The news coverage and take on the day was one of relaxing and enjoying the beach, or bar-b-que, or just with friends at a park. I think the bigger cities had parades but Bundaberg didn't have one. You saw people wearing the Australian flag on every piece of clothing you can think of. I saw a flag on bathing suits, men and women's, sunglasses, shorts, wife beaters (ask you teen age son what that is), sandals, visors, baseball caps, shoes, and waving the flag out of car windows and motorcycles. Showing the flag seemed like "the big" thing. The flag was also up where homes had flag poles, and of course in public places.
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| Yes, I am in great shape! |
This public holiday coincides with the end of the summer vacation for school age children, they return to school the day after, so it has the feel of Labor Day in the States. The back to school sales were all over the TV and radio, the shelves were stuffed with school supplies, and even though the thermometer said 39 degrees C, the feel of fall and the start of school was in the air. Well, not so much, but that's because I'm still thinking January, Wisconsin mode, I haven't transitioned yet to the fact it's summer here.
Back to Australian Day, I headed to Bargara for the beach. It was hot in Bundaberg, but there is usually a breeze off the ocean in Bargara so I thought I'd do what real Australian's do and hang at the beach. It may not have been quite 39 C in Bargara but it was pretty darn close to that. And there was no breeze, at all. I was able to settle in on Kelly's Beach, a little further down from the beach in town, which was very crowded. I had a book I was trying to finish and sunscreen, I was set for at least an hour. (the strength of the sun has kept me to under an hour) The tide was coming in and that meant I had to watch where is was sitting because all of a sudden you can be wringing out wet things, this has happened, more than once.
The water here is delicious. It is so warm that it's not even cooling. As I sat in my chair I saw many people go in and bob around forever, you just don't get cold. And there were dogs, Australians love their dogs, which were in and out of the water playing. Truly it was a wonderful time.
The most interesting thing to watch is something I'll try to describe.
I saw a gentleman, who was in an electric wheelchair, descend onto the beach by way of a ramp used to launch boats. He was accompanied by either his daughter and granddaughter or his wife and daughter, I couldn't tell as I was too far away. His chair had a trapeze that swung over the right side of his chair which is used to transfer him from chair to car or bed, or in this case the beach and water.
His helper placed a sling under him, and attached it to the trapeze, they then lifted him from the chair and carefully, so carefully, lowered him to where the sand met the water. The gentleman had use of only one arm best I could tell, but that was enough to get him launched into the surf where the waves caught him and lifted him up effortlessly into the surf. He was free! The water became his freedom he swam and bobbed around for the better part of an hour. It was truly beautiful to see the man and the sea and his helpers all enjoying the day as anyone else would. The little girl with him played as all children do, oblivious to the limitations of his flesh, but in tandem with him. When it came time for him to get back into the chair, I thought, "wow, getting out of it was the easy part". But it became obvious that this activity is something they do often as they lifted him back into his chair as effortlessly as he had gotten out of his chair. I tried not to be obtrusive in watching but it was a lovely moment. It made my day.
So that is how I spent my first Australia Day, it was nice and quiet and very Australian.
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