Marcoola, Sunshine Coast, Australia

I came over a week ahead of Catriona. I had checked in online and had chosen my seat 13C to be on the aisle. By coincidence when I was dropping off my bag and fishing rod a lady appeared asking to be moved away from row 13. I said to her, ‘Lady, if row 13 crashes there is a very high probability that the rest of the plane is in serious trouble’. Nevertheless she did not end up sitting near me.

I was late getting through to Earl and Pam who arrived from Wellington a short time ahead of me but we duly picked up our car and headed North.

The morning after our arrival at the apartment, my bicycle was delivered from Noosa. Here's a wildlife shot I took in Noosa park later. I rode to Maroochydore and back ignoring the taxi driver who told me most cyclists use the motorway, as it is half the distance. The trip was about 34 km and when I got back I wandered over for a swim in the sea, our apartment faces over a few trees to the ocean. The rest many of you know, I tore my Achilles away from my right ankle pushing off to body surf. The lifesaver, Jason helped me, icing and binding the ankle and taking me to the apartment on his quad bike. By good fortune the lifeguard is positioned very near our apartment on a beautiful beach that must be 15 km long. X-rays and ultrasound proved what a good job I had done on the Achilles. It needs an operation but that will have to wait until the swelling and fluid settles down.

I returned the bike and started looking for other things to do. There is a gymnasium and I have found I can use the Exercycle with only one leg working. Do you find yourself subconsciously counting when you are doing exercise to pass the time, I do - I suppose that is where the adage 'it's the thought that counts' comes from. That for some obscure reason brings to mind when my father gave me my first watch for Christmas and told me 'there is no present like the time!' I borrowed some crutches but have done better with my Leki stick and can now get around on firm ground. Jason, the lifeguard brings the quad bike to me and takes me back and forth over the sand dunes so I can walk on the beach. I have also started swimming in the pool, having got used to leaving one leg dangling – if I try to use the calf muscle all hell breaks loose!

From our apartment we watch the whales blowing and jumping (to about 2/3 body length out of the water) some way off shore. Too difficult to get a picture unfortunately. We have a spiral staircase to our own roof garden with barbecue – today we had kangaroo steaks for lunch cooked up there.

In the mountains inland from Marcoola there is a craft village Montville that is similar to but larger than Eagle Heights in the Tambourine Mountains inland from Sanctuary Cove and Runaway Bay further south where we have stayed several times before. I was particularly taken with the views from the cafes and with a shop that sold amongst other things cackling witches for Valentines Day. Here's a clip of the effect you get when you clap your hands in that shop.

Son Rick and Vanessa were staying down the road for a week and we all went out for a great meal with them. The conversation turned humorous (surprise!) and I remember a fabricated discussion about an orienteering and map-reading class being conducted for a Maori family by a North American Indian tutor. It started “How, Whanau!” and went no further because we all broke up laughing.

This is being written with my leg resting on a packet of frozen peas, even in the typical 26 degree days here they stay frozen for at least 30 minutes which surprises me, they only stay hot for about 3 minutes on a plate. Despite the preponderance of great weather we had a downpour on our way back from my x-rays in Noosa and 39mm of rain fell in 8 minutes. Then a few nights back the electrical storm at sea was spectacular.

Have you seen those Aboriginal paintings that seem to have been done with a round stick dipped in different coloured dyes? Well some years back up at Port Douglas I noticed these round balls of sand left by what is probably a crab on the beach. I immediately thought of them as the inspiration for the Aboriginal art. They were also on the beach at Marcoola. Here’s a photo, what do you think?