HOLIDAYS 1959 STYLE

It was December 1959, I had finished school, exams were over and my wonderful parents took me on a holiday to Woolgoolga Beach on the north coast of NSW. 

Dad slaps sun cream on mum.

We drove from Sydney in our beloved Ford Zephyr and hired an on site caravan and an ugly one at that but it was under cover which kept it cooler. 

 There was a lake or lagoon which emptied into the sea. So we had the best of two worlds;  the lake and the ocean. Back then it was a quiet secluded spot but now it is a crowded holiday destination.

 Dad and I fool around on the beach. We had lots of fun. 

 Mum and Dad having a deserved rest on the beach. My dad had a thing about not looking at the camera, he liked shots to look more candid. I think I got my love of photography from him.

 We walked up to a lookout where we could see the blue ocean and the golden sand beaches as far as we could see. 

Oh to be 17 again and to be so slim. However, I wouldn't like the stress
 of worrying if I had passed the Leaving Certificate and
if I would qualify for Teacher's College, which was my dream at this time.

Note the camera case slung over my shoulder with the faithful Brownie Box Camera inside.

 We visited a banana plantation and saw them harvesting and packing bananas. We came back to the caravan with a big bunch. 

We hired a boat and had a hilarious time trying to row straight. We went right to the beginning of the lagoon where it turned into a shallow creek so we had to take the oars out of the rowlocks and use them as paddles to avoid the rocks and fallen trees.

Mum was playing 'Lady Muck'. Don't you love those glasses? I think she looked pretty good at 47.

We were not a fishing family but we had a dabble when we were on holidays. Dad borrowed a rod from friends and he caught a few tiddlers that we had to throw back.

I rather fancied the handsome boy in the middle. 

 We made friends with other campers and enjoyed yarning together. I rather fancied a handsome boy I met. We spent a lot of time together, swimming and walking along the beach. I remember giving  him biology lessons about all the organisms we found in the warm rock pools. He used to sing to me. We used to sit on the beach and talk for hours. He was at university studying Chemical Engineering and he worked part time at BHP steel works in Newcastle. My parents liked him and his parents liked me. Could something come of this?

His younger brother took the boys for a row. The dads at the back look a bit heavy.