December 1951 School Magazine

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December, 1951 .

December, 1951_

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

A HAPPY DAY ON STRADBROKE ISLAND ,Boxing day dawned brightly to greet our haPPY ci:mid of friends clambering on to our boat. We were going for a picnic to Stradbroke to celebrate our happy re-union.· The trip over was dull and uninteresting as one's eye met a su<;:- cession of mangroves, mudbanks and grey-green water. ~s_ud~ denly, through the myriads of islands, we caught our . first glimpse of Stradbroke, and in a few minutes we were -chat- tering gaily as we splashed through the water to the gle(Jinfpc~ , sand. -.l .. - First we all set off across the shell littered beach, collect- ing anything unique that crossed our path and also crack- ing open the coconuts that had drifted there from many hun- dred miles away. After an invigorating walk, we came to the shores of the majestic Pacific Ocean whose ever change . ing shades of green impressed one very much. . - We rested for a few minutes in the brilliant sunlight and then plunged into the cool refreshing breakers. Although there was a heavy undertow, we were quite safe in Jhe shallow water where the si::mdy bottom was visible for :rh.dny hundred yards. we spent a happy hour bathing and · sun- ba'king at intervals. As noon was near, we slowly wended our way back over the sandhills. Some of these were very steep and high and the sand moved down with us as we rolled and played in it. We delayed a little longer here, taking some photo- graphs, and then returned to our boat. While the children played in the sand, constructing sand men and castles, we set up the beach umbrellas and spread out the rugs ready for lunch. The older folk prepared a de- licious meal which we ate heartily. Following this we tasted father's prize watermelons. After lunch some of us fed the schools of bream with bread crumbs while the others lay in the shade, resting after a strenuous morning's activities. Being rested and fresh, we divided into parties to go exploring or fishing. Our party set off again for the ocean beach from which we could see the masts of two large steam- ers coming over the horizon. A few years ago a similar ship had come too far in and had struck a rock. Now its remains lay one hundred yards to our right. Most parts had been salvaged, but there lay there still a mass of splintered wood. We carried away with us a piece of its name. We went to the water's edge and dug for eugarie with which we caught rriany elusive worms. The flesh from inside · 26

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-JENNIFER ROGERS, V

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