A treatise on sand and kindness

 As I write this, I sit looking at a sandy beach, this time in Merry Beach near Kioloa in Southern NSW.  This is my stopping point for the next few days.  A perfect little spot right on the beachfront, where I can watch sea eagles dive for fish, whale spouts (or plumes) in the distance and the constant rolling of the surf.  

We have many sandy beaches, many of them stunningly beautiful.  What has hit me in the last couple of weeks is we also have many types of sandy beaches.  The one I am looking over at the moment has that lovely white squeaky sand, hard where the tide comes in and soft and squeaky above the tide line.  Others have very coarse, sand, gritty and often pebbly.  Then there is the yellow sand, usually quite soft, and the smelly grey sand that has been dredged up from the bay, that the MP Council likes to spread across our beaches, in what seems a futile attempt to reclaim the beaches from the storms and wind. And the in between sand, not so white, not so soft.

So, yes I'm at yet another stop in my van life.  Since the last blog I've been to Boydtown Park, next to the Seahorse Inn, near Eden on the NSW coast.  The joy of travelling out of season is that the parks are almost empty so you can choose your own spot and often get discounted prices.  This one was $20.00 a night for powered site.  A beautiful sheltered bay with what apparently used to be quite a knockabout pub that is now a fairly upmarket hotel.  But a short walk on the beach and one can get a decent coffee or a cocktail while looking over the bay.  (I tried both at different times of the day!).  Could let Banjo off the leash while walking on the beach.  I do love a park that doesn't lock up the amenities and require a code, (which I often forget).  On the recommendation of Steve at Bemm River I bought a folding fire pit, $79.00, folds flat and works perfectly so get to enjoy a fire each night.

Except at Mollymook Holiday Park, would not go back there.  Friendly enough people, and reasonable amenities but in the middle of suburbia.  Had booked there for Storyfest, the writers festival.  Each of the venues was only a five minute drive so that worked fine, Banjo seems to cope with being left in the van while I go to the events, another advantage of being out of season, would be difficult in summer as I'd worry abut it getting too hot. Last event of the festival I mucked up completley thinking it was on Saturday and it was a Sunday so left the Mollymook park and went to Ulladulla Big 4, got another perfect spot just where the walk to the beach started, no coffee to walk to but only one night so I coped.

In between stayed at the Reflections park in Bermagui, just next to the beach, a not for profit park with acknowledgements of traditional owners on their site and in the site information which was good to see.  If I went back I'd ask for site 68, closest to the beach and a nice flat grass site.  Again, on the edge of town, short walk to a good coffee.   

And now at Ingenia Park Merry Beach, Kioloa.  Best place I've stayed in so far.  Camping spot right on beach, and, yes ten minute walk through the bush, which is starting to look more like rainforest - even got a leech, for good coffee.  Hint, if you book through Hipcamp they give you the 'shit' spot according to the office woman.  So I did ask if I could have a beachfront spot and I got that with an upgrade, let me pick my own spot.  

The last event I went to at the writers festival was Gina Chick (Survivor) and Hannah Assafari (Moroccan Soup Bar) and was titled Kindness.  Hannah and Gina talked about small acts of kindness that had an impact on them over a lifetime and how small acts of kindness can reverberate.  Something we need more than ever at the moment with the US and Israel bombing Iran and Israel continuing the genocide in Gaza and the Westbank.

Made me ponder on the acts of kindness I have experienced so far in my travels.  The man in the bait shop at Bemm River who spent time showing me how to rig my fishing line, Steve at Bemm River, collecting firewood to light the camp kitchen open fire for all to enjoy, the Bemm River caravan park operator taking half an hour working out why my van sink was blocked, the woman at Boydtown, checking my neck for a tick and removing it, another Steve at Boydtown inviting me to join their fire when I asked him where you could get wood.  The toothless and at Bermagui who heard me say to the servo operator that I was going to check my tires but  that pressure thing terrified me, s he jumped inane said, 'Don't worry love, I'll do it and you can watch me so you know it's safe'. Wee had a good conversation then about living in Bermagui, where he can rent a 2 bedroom house for $200.00 a week, instead of what he'd been paying in Sydney.  Twice, when I needed to go into a shop where dogs were not allowed had someone offer to look after Banjo while I shopped.  The woman here who upgraded my spot without charge.  

There are acts of kindness all around us, we just need to notice them and appreciate them and make sure we share that kindness around.