nickelass

But time is like the ocean
You can only hold a little in your hands
So we swim before we’re broken
Before our bones become
Black coral on the sand

- Josh Pyke, 'The Summer' from Chimney's Fire

For New Years Eve 08 I was invited to spend the night with friends who had rented the old post office in a little spot called Catherine Hill Bay. A lovely beach side village made up of about 100 mainly small miners' cottages that really haven't changed much since the 1890s and early 1900s. Hopefully it will remain free from monster development. But somehow I doubt it.

The drive (Google Maps Directions) north commenced with a diversion to The Entrance to visit a friend. I always have a overwhelming sense of freedom once I cross the Mooney Mooney Bridge and climb up towards Mt White and onto Peats Ridge. The way the land falls away with Gum trees as far as the eye can see. Your 20 minutes from the edge of Sydney but you might as well be 20 days away.

Arriving at The Entrance Cam and I had a coffee and some beach time before rolling north, heading along the Old Pacific Highway through Frazer Park towards Swansea. The old road climbs the ridge and follows it with Lake Macquaire to the left and the cliffs dropping down to the Pacific Ocean on the right. No longer the main road north it remains a well sealed four lane long winding road best enjoyed when double demerit points are not in force. We swing a right and head towards to the sea.

The old post office in Catherine Hill Bay is a little beach shack so close to the waves you feel like you can hear them lap up against the walls. The cottage has been restored into the kind of holiday accommodation that puts your mind, body and soul at rest within 30 seconds.
First things first we stock up with fruit, meat and beer before heading to the beach for a swim. The surf was pretty flat but we all managed to grab a few waves and float around talking about nothing and everything. Like a good recently arrived Irishman, Ian has fallen in love with the beach. I suspect that Deb's dislike of the beach will also change :)

Before turning to crispy bacon we all head back in the late afternoon to laze around and prepare for the night.
And what better way than with beer and scrabble...

As the night kicked in and we all sat out on the Veranda eating most edible animal groups that can be cooked on a BBQ. The sound of waves hitting the beach in the background. It could be said that this was one very Australian summer New Years Eve.

I crashed and burned by 2am... I think this is called getting older?

New Years Day I awoke at 6:00am feeling surprisingly refreshed. Grabbed a bowl of cereal and some fruit juice before heading to the beach for a new years swim. The surf was flat but the locals were out on the mini mals cruising the little swells rolling in. We paddled out pass the break in the surprisingly warm water. Look at the old coal loading jetty that reaches out to sea, its purpose lost in time but it's industrial beauty, I felt that this year would be once again nothing like I expected and so much more. By 8am people were rolling into the beach and the flags where going up. So back to the house for a big breakfast. Very big BBQ breakfast. I tried to push through a few pages of Alexis Wright's second novel, Carpentaria. Really still struggling to embrace the writing style to be honest plus I was distracted by...
Thanks to Deb and her friends for the invite to stay. Three weeks ago I was not really looking forward to another NYE but it ended up being one of the best so far. I guess that is the providence of life in operation.