Not Drowning, Waving.

Farewell Social Media. Hello world!

I did it.

I cut off my final link to social media and this is where I can be found. I’m no longer adrift but firmly nailed down, as long as it lasts, to this, my very own online presence. And I promise I’ll try to be as entertaining and informative as I can.

Free the nipple!!

I’ve neglected this personal website for far too long, distracted by the odious Zuckerberg-owned Facebook and Instagram. And Twitter, where I found myself improving my argumentative skills but being depressed by the never-ending waves of ignorance and bile. I didn’t like the person I was becoming on it. I didn't like the intolerance of opinions from both sides, left and right, toward each other. The cancelling of opinions from both sides was of equal measure. Saying so would have me accused of othering’ from the left and being a `snowflake’ from the sociopaths of the right.

I’m a little sad to disconnect from Instagram, but the advertising was the last straw, and I’m going to miss Mimi Elashiry's regular postings. (So sue me; her beauty feeds my soul.) And it’s an excuse to put a pic of a pretty girl up here.

So,
what have I been up to?

Really? Do you want to know? Well, okay then…

I moved from Newcastle a year and a half ago back to my childhood home of the Tomaree Peninsula of Port Stephens in NSW. My folks are in their 80s, and Dad has dementia. They live on a generous bushland property with a large garden around the house surrounded by bush that has become degraded in soil health, too much mowing, and encroaching invasive weeds.

I’ve decided to try, over time, to rehabilitate the property with regenerative landcare methods and native plants. The vision in my brain hole is lush, full of native wildlife and colourful native plants. We have a couple of old quarries on our 4 hectares (10 acres) that I hope to do something with and pass on to the care of my nephew when my folks and I shift our energies to something more granular.

I’ve been encouraged by watching practical and inspiring YouTube videos and some professional advice. Using swales and berms, I hope to create springs and rain gardens surrounded by little nooks and crannies for the little lizards, marsupials, birds, etc, to live in and create rich soils filled with microlife. Very shortly, I’ll go into more detail in a blog post where I’ll show my progress from what it was and post updates as I go.

My artwork? Yeah, there's not much going on there. I still take the odd photo, and I really want to continue on my children’s books, but I have some other things in life to focus on at the moment.

Bay Life

I’ve also taken over my family’s business and am in the process of renovating both our shops and former family home in Donald Street, Nelson Bay. I’ve had solar panels installed for both shops, batteries to come and rather than cement render the exterior (and knowing styles are cyclical) I thought I’d preserve the 80’s style brickwork Dad used in its construction and create something new, inviting and interesting.
With Newcastle sculptor Tom Ireland engaged to bring my vague ideas to tangible life, we’ve warmed up the bricks' cold exterior with polished wood and accentuated them with stainless steel elements. The longer-term plan is to extend these elements creatively down the driveway to our old family home at the rear and, in a retro fifties beach style, convert them into two multi-level apartments for town living.

I hope the Bay doesn’t succumb to the temptation of an easy dollar with high rises. If that happens, I think they’ll kill the Bay’s appeal as a village-style coastal resort and bring to mind an old saying;
`You don’t shit where you eat’.

I think this area has a very prosperous and sustainable longer-term future as Newcastle is finally getting a groundswell of development. The Newcastle Airport is building up with a surrounding aerospace industry alongside the existing Williamtown RAAF base.

The infrastructure of the southern part of the Port has been improved considerably with road improvements, a hospital, and great work being done to landscape beachside areas within the many little villages and shopping spaces. What’s encouraging is that the Council and locals have realised that much of the area’s prosperity will rely on keeping and building upon its sustainable environmental beauty. My eyes are seeing with fresh appreciation the beauty I live in and took for granted growing up here. Driving through the bushland for my regular swim at Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay each morning is one of the joys of living here.

Our buildings are smack bang in the middle of the Nelson Bay CBD, and I’m happy to say that my renovations are proving successful. I’m optimistically hoping they’ll inspire other building owners to be adventurous in their investment improvements and assist our council's efforts to create a resort-style area. Having a progressive council after decades of old-style, self-defeating conservatism is refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a regional council and have their issues, but compared to what we had, they’re a breath of fresh air.

The new Shoal Bay Country club is nothing like it used to be. In a very good way. (Image nicked from Shoal Bay Country Club website).

I have noticed a subtle shift in some new shops toward a more modern style, and there’s some great work being done to update accommodation around the place as well. For instance the Shoal Bay Country Club is to my mind a stunning achievement and deserves all of it’s success.

Please check out the website hunterhunter.com.au for reviews of the great food and accommodation available in the area.

Two Bobs Bakery at 8 Yacaaba Street, Nelson Bay has the best sour dough bread (and supply many restaurants and cafes in the area) and their bread and butter pudding is so good you could build a house out of it. (it’s great lightly fried in butter and served with good vanilla ice cream or cream and maple syrup. (image from Two Bobs Facebook page.)