A Remarkable Thing

Eloise wanted to go to Bribie Island on Thursday.

As there was a storm forecast, we readily agreed. After all, not to labour the point or anything, we do like to go to the beach when it's forecast to rain.

It was sunny when we got there and we set off up the beach. The skies were clear apart from some smoke on the hills in the distance.

Our first interesting moment was when some woman got miffed with Matilda saying she doesn't like dogs. Erm, what are you doing on a dog beach then...?

We walked up the beach, well ambled. Eloise wrote her name in the sand. The tide was going out.

Then I spotted a dolphin's fin about thirty metres out to see. We cooed and aahhhed and decided to go and have a look.

As we watched it became clear that there were several fins out there.

And then one swam right up to the beach, almost leaving the water and beating the sand in the shallow water with its tail. It happened all of a sudden then it came round and had another go.

"It's like David Attenborough!" gasped Nicole as I drew nearer with my camera.

"It's scary!" said Eloise. "Don't go into the water!"

Nicole's feet were irresistably drawn in though and the dolphins made a measured retreat.

She got quite close the next time, wading out on a shallow sandbar as the tide went out and a dolphin rolled around in the water for her a little.

"I just wanted to be near one" she said. I translate that as "I wanted to grab a dorsal fin and be pulled shrieking through the water like on the telly."

When we came to our senses the sky was darkening over the water.

Minus bucket and spade, Eloise and I contented myself with earthworks, bridges and tunnels whilst Nicole nursed her allergic reaction from that morning's injection.

The storm was loud back in Brisbane, but unproductive in terms of rain. South Brisbane got hailed on though with hailstones the size of golf balls, so I am told. We just got thunder that made the whole house shake.