Around May of this year our Council closed the pool I’ve been swimming at for the past four or five years. Yes it’s great that Council is going to update and enhance the facility. It’s not so great this will take two years. In the final weeks I wondered what would happen to the elderly & disabled that came regularly to use the hydro therapy pool. Able bodied swimmers like myself, although somewhat frustrated, will get over the closure and move on. I questioned what level of thought or awareness or in fact responsibility, the bureaucrats had given to the impact the closure would have on the disadvantaged.
Gotta love a government body – there for the people or themselves – I’m not sure which one it is anymore?
So I’ve taken a sabbatical from swimming over the winter months and started utilising our beautiful national park on a Sunday morning. The headland sits above the southern end of the iconic Burleigh beach looking north up the coast line to the highrise buildings of Surfers Paradise and south to Coolangatta.
The walking trail is set amongst age old massive trees with their sprawling trunks and root systems that have been witness to the huge rocks being naturally chiseled into perfect oblong shapes over thousands of years, all under a rainforest canopy. The track becomes quite steep as it starts upward to the peak. This really gets the heart rate up and the lungs working. A beautiful outlook across the Pacific Ocean greets you as you reach the peak – a little out of breath. Along with the used disposable coffee cups proudly displaying the very popular baristas name that resides beachside, the disposable cups are just plonked on a nearby rock. I’m thinking to myself, you can take the time to stand in a line looking the part for 20 minutes to buy the coffee, you can take all the care to hike to the peak drinking your stupid trendy coffee but you can’t take the cups back down to a rubbish bin ten minutes away !!!
Maybe they were in a rush to get to the next ‘Save the Planet‘ rally?
The headland track is very popular with all age groups, some just walking and enjoying the views, some running, some seemingly playing a game where you hold your smart phone in front of you and stare at it while you blindly endeavour to navigate a winding track totally oblivious to the beautiful environment and sounds of the resident wildlife all around you. Another aspect of this game seems to do with spacial awareness and the fact that you just walked straight into me, even after I set off the alarm by saying 10 metres before impact. Hello is their any body home!!!
Apparently not ?
I know, I know, I‘m sounding very sarcastic and let’s face it sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. So I’ll try and not treat like matters with any attempted humour. Let’s get serious.
Anyway I’m now feeling somewhat dazed, confused and amazed by the ways of the current world as I‘m sure so many of us are.
I’m very grateful to have the luxury of such a beautiful serene and peaceful environment so close to home. Yes it surely is a great day to be alive. The sun is out, the weather is perfect, the ocean has that aqua blue colour that you can see right through.
Oh oh – it looks like the next participant in this game of awareness is the lady walking towards me on a very narrow piece of the track who appears to want to share her thoughts with me. She is deep into a loud conversation for all to hear. ” You idiot you must have left your wallet in the shopping bags, where’s little Johnny, she didn’t did she , no I can’t believe it , what a hussy , what what I can’t hear you speak up” Gotta love a set of wireless ear plugs and a smart phone. She could have been getting the same enjoyment from an outing to a down town laundromat for God’s sake. I felt I should thank her for sharing her BS existence with me in such a peaceful place as this national park.
Pity about your idiot husband’s wallet I said in passing.
That’s enough of the cynic in me for one week. Time to check the score on Russia Vs Ukraine.
As always thanks for reading – RD
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