It doesn't seem so many years ago when my friends and I would laughingly refer to Bribie Island as Waiting for God because there were so many old, retired people living there. I remember when the bridge to the island was built and it's already had it's 50 years celebrations. No wonder, then, that it is now my friends who are retired to Bribie and happily Waiting for God in what they regard as paradise.
I had never visited there by barge but can remember my first crossing on that new bridge (1963) and our horror at discovering that the toll charge was ten shillings. That was a huge amount compared with what we earned in those days. And when we got there where were the people? We saw very, very few; the population at the time was around 600 on the island which is 34 kms (21 miles) long and 8 kms (4 miles) wide.
There were more people than that, aboriginal people, when Matthew Flinders stopped by in 1799. He estimated there to be 600 - 1,000. They were much smarter fishermen than the modern variety, they trained dolphins to herd fish into waiting nets and spears. They were also a bit more energetic than today's lot.
Back in the day, we were there for the surf and it was OK, not great, but OK; it is sheltered from prevailing winds by Moreton Island.
These days I prefer the gentle, lee side of the island.
During my most recent visit in August my girlfriend and I enjoyed a late afternoon coffee overlooking Pumicestone Passage. I was disappointed that the distant Glass House Mountains weren't clearly visible. A storm rolled in, we were distracted by the activity around the rescue boat and watching it speed off up the passage.
With the storm approaching we decided not to go for a walk along the waterfront, paused just long enough for me to take few photos of the storm, before scampering back to the surf side where she lives in God's waiting room.
This is a beautiful waiting room.
ReplyDeleteThose hills/mountains look interesting. They look like the remains of an old volcano.
I looks like a good place to do any kind of waiting. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteBribie Island! now there's a blast from the past - very distant past. First and only time I went there was with a new beau and he consequently dumped me - the nerve!
ReplyDeleteLovely images Pauline. (About the only thing I remember quite clearly was the drive across the bridge.)
It looks like you could do a lot of active, fun waiting there!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason the fourth photo reminds me of the long beach where we had to cross the estuary and there were people fishing right at the end. I'm looking out of my kitchen at 57 shades of grey boiling sea melting int an equally grey sky and that trip seems so very very long ago and far away.
ReplyDelete