A modicum of understanding

Dinner at the salubrious Sedges Pub – imagine how decrepit a licenced premises would need to be before you would expect that the licencing authorities would call time on the licensee! – Sedges Pub looks worse- much worse than that!   It is a Pub that has left its glory days 50 years behind! – it is now a ramshackle collection of original construction and timber and fibro modifications and is the subject of a paucity of programmed maintenance – repairs are clearly only performed on items likely to fall down immediately with a slight higher priority being applied to item that may cause death to owner or patron.

Of course I exaggerate but not to an exceptional degree - at least by my standards – Sedges is positively the least inviting public house I have frequented – we rely on the advice of the receptionist at the caravan park – pretty bad from the outside but the food is good! -  we dine in the bistro – the waitress is polite and efficient although in speech and appearance she seems at home at Sedges. While we await our meal we admire the furniture in the bistro – Bunnings plastic tables and chairs with the table top disguised by the application of plastic contact suitably printed with a café motif – in the Sedges environment the result is strangely appropriate! – The receptionist was correct in her description of the exterior of Sedges but generous in her description of the quality of the fare.

While the experience of dining at Sedges will not in itself be one of your culinary highlights, it certainly would be an experience that is different, quaint and educational!

The weather remains moderate but just a little chilly to sit outside – not so for the neighbours who have their travelling associates over for dinner and significant wine in their annex just outside our window – we thought that there were two women and one man in dinner party but after about two hours of continual chatter from one male voice a second male was heard – he finally had a chance to get a word in! – could the first man talk? – Yes! – was he an authority on every conceivable conversational topic? – Absolutely! – did he like hearing the sound of his own voice? – Not sure but we are very sure he liked it much more than Bernie and I!

After the visitors depart the neighbour’s annex we sleep like logs – we arise to a pleasant day. The weather gods have judged that at least for today the clouds should not be given sole access to environment – they dictate that the clouds share it equally with the sun – it is a pleasant day that we approach slowly – a walk along the Iluka foreshore –

Collect the paper and a scone – return for morning tea – sit under our awning and admire our personal water front estate – watch the ducks invade our space – forced to concede that while this may not be the Hilton it does have very pleasant characteristics.

”What are you writing about” Bernie says – “nothing very exciting” I say – “Well there’s nothing very exciting happening” she says – “I think that is the point of this caravanning thing Bernie!”

Slow – slow – drive to Fisher’s Co-op – fish and chips –– preparation sloppy but the product fresh – nice! – to the Iluka Beach - not the highlight of Iluka –

Back to our delightful van site – sit and enjoy – photograph the pelican sentries and their fellow avians.

By 4:00 the clouds are asserting their supremacy over the sun and winds have taken on a chilly demeanour – we imagine the dedicated caravanlutians saying “don’t be silly! – don’t simply retreat to the van!” – we put on some warmer clothes and continue watching and enjoying the fishers attempting to lure tonight’ dinner onto their baited hooks.

If all days of caravanning were like this then perhaps I may be developing a modicum of understanding of and empathy with those of the caravanlutian persuasion.

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