My mother was right. My youth was mis-spent. My Dad was a Station Master in the Railways. In Queensland the main railway runs along the coast from Brisbane to Cairns. There are branch lines that run off the main line at various points to service the Inland areas. So most of my young years was spent in close proximity to the coast. Dad owned a house at Caloundra (on the Sunshine Coast) so we spent a lot of time "at the beach".
A lot of my free time was spent surfing at King's Beach and at Alex (Alexandra Headlands). The house was at King's Beach on the point. That was in the late 60s and early 70s so it was nothing like it is today. The Sunshine Coast was a series of villages strung out along the coast. Today it is one big conglomeration of urbanisation.
As I got older and got my own car and Driver's License (in that order) I ventured further afield and would head down to the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales (NSW).
And then I joined the Army. The end of my surfing you would think. But not so. My first posting after training was to Canungra, a small Army base in the Gold Coast Hinterland. So I was still in easy reach of some good surfing beaches. I spent 5 years there before I was forced to transfer and drifted off to continue my military career.
A few years later the Army asked me if I would like to go to Hawaii for 12 months. What a silly question. My bags were packed before they had the paperwork filled out.
That was a great posting for an old surfer. I didn't surf the big waves, I was too "rusty" by then, but did do a bit of surfing in the smaller wave areas. It was good to see the big waves at places like Diamond Head, Wiamea Bay, Sunset Beach and O'ahu. I also got to see the Beach Boys live on Waikiki Beach. A great 12 months holiday... errr... Posting. And I got paid for it.
Since then I have not done any surfing but I have spent a lot of my time near salt water. I have worked and lived on Fraser Island, the Gold Coast and Northern NSW coast. I now live in a coastal region and have no intentions of moving any time soon. If I can't smell the salt air I get Jittery.
What brought on these ramblings of my early Years? Well I was rummaging through some boxes of stuff and came across some old vinyls and tapes. (Vinyls for you young ones is the old music records. The equivalent of today's CDs) Some of you know that I listen to Country Music but I have a diverse taste in music and I still like my old Surfing Music.
So in parting I leave you with this.
A lot of my free time was spent surfing at King's Beach and at Alex (Alexandra Headlands). The house was at King's Beach on the point. That was in the late 60s and early 70s so it was nothing like it is today. The Sunshine Coast was a series of villages strung out along the coast. Today it is one big conglomeration of urbanisation.
As I got older and got my own car and Driver's License (in that order) I ventured further afield and would head down to the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales (NSW).
And then I joined the Army. The end of my surfing you would think. But not so. My first posting after training was to Canungra, a small Army base in the Gold Coast Hinterland. So I was still in easy reach of some good surfing beaches. I spent 5 years there before I was forced to transfer and drifted off to continue my military career.
A few years later the Army asked me if I would like to go to Hawaii for 12 months. What a silly question. My bags were packed before they had the paperwork filled out.
That was a great posting for an old surfer. I didn't surf the big waves, I was too "rusty" by then, but did do a bit of surfing in the smaller wave areas. It was good to see the big waves at places like Diamond Head, Wiamea Bay, Sunset Beach and O'ahu. I also got to see the Beach Boys live on Waikiki Beach. A great 12 months holiday... errr... Posting. And I got paid for it.
Since then I have not done any surfing but I have spent a lot of my time near salt water. I have worked and lived on Fraser Island, the Gold Coast and Northern NSW coast. I now live in a coastal region and have no intentions of moving any time soon. If I can't smell the salt air I get Jittery.
What brought on these ramblings of my early Years? Well I was rummaging through some boxes of stuff and came across some old vinyls and tapes. (Vinyls for you young ones is the old music records. The equivalent of today's CDs) Some of you know that I listen to Country Music but I have a diverse taste in music and I still like my old Surfing Music.
So in parting I leave you with this.
EDIT: For your further enjoyment.
Damn these guys are still good. The follicles may be grayer (just like mine) but they still pick a mean guitar and drum a deadly beat. Enjoy.
9 comments:
I'll bet there were a few smiles in those memories, and nothing like an old song to take you right back there either.
Great post Al.
Hey, I still sing along to the old Beach Boys tunes-in many ways, still the official band of Summer. And it's hard to beat the Surfaris' 'Wipe Out'.
You were with the Electric Strawberries (25th Inf Div) up at Schofield, then? I've been there (as a tourist). Great waves on the North Shore (I don't surf, but I know what waves look like). And parts of Oahu away from Honolulu are still picturesque.
Good post, Al.
So unravels a little more of the web that is, Al.
Ever seen 'Top Secret' with the Skeet Surfing?....check it out on Youtube.
Tales of a mispent youth would make a great blog title.
Nothing like a big of surf guitar, or some surfing bird. Now you have heard about the bird haven't you?
DD Yep a song is all it takes.
YD Yeap, the 25th or as I prefer, the Tropic Lightning.
Moko Seen Top Secret a couple of times. Loved the Skeet Surfing.
Naut That would be a very large blog.
Grew up at the beach and really don't like being too far away from the surf. Even St Lucia (for uni) was a bit distant. Just moved house - only one suburb - but needed more bedroom space for new bub arriving end month. And now I can hear the surf as I drift off to sleep and all is well in the world.
Can't surf for quids though. Seem to be both goofy and natural at the same time.
And what kind of Army actually sends someone to a post they want? You like surfing and warm weather? 10th Mountain Division at Ft Drum, New York or a stint at Ft Richardson, Alaska for you!
Hey Doc. Nothing like nodding off to the sound of waves lapping on a beach.
YD Early in my career they did send me to the Canadian Yukon for some Cold Weather Training but that was for only for 4 weeks.
How you doin Al?
Have you managed to avoid the typhoid Marys hacking & spluttering through the supermarket & the movies?
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Arrgh!Speak up or hang from the yard arm. Arrgh!