Coolum Beach - Seventies Book

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It Happened in the Seventies - Sea Change Story

An intriguing story of risk-taking, self-discovery and profound change.

Arriving at Coolum Beach - The Seventies - Book Snippet

It Happened in the Seventies - Book by Dieter Luske

Having survived our Brisbane adventure and only lost one tooth in the process, it was time to leave Brisbane.

Driving slowly for a few days, from one beach to the next, we arrived at Coolum Beach and found the ideal camping spot; it felt like being on an island, very romantic. We looked for somewhere to have my birthday celebration dinner and went to the only restaurant we found; pleasant enough, but nothing to get excited about. We joked we wouldn’t come here again.

We stayed a few more days to relax and erected our four-by-four metre annex for extra comfort and sun protection.

We were feeling like kids in paradise, surrounded by palms and the waves gently rolling up the beach. We walked along that beach for hours, struggled up the dunes only to slide down again, and repeated the activity until we ran out of puff.

We often talked to fellow travellers and heard tall stories about fruit picking and earning good money. Couples, even whole families, travelled from farm to farm, season to season, picking fruit or vegetables. The kids were homeschooled and received all their teaching materials by mail. We decided we wanted to try fruit picking ourselves. Travelling further north would bring us to large farms for opportunities. We learnt that Bowen was the place for tomato picking.

For the moment, however, we were enjoying ourselves too much to think about hard work. Lying on the beach with a good book was much more enticing.

We left our beach paradise a couple of days later and continued north. We kept to the coastline, exploring small villages and towns, Noosa, Tewantin, Eumundi, and Nambour, taking photos of whatever we found unique or attractive.

Giselle and I were still coming to terms with Australia’s immensity. The distance from Hamburg to the Swiss city of Basel is 800 km, spanning almost all of Germany north to south. Since leaving Narooma two months earlier, we had travelled twice that distance. Yet, looking at the map of Australia, we had hardly covered any ground at all.

We arrived in Gin Gin. Appetising name for a town, but the name had nothing to do with gin; like many towns, it was an Aboriginal name, possibly meaning red soil and thick bush or scrub. There wasn’t much to see in Gin Gin, so we left for Gladstone, which was too industrial for us. We then drove inland to Biloela, another 120 km.

We liked the Biloela camping ground, surrounded by gum trees offering shade. We found a cosy spot not too far away from the shower blocks. We craved a hot shower. Giselle went first while I set up the camp stove, ready for cooking our dinner.

Giselle came back with good news; she had met a woman who was coming from Sapphire, the aptly named town in the middle of the region’s gem fields. That woman had found genuine sapphires. All one had to do was obtain a 'MINER’S RIGHT', which was available from a police station for $3. It would entitle us to set up camp in the middle of the bush, even on land owned by cattle farmers, and commence digging without getting into trouble.

Anticipation now at fever pitch, we lost all interest in inspecting old shop fronts or taking photos of period architecture and prehistoric petrol pumps. No time to waste; fortunes were waiting.

Next morning we were on our way to Sapphire, we came to a village called Banana. Who calls a town Banana? There was no Banana in sight. We were curious about the name but had no time to find out; our unfound sapphires were beckoning.

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It Happened in the Seventies

A Memoir of Love, Colliding Worlds and a House on a Hill

An intriguing story of personal risk-taking, self-discovery and profound change.

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...available as e-book - paperback & hard cover

Dieter Luske -> Author Profile

Published by LU-Books

An inspiring read of a life-changing escapade Down Under

Phil Brown – Arts Editor

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Coolum Beach - 1975 -

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