Banana Benders.

Monday 28th November 2016

A man at the hotel recommended a trip to Stradbroke Island, known locally as 'Straddie'.  It is a thin island of sand about 18 miles long.  To get there we caught the train to Cleveland, then a free bus to the ferry and caught another bus on the island to Point Lookout.  It is obviously a local tourist spot for great beaches, whale spotting and wildlife.

Point Lookout was named by Captain Cook in 1770 and what a point for looking out it was.  

We walked along a specially constructed Boardwalk and then walked down to Frenchmans Beach, which was almost deserted.  

The waves were pretty good too.  We found a little shade next to some rocks and had our first dip in the Pacific.  We walked along the beach and had an unexpected find....

It came at me whilst I walked in the shallows but I managed to overpower it with my superior strength and agility and throw it onto the beach!  You can't believe it!  OK, it was already dead and lying on the beach but it made a good piccie.

One thing we have noticed in Oz is that they abbreviate everything, Stradie for Stradbroke Island, piccie for picture, Brissie for Brisbane etc.  Not a bad idea.  I am often called Richie and I could start calling Janice, Jannie and we are both Pommies.  Which makes we wonder why we are called Pommies?  I will look it up.  Another thing is I tried to buy my first pint and a half of VB (Victoria Beer) and the barmaid didn't understand a 'half', I should have asked for a pint and a 'pot'.  There is lots of slang to pick up on.  Apparently, people from Queensland are called Banana Benders!  I'm not sure if they are called it to their faces?  I'm not going to try it just in case!

On our way back from Stradie we were told to look at some Gum Trees near the ferry terminal for koala.  Amazingly we saw one really close to the road.  Here is a piccie.

We have been eating in the room in the evenings since we arrived.  I particularly need to cut my food intake.  I will be mistaken for a humpback whale before long!

It is not really clear how we got the title of Pommie or Pom.  It may be an abbreviation of pomegranate which rhymes with immigrant (not much of a rhyme) or, as I prefer, it comes from the fact that many British arrived as convicts and had POHM on their convict clothes, meaning Prisoner of her Majesty.