Thursday October 12th I had a few calls to make, and later in the morning I called on the owners of the Manly house. I had to return their key and I’d given them a few days to get over the jet lag. The poodle greeted me like we were long lost friends, and D welcomed me into the house. He had written a glowing testimonial for me, and had a wonderful gift for me for looking after the house so well. It was a beautiful scarf that she had bought in Paris for me. The scarf featured a painting – apparently one of Monet’s early one’s with two stylish women. I was really surprised by the gift, and thrilled with the words on the testimonial. Their printer was not working – it didn’t work all the time I was there – so D emailed it to me. We said farewell and I headed south to Redland Bay where I was to catch the ferry across to Lamb Island. I’ve made arrangements for the house owner to collect me from the jetty on Lamb Island. I park the car and head for the terminal. I’m decked out in summer clothes – it was hot and sunny at home, and I am wearing a straw hat to keep the sun of me. What sun? As I arrive in Redland Bay the skies open up and down comes the rain. I should know. The islands do get more rain than the mainland and this is typical. I run to escape the rain and to make sure I have time to catch the ferry.
At the ferry terminal I purchased my ticket. $12 dollars return. On the ferry there was some drama. Passengers waiting to get on were milling around the jetty, and onboard the ferry were ambulance officers. Apparently a man, travelling alone on the previous trip had collapsed and they had been working on him. After a while he is stretchered off the ferry, still alive and looking quite alive. All the passengers board. I’d hoped to sit on the back of the ferry and be able to take some photos but it was cool and rainy, so I sat inside for the short trip. Our first stop was Russell Island which I think is the largest of the islands and quite a number of people alighted from the ferry and others climbed aboard. The next stop was Lamb Island. Lamb was the only one of the islands that I’d never visited before. It is quite a small island – with some 300 residents living on the island. There is a small shop – one of those pretty tacky shops that try to make a dollar from everyone. I see rows of videos out the front.
The locals probably do watch a lot of videos. There’s little else to do. There is nothing much on the island.
I phoned JL who arrived shortly in his old 4 wheeled truck for me. He was wearing a Vietnam Vet Association t-shirt, and was quite jovial. He’d had an interesting career on oil rigs around the world in his working days, and he and his wife had retired on the Sunshine Coast, but a few years ago after visiting friends on the island, the decided to move there.
They have a nice house on the northern tip of the island, and one spoilt dog. A small white fluffy ball of a dog, which rules their life. They want the dog cared for along with their house for two weeks in November. The house is quite modern, and has all that I need with a great outlook across the bay. They have a nice garden and all their waste water is treated and flows out onto the garden. Little water problem here. Fishing is no good apparently though I noted some folk preparing to fish near the jetty when we left.
I join the couple in a coffee and we chat. J then takes me back to the ferry terminal to wait for the ferry to return home. The weather has cleared up and I’m still wearing my straw hat.
I take a few photos. Whilst it is not raining it is still overcast and not the best day to take photos. At the ferry terminal there is a lady waiting who starts chatting to me. She and he partner sailed up from down south and settled on the island. They bought a house but are now thinking of moving. It is so quiet and has become expensive to live on the island.
When the ferry comes we board and sit together. I told her about the house sitting and she offers me her friendship if I do move onto the island for a couple of weeks.
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