Unlike us, most non-retired people do not spend their lives on endless holidays. So when friends and family decide to spend their precious annual leave coming to visit us, we are thrilled and grateful. Although we have met some fabulous (and not so fabulous) folk during our travels, the pleasure of spending time with old friends and family is inexpressible. You just know that they are not going to launch into an unexpected diatribe against Aboriginal people, dole bludgers or women with hairy underarms. They renew our sometimes shaken faith in the nature of Australian people. There is no small talk - just great conversations and easy silences. For all these reasons and more we were thrilled when a car pulled up at a rambling tropical house in Cow Bay and out tumbled Dave, Liz, Ada and Henry.
What followed was a wonderful week of catching up, chocolate-fuelled impossible early 80s trivial pursuit, beach visits, rockhole swimming, cubby building, book reading, hammock cuddling, rainforest zip-lining, great barrier reef snorkeling, local icecream guzzeling, cassowary spotting (not very successful - just one who was dashing over the road) and plenty of relaxing and chatting.
The house we rented for the week was called 'seascapes' and was just perfect. The views were amazing - the ocean and the rainforest on all sides. Everything was open - all doors and windows were not designed to shut out the rainforest and all its inhabitants. Especially at night time when every big bug, moth and hairy spider entered to spend the night with us in the house. Fine if one is comfortable with bugs but possibly a little icky for anyone with a fear of creepy crawlies. Seascapes was also a house in which the kids could really hoon around in and we weren't worried about breakages and damages (only one lamp down in a whole week!).
It was lovely to get to know baby Henry who is very sweet and who not surprisingly quickly held Zara's heart in his little hands! Also great to see that the friendship of Ada and Sash hasn't suffered from their long separation.
A glorious week with glorious friends in a glorious location!
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