A summer to remember

A life lived in a big city necessitates moving through a constructed world; wild nature must seem foreign and often frightening.  This visitor was from one of Australia's biggest cities, where structured kids' holiday activities, shopping malls, museums, galleries, zoos, and sports facilities abound.  I guess, for a city slicker, it could be hard to imagine keeping the kids entertained without all these stimulating options on tap. However, within a week, this same visitor had slowed down to the pace of Island life and the kids were granted the freedom to ride bikes and explore without mum and dad. 

The children were seen daily, hanging at the local jetty where a multitude of activities awaited them, dictated only by the weather.  When choppy, cold and windy, rock hopping around the point looking for crabs or flotsam and jetsam entertained the children for hours.  When calm and cool, fishing for salmon or squid taught the children patience and persistence.  When the sun came out, and with it confidence, the snorkels were donned to explore the underwater world, or the kayaks dragged down to paddle further afield. Joy, wonder, excitement and curiosity connected these kids forever to a small patch of Bruny Island's coastline. Despite big differences in age, the visiting children bonded with some local kids through shared experiences of exploring nature, and through teaching each other about their very different worlds. 

By the end of their visit, firm friendships were formed, and pacts were made: the children all vowed to swim everyday no-matter the weather, often meeting for late-night jetty jumps into the bioluminescence, creating their own (better) version of fireworks. By the end of their stay, the whole family were talking excitedly about their next trip, itching to be back to experience more of what a slow-paced and nature-centric holiday can offer.