Moving on...

Moving to Woody Point in north shore of Brisbane was a wonderful life location handed to me. With a few days and nights of wet, I shrugged my shoulders at that and waited for sunshine days. They didn’t make me wait too long, they came into my life. The rental house might never have been great, but it was homely, happy, and so close to the beach. I have sighed in realise that this place is so different than where I have lived previously in Brisbane. I love it.

Many years ago I would ride my Ulysses group around the Woody Point road, out to Redcliffe, further out. The road has a Dugong road sign, and there is nothing to disagree with that. Now I live in Woody Point, mastered by the Dugong road sites.

I’ve only been here for 2 weeks, but it’s just wonderful. Next door neighbours are wonderful – not just next door, but people up the street who are introducing themselves. I haven’t had that in…. years, not in Brisbane!

The beach walk is perfect for dogs, especially old dogs who don’t walk fast. When the sun rises in the morning across the long sea, the air becomes warm and calls me for observation. In good mornings there are no hard winds, just wonderful warm air for walking dogs – or self. 

Today I watched some kayak rowers rowing from the opposite side to the open ocean. There were planes flying in to the airport, across the bay. Some ships cruised in slowly to the unloading dock also across the bay. A few days ago I took the extra walkway around to the Gayundah wreckage at almost the front of Woody Point. It’s almost sad to look at it, but it’s very old. A few days ago a young couple took advantage of the tide out, and climbed around the ship wreck to take photos.

Looking out from the road, out over the beach and the walk path, is a good feeling. I walked my dogs down there, they love it. I can unleash one old girl and leave her walking slowly behind while I take the other – slightly better old guy - faster. There are quite a few of other people, some with other dogs. No-one abuses my dogs, most will say hello to both me and chaps. This morning I saw a German Shepherd running around in the water, loving it. Smaller dogs walked so well along the beach or the road.

Last night I walked my dogs down to the inner bay, knowing that the old fella would love walking in the water. Oh yes, he did! He gets a wee bit frustrated that the old girl, on leash, is so slow, so much more than him. He pulls every day, so if I can unleash her, he gets a bit more of excess freedom.  

There’s a lot of sociality to get used to in Woody Point – cafes, hairdressers, Aus Post, pub restaurants (and some pool tables), croquet club, kayak yacht, fishers out on the jetty, lots of kids in the playground on the beach. If I get tired of that, I can bus or walk 2kms up the road to Margate. Warm days make the walk seem the best – although I know that middle summer will be a little too hot.

If I don’t need to buy anything at Margate, I would be best to catch a bus a further couple of kms to Redcliffe – at Woody Point it’s signed on the beach road as being 4kms. That’s not far to walk, if you’re used to it. Redcliffe was a stop on my Ulysses group bikes, but I thank that group with learning some history about Redcliffe. Now days not able to work gives me a feeling of belonging in this area. I never had that, but who understands the true history?

Two weekends away will be the Redcliffe Festival, shared right down at Woody Point and Clontarf, with the kite experience at Pelican Park just as last year. I met that kite expo last year with a few Meetup people, who travelled out here and enjoyed the fullness in the park. This year I’ll be working it – volunteering as a barista. Oh yeah! There are so many activities in the Redcliffe Festival that, if I feel like it, I can check out what’s happening and get a bus up there. Just Woody Point is going to get fuller than a day time of life!

I have a long future, building myself up, restructuring after my surgery and stroke, but now living in Woody Point is so good. Wish me the best, friends.