The good-bad day
We were escorted by a small pod of dolphins; They popped out of the water gracefully, beside and in front of our kayaks, as we paddled slowly across the inlet towards the boat ramp and the end of our kayak adventure...
My brother and I had spent almost four hours kayaking together, around Garden Island, sometimes in silence and at other times chatting away about all sorts of things. It was good bro-time and I'm pleased we managed to fit it in. Today is the last time we will be together for at least 12 months, probably 18 months, and a yak on the water seemed a good way to spend part of it.
After getting back to my place, cleaning and packing away the yaks and equipment, we collected the girls and my little nephew-fella and headed to the beach which you can see pictured.
This is Brighton beach in Adelaide where we had lunch at a café on Jetty Road before taking a swim. The weather was pretty nice, around 33°C (91F) with a light breeze, so pretty damned good! As you can see it wasn't crowded and is looking very, very attractive. We splashed around a little and took a heap of photos and then headed back home in the late afternoon.
Tonight we will have our last meal together and hang around at home happily, but with an undertone of sadness, as it is the last night before they go home. We will spend some time working out their 4,500km route home as well and then just chat and play with my nephew. It'll be nice.
It has been nice to have some family about, and of course we know they have to go home eventually, but I'd really rather they did not. Still, life moves on and their life is in the far north of the country and mine is here in the south with Faith...We are thinking of doing a four week camping road trip around June 2021 and so will probably see them up in their neck of the woods at that point...And get to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef again which is an amazing place to snorkel. It will be cool to do so with my nephew who will be almost 3 years old by then. Don't worry, we breed them tough in Australia, we'll just chuck him in and he'll learn to swim pretty fast.
Today has been a really nice day, but there is a sad note to it as we will be saying good bye early in the the morning. I'm not sure how I'll handle it...Last year when I had to say goodbye to my niece @smallsteps in Finland I was a bit of a mess to be completely honest and, well, thinking about saying goodbye to my nephew kind of raises the same feelings...Don't tell anyone though, I'm supposed to be tough.
Anyway, to all those people struggling through cold, snowy and rainy weather right now...Sorry-not sorry for tantalising you with warm beaches and sunshine! 😂
Have a great day.
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Living so far away from family is hard, but so precious when you do get together. You've made me miss my sister, now!
Hope they have a safe journey home. That's a long way to drive.
Yeah you're right...It's difficult to be so far away and video chats are not the same. Your sis is back in the UK? Give her a call, shell appreciate and you'll feel better.
Yes, Adelaide to Cairns is a fair drive, especially with a 16 month old lad in the back seat.
Yes, she's in the UK. We had a chat on Christmas day, but, like you say, it's not quite the same.
I hear you...Maybe a trip sometime? I'm off to see @smallsteps and my brother in Finland this year.
Beautiful to read about beaches and brotherly love from a really strong man who is fully competent at managing his world of feelings (i.e. letting them out when they come to declare the love they need to).
Hey, Thaks mate. Yeah, I'm pretty good at understanding how I feel and am comfortable with who I am as a man, so don't have too much trouble expressing my feelings. I'll miss my family when they leave, and see no benefit in pretending I won't.
Thanks for dropping by.
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I'm glad you got to have a visit, even though saying goodbye is hard. It is 34F here this morning, so your weather is tantalizing indeed!
Warm weather, cold drinks...Good company...Nothing better! 😄
Up until I was 24 basically everyone I cared about in the world lived within 5 hours of my home in Seattle. But then I started traveling and making friends from far away places and eventually married an Australian guy. So, goodbyes like yours have become too common. I guess the good things are... the physical distance between you shows you have had some adventures in your life, now “your home” (new faraway places still feel like home when you are with loved ones) can be found further afield, and as much as those goodbyes suck the hellos are absolutely joyous.
So glad you had quality bro and family time. All that distance makes you recognize the importance of the time together and that is a great thing.
This is true and nicely written too. It's obvious you've experienced for yourself. Where did you guys settle?
We lived in Canberra from 2002 - 2007, then moved to Seattle (where I am from) and have been here since. My poor husband got the short end of the stick when it comes to being near family. Skype helps. When I was in Aus there was no Skype or Facebook or instagram. Just a lot of long distance phone calls. For all the detractors of social media, it helps a ton for keeping in touch with loved ones who are way too far away.
Ah ok, I like Canberra. Seattle, well I've never been there. Want to though. I'm sure your husband doesn't mind being there though, with all you people with strange accents! 🤣
You guys are really spread out and maybe one day you will have shorter distances to travel between all of you.Driving 4500 km is far as I have done 2800 as my longest and it is really tiring. I contemplated sticking the car on the train for the trip back.
Yes, it's a long way, and in Australia it means lots of nothing in between small towns...Although there is still things to see and do. Depends which route one takes. I've done it several times and I love the drive, but it's a long way.
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Very tantalising and very mean whilst i sit here with the heating on as it's freezing here in the UK
Yeah, I thought so...Sending pictures like that when people are snowed in or digging snow, or freezing their butts off! You're all welcome to come to the beach though...They're rarely crowded. It's just a short trip. 😂
I would def preder a beach over a snowy scene :)
I think I would too.
What a great time sir galenkp and what a scene that beach is!
Pretty good huh? We have some amazing beaches here and because there's so many they don't get crowded.
Oh that sounds fantastic because I don't like the look of the real crowded ones and most of them seem to be. One more point for the Aussies!
Sydney beaches get very crowded, but Adelaide, having so much coastline and being less populated, means no crowds and plenty of room for everyone.
I like Adelaide then. Are there plenty of ocean front homes for sale?
Yes. Well, plenty there, not all for sale. One could pay somewhere between $1m-$5m for one of them depending on location. I mean in the greater metro-area of course. Not in the country. Although, beach-front homes command a high price wherever they are.
You'll be set when Steem reaches $1,000! Yeah those numbers on beach front homes are insane.
Hurry up and hit $1000 steem! 😁
Yes, everyone seems to want to be there. I sold many myself, Esplanade properties. Sold a couple next door to each other for $1.25m and $1.65m, both built in the 1880's. The more expensive sold to an order of nuns. (Yes, you read that right.) They were so old! I think the church owns it now as they are all gone.
A bunch of rich old nuns! lol. Built in the 1880's, wow the architecture must be beautiful!
It was an amazing house. I am still friends with the vendor who now live in the small town I grew up in. Nice people. Yes, the nuns had a big property in Adelaide, which they sold for millions. It's now an apartment and housing estate. They were cashed up. Don't worry though, they paid a high price for the one I sold them. I knew they were motivated. My client was happy.
That's a great story sir galenkp, a win for everyone!