Before we start tonights blog, we need to make something very clear. Today was different. Today wasn't about action or adventure or discovering new places and new things. Today wasn't about creating family memories to talk and laugh about in future years, and it wasn't about showing the boys how life can be different to what they're accustomed to in other parts of our country... Today was about memories and reminiscing... Today was about Jo's past and her childhood, and taking her back to where she grew up 30 years ago. Today, we went back to Bowen...

If you know of Bowen at all, it's probably because you like mangoes, and you know they grow nice ones here. Or, you know your movie history, and somewhere in the back of your mind, you remember that Baz Luhrmann filmed "Australia" here, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Chances are, you've never heard of Bowen, because it's not famous for much, and nothing much happens there. But it's a special place to Jo. It's the place where she spent her primary school years, and most of her childhood with her family, so we went to see what changes had taken place in the last 30 or so years...

Well, it turns out that Mrs Patterson who ran the corner store has passed away, and the old store is now a Thai Massage parlour... There's finally running water in the public facilities in Apex Park, and they've replaced the old kerosene lights with the new fandangled electric lights just like they have in the city... The old Rod 'n Reel Motel is gone, but the Casle Motel where she had her birthday parties is still there, and looks in pretty good shape. There's a new motel on the outskirts of town called... wait for it... The Bowen Arrow Motel! They've gone and built a lookout and cafe on Flagstaff Hill, but the Primary School is still in the same place it always was, and there's now a kindergarten attached. Her old house is still there too, and has been freshly painted, but the neighbours are strangers that didn't recognise her, or seem particularly friendly, when we pulled up and started taking photos... The beaches and bays haven't changed at all. They're exactly as she remembers them, maybe they seemed bigger then, but they're still beautiful spots to sit in the sun or have a swim... We even climbed over the rocks like she used to do... I don't think all the backpackers would have been around back then, stealing all the available sand like an outbreak of algae, but she could have just mistaken them as normal people back in her childhood... The biggest change has taken place along the main waterfront. The council have built playgrounds and BBQ's and tables and chairs. It's an enormous foreshore development with an open air theatre, historical features and walking paths. They're actually in the middle of building a big waterpark there, but it was still rubble and reo and pipes when we saw it. We counted six caravan parks in town, and they all looked full of caravans, so obviously, lots of people like Bowen, even if they are grandparents trying to escape winter. And there's lots to like. It's a lovely town, nice wide country streets, with plenty of gardens and open green spaces. The beaches are stunning, and in the afternoon, when the wind dropped, the water became glassy smooth and crystal clear. No wonder the backpackers all flock there... The boys had a swim, while we wondered around taking photos. If you look at the photos, many of them won't mean anything to you, but don't worry, they're not meant to. They're part of Jo's history, and they're there for her sake. Just smile and say "Ah, yes... I remember..."

Other than a strong wind in the morning, the day was great weather wise. The sun was out, strong and warm, and we had a really nice day. Most of it was spent on the beaches, walking along the sand and climbing the rocks, but we drove around all her old haunts, and some of the newer parts as well.

We got back home at 4 o'clock, which was much later then we expected, and Naomi met us at the caravan when we drove in. She invited us over to their house for dinner, which we readily agreed to (we were planning to have 2 minute noodles... must have caught it off the backpackers!), so we met them at 6. It wasn't meant to be a late night, because the boys were already tired, and their kids have school tomorrow, but we got to talking, and time just got away... It's now 10.30, and I'm trying to stay awake to finish the blog, while everyone else is in bed asleep...

I'm not winning, so I'll chat again later, but on a final note, Bowen is lovely, and has really grown up...