Brisbane, QLD


Saturday, March 15, 2014

FRIENDS ARE FUN

In 1964, after I had been living in Pt Moresby, P/NG for about six months, I had made some nice friends. I had met them at the Judo Club and at Touaguba Hostel where I lived. Many of us owned scooters to get around the town. Someone at Judo suggested we should form a Scooter  Club and go on outings on the weekends. From then on we had some great weekends exploring the beaches, roads and rivers around Pt Moresby. In the next few posts I will be showing you some of the adventures we had.

I can't remember the names of the roads or how long it took but we always ended up at a picnic spot somewhere. This is Brown River picnic area and some of my friends.

 The dare devils like Graham here, swung from  a rope attached to the bridge and plunged into the water. I was a scaredy cat and didn't do it. After a swim, Charles and Bob minded the BBQ.

After lunch we joined in a game of softball before climbing on our scooters to navigate the corrugated, dirt road back to town.

Another time we drove along the coast to Bootless Bay. We saw some locals catching their dinner from a dugout canoe.

The scenery was pretty where the river entered the bay.

Once again the boys found a rope in the trees to swing out into the unknown. Not for me though. No holding back Charles.

Another BBQ lunch and fun games before heading home on our scooters in single file stringing along the rough road with our arms vibrating and our teeth chattering.


When we got back in town in the evening we would buy fish and chips and go to one of our homes and sit on the floor and enjoy tea together. We were all single so we only had small houses to share or rooms in hostels provided by the government or the companies we worked for.


30 comments:

  1. Bootless Bay, that's an intriguing name. You certainly always knew how to have fun, Diane!

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  2. The scooter club sounds like a fun way to see the sights and enjoy the times with your friends.. I would be chicken to jump into the water like that, do they check to see how deep it is first? Great photos and memories.. Thanks for sharing.. Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. a wonderful, carefree time of life; happy memories Diane

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  4. As wonderful as the photos are of the activities are, my mind reminds me they was all undertaken in tropical heat.

    That looks like a 6 volt Volksy. They had very dim headlights, almost useless for lighting the way.

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  5. Oh so many great memories you have of those great times...Amazing how times have changed. I used to be able to walk all over our small town or ride my bike... These days, bikes/scooters get stolen easily --and nobody is safe... Sad, isn't it??? Our world of wonder has really changed...

    Great photos of a beautiful place.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  6. Such fun. So lucky to have slides. They look good.
    Wonder has PNG changed where you took these photos!

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  7. the dresses and playing soft ball made me smile... things have really changed.. but boys do still drop off ropes and do things like that...

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  8. And isn't it nice that we can still have fun like that. In my brain, I'm still about 25.

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  9. I love to read your youth adventures so different from mine !

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  10. You had such fun as a young teacher. How wonderful that there were so many of you with your scooters. Did you buy them there?

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  11. i love your posts about png and your time there. a much more relaxed lifestyle. it's great that you have your photos from that time too. thanks for sharing.

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  12. It sounds as if you had some great outings. Forming the Scooter Club was a great idea.

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  13. You wouldn't be getting me to jump in the water like that either Diane. I am enjoying you PNG days and how good your memory is. The scooter club was a great idea.

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  14. Judyth and I used to go to Idler’s Bay with friends during our Moresby days.
    But not on scooters. We had a Mini when first married in 1971 so maybe had that — or when we had scraped together a few extra dollars, the next car a Mazda Capella — for the trips to the beach.
    I remember I lost my wedding ring in the water when the finger skin shrank.
    It had been my father’s wedding ring. Fruitless search for it. No trace.
    Did you have to wear old sneakers or sandshoes when at the seaside beaches around Moresby?
    Not at Ela Beach where it was sandy but out-of-town.
    After first trip when bottom of feet and toes cut from the coral, we learned to always take old footwear.
    — Richard

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  15. I always enjoy your posts Diane and reading about your past adventures is a lot of fun.

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  16. Wow what lovely photos this was another great post

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  17. The girls in their pretty dresses on a scooter and playing softball made me smile too. How times have changed! I always wanted a scooter, especially when we were in London, but Dave says "over his dead body". So I guess that's a "no" then.:)

    Loving your posts, Mum x

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  18. What lovely fun! Great shirtless well-built guys! (As an ole gran I can say this, LOL!) I find it interesting that there are no overweight, paunchy youngsters in the 60's. (BC = Before computers?) They certainly were ahead of their time with bridge-swinging. Great post, Diane!

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  19. It's interesting that the slides seem to be the least reliable keepers of colour images! Never mind, your stories are still top quality!

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  20. What great looking fun you were having. That looks like my first car in the background of the first shot. Love that you have all of these photos!

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  21. I don't think I would ever swing off a bridge on a rope either, Diane, but the rest of the outing looks like great fun :) Nice memories!

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  22. Beaut pics and memories Diane. The Scooter Club was a great idea. Love the fish and chips at the end of the day too :D)

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  23. thanks for sharing your loving memories with us, diane.
    totally enjoyed your photos.

    happy st. patrick's day!

    xoxo

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  24. I know I have said it before, but the illustrations do give your memoires such a feeling of the time - they could have the 1960s stencilled all the way through them.

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  25. What great memories of good times shared with good friend, Diane. I was wondering whether or not any of that group still keep in contact.

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  26. Have you kept in touch with any of the friends you had in that magical, carefree, youthful time of your life? It's wonderful to share your memories with us, but it would be so sweet to reminisce with long time friends who share the same memories.

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  27. Another great chapter Diane!
    Someone used the term carefree. It does describe that special time. I think your carefree days help us all remember our own. :)

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  28. So similar here again. We often used to go to a place called mermaid's pool in Rhodesia where we used to have a barbecue picnic and swim. Definitely care free days then. Keep well Diane

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  29. The best way to have fun! Outdoors, sunshine, swimming, BBQ's and just enjoying each other's company.

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