pack for our annual holiday at the coast. Until 1949 we would have travelled by train from Brisbane, alighting at Palmwoods for Maroochydore or Landsborough for Caloundra...I think that is correct. Then we travelled by a "bus"...I use the term loosely as I seem to remember what was more like a converted truck with bench seats....over a dirt/sandy raod. this was great fun for the kids as we sang and played Ispy etc and had a competition to see who would first see the water. Must have been slow torture for the adults!

The luggage I think was towed behind in something. The rented houses or flats( units in todays terminology) where we stayed were not serviced and all household linen, cutlery etc had to be taken with us in "ports"...suitcases to you southerners! On some occasions I remember havingChristmas at the coast so presents would also have to be packed  and  all this had to be carried. I cant remember ever seeing my mother carrying a port and we didn't have backpacks or duffle bags then so however did Dad manage...even with Alan's help. I'll be thinking about that as I cram another bag of things into the Golf!

Dad bought the old Morris in 1949 ( Post-Car-1 April,2011) and we seem to have made quite a few day trips over the following few years as well as the annual coast holiday. During my high school days and later I was often able to take a friend with me on these holidays and day trips. This photo was taken at Somerset Dam in June 1949, and shows my friend Gill, Lois and me.

I also had a couple of holidays when I went with the same friends on their holidays...

Felicity and Hilary at Springbrook 1949

The north coast beaches were always part of my life...

Caloundra, 1949

 

More memories from Annerley days

Grandfather Tarbit, Ida and Auntie Agnes used to visit us. I'm not sure how often. Agnes kept in touch with various relatives in England and Scotland. I'm not sure where she borrowed these outfits from but Alan and I had to put them on and be photographed.

You will notice that our hair is very short. A stray cat had adopted the family but it had some disease and we developed sores on our heads. I remember the treatment took a long time and involved visits to the Mater Childrens outpatients. It left me with a strong dislike of cats.

We had a great childhood at Annerley; the house being on high stumps allowed us to play all sorts of games under it no matter what the weather. I recall marking out rooms in the dirt ( it was not concreted) to play "house" with the neighbour girls and our dolls.
There were several ( 5 I think) mango trees in the yard ; Dad made a platform up the biggest one and we could climb up there and let our imaginations make it what ever we wished. It was also a great spot when the mangoes were ripe. I wasn't very good at climbing but with help loved to be up there.
Under the strawberry mango tree there was a little pond which was a favourite spot in the hot weather.

I cant remember if I was recovering from chicken pox or measles when I went with the Minogues for a couple of weeks to their beach house at Maroochydore. I was over the illness but there used to be quite a long quarantine period and it was decided as it was close to holiday time I need not return to school. I expect the Minogue children had finished ( at the catholic schools) a little before the state schools.  Anyhow I had a wonderful time with them. I especially remember the white bread and jam! we didn't have white bread at our home so that seemed a "treat" to me. I remember the girls and I having 6 slices each one day and being amazed that nobody seemed to find that "naughty."
Our family holidays were usually spent at Maroochydore or Caloundra. One day we went with the Minogues to pick strawberries at a farm at nearby Bli Bli. It was a case of picking for free all you could fit in the provided pails. You could also eat as you picked! The farmer must have had a bigger crop than he could market.

Mum's sister Emmy lived at Montville which is on the range behind Maroochydore. The Harper family had a sugar cane farm and on at least one occasion we had a day with them. There were young boys about Alan's age who must have been Aunty Emmy's grandchldren. They introduced us to fishing for eels in the dam, chasing the young calves around the paddock and pulling them along by the tails...and all the other things that larrikin boys get up to on a farm! It was a great day!  I wasn't too keen when the eels were cooked for a meal  however. I preferred the sticks of sugar cane we chewed. The sugar cane trains on the narrow gauge were a common sight in the area. I'm not sure how old I was at the time.
Aunty Emmy was a lovely person and I was very sad years later when she died of cancer.

Holidays

I have been sitting reading by a sunny window in the sunroom. It is a beautiful day outside though still very cold in other parts of the house. I will be happy when this winter is finished as it is much colder than we have had for about five years...when I was 5 years younger! The slightly warmer sunny day has turned my thoughts towards our annual holiday at the beach.
Beach holidays have always been part of my life and I was fortunate to have parents who were able to give me those holidays and share with me their enjoyment of the surf and beach.
My mother grew up in  Southport and lived there until 1930 and our early family holidays seem to have been spent in that area now known as the Gold Coast. I remember one time in a guest house at Burleigh Heads in later years but mainly those later holidays were at Maroochydore or Caloundra and those northern beaches are still my favourites.

Beach belle 30's style!

Lois joins the family holiday; this was taken at the famous "rock" pool at Kings Beach Caloundra. There is now a "proper" swimming pool there but I think we had the better experience of swimming in this more natural pool which filled with the tide.

Probably around the Headland at Caloundra

On the Maroochy river

The girl in the middle is our Annerley neighbour and the one who much later taught my daughters at High school in Toowoomba

Beach Belle 50's style

Oh yes, I am looking forward to that sun, surf and sand again!