THE CLOSER IT GETS.....

Happiness is.....All Aboard "The Reef Venture"...

Ramsay Bay, Hinchinbrook Island

Jetty...Hinchinbrook Island

My brother Graham and Bronnie, a staff membe,r relaxing after Christmas lunch..Christmas Day- Hinchinbrook Island,.1986  (Both Graham and Bronnie have, sadly, passed away - too soon - too young).

Andrea and Burnie...two more of my staff members on Hinchinbrook.  Burnie and I remain good friends to this day, 31 years later.

David aka Santa, Christmas Day, 1986

My memory bank goes into over-drive at this time of the year.  My memory bank is always over-active, but it kicks up a few notches as Christmas and New Year draw near...reflecting upon times past; of friends and family no longer here. Reflecting upon happy times and sad, all of which remain a part of my reality.  Although, at times melancholy has its way, I do not fret hour upon hour, alone with my memories, I am content.

The Festive Season sets the wheels of the mind in motion.

Christmas Day on Hinchinbrook Island approached. The resort’s cabins were booked to the limits. My staff, some of whom were experiencing their first Christmas away from their families and loved ones, had mixed emotions.

Excited with the prospect of spending Christmas on an island, most were a little sorrowful for not being at home, around the Christmas tree exchanging presents with their families and loved ones.

Sensing their feelings, I warned the guests ahead of the day once the lengthy Christmas lunch came to an end in the restaurant it was then my staff's 'time'.  I explained they, too, must be able to enjoy Christmas.  Everyone was very understanding.

A long table was set aside out on the large deck surrounding the pool to cater for my staff when the time arrived for their afternoon’s festivities.

Christmas Eve was full of good cheer and much gaiety as the staff and guests mingled around the bar before and after dinner.

My head chef, David, who was a character much loved by staff and guests alike was in full form, regaling stories to everyone within earshot.  David and I (and his wife) are still good friends after all the years.

Around 2.30am Christmas morning, he jumped up, letting go of an apt expletive or three, stating he had forgotten to put the whole suckling pig on to cook!

Our Christmas lunch was to be an elaborate buffet complete with the traditional fare, hot and cold, together an abundance of fresh seafood.

As the revellers meandered their merry ways back to their cabins, David and I were left to keep watch on the forgotten pig.  The night had grown longer....

From memory, I managed to slip in about an hour's cat nap before showering, dressing and racing back to the restaurant for the big day ahead. 

I had told my two chefs I would prepare the salads, of which there was a variety, to free them up to attend to the many other preparations.

With adrenaline flowing at high speed, no thought was directed towards my lack of sleep.

Lunch was a major success, with the guests arriving promptly at 11.30am to begin the celebratory feast. Around 3 pm or so, sated and drowsy, like satisfied goannas, they drifted off to wherever they could find a welcoming bed, palm tree or shady she-oak to digest their gigantic meal; in most cases, their over-indulgence.  But, who cared?  It was Christmas Day, after all.

The fun commenced for the island crew after the last guests left.

With no opportunity to visit stores on the mainland, I'd decided the best Christmas present I could give my staff was give each a bottle of his/her favourite alcoholic beverage.  I gift-wrapped a couple of cartons full of Scotch, rum, bourbon, gin, vodka and whatever else took their fancy.  As well as the liquid presents, I'd commandeered the skipper of the contracted island boat to purchase Christmas stockings, enough for each member of my staff.

Once the last guest disappeared into the distance, we gathered around our own decorated table on the deck, popping champagne corks.  We were eager and ready to settle in for a fun afternoon.

My staff presented me with a beautiful set of crystal Scotch glasses, along with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label.

Poppers and slime, funny eye glasses, plastic rings and other inane, fun delights from the stockings soon made a fine mess of our surroundings. The pool was too inviting - an offer too good to ignore.  Everyone ended up in the pool, talking and laughing.

It was a wonderful Christmas Day...so wonderful, in fact, dusk had descended.  The sun had set behind Cardwell on the mainland, and was well on its way to Western Australia when we remembered we had guests!

Fortunately, having eaten so much good tucker at lunchtime, they arrived late, and some not at all, for dinner.

Dinner, became a rapid re-arrangement of the luncheon fare. Everyone had had their fill and much more at lunch, so had little appetite at dinner. Soon sleepily, though happy, they wandered back to their accommodations, leaving us to clean up as we reminisced over a fantastic, happy day spent together as a 'family'.

After bouncing back from our Christmas Eve celebrations, the guests, my staff and I were ready for a hectic (for us) but fun (for us and them) day.

I had “volunteered” David, my chef to be Santa Claus.  

Perhaps I need to point out - Hinchinbrook Island is in tropical North Queensland.  Christmas Day 1986 was a typical hot, summer’s day.

David was not a slim young man by any shape or form, but he had a sense of madness and humour larger as his own good self. Up for anything, he willingly accepted my decree.  I had great fun dressing David in a Santa's costume.  Cushions were added to his already bulky frame.

I guess I must have hired Santa’s suit from a Townsville fancy dress outlet.  I can’t remember the details.

I'd organised small, token gifts for the guests, some of whom were children.

My late brother, Graham was working at the resort with me at the time.    It was fun actually because for once in his life, he had to obey me as I was his 'boss'!   (Just kidding around).

Graham also 'volunteered' to be Santa's Helper!

Some help he turned out to be!

David, Graham and I loaded up a huge laundry sack with presents. Graham arrived with a ladder to enable Santa to climb upon the rather expansive roof of the restaurant/bar/kitchen/storeroom/office building.

Of course, this adventure/exhibition occurred in the heat of the almost-midday sun!

What do they say about "Mad dogs and Englishmen"? Well, we were neither, but we were insane Aussies getting in the swing of things...in the spirit of Christmas!

David aka Santa, in scarlet his glory ran around the roof, "Ho-Ho-Hoing" along the way, much to the enjoyment of our guests.  Among my guests was a Japanese family – Mum, Dad and two little kiddies.  They were in awe of the high jinx going on up on the roof, and those  of Santa’s Helper below.

I bet that Japanese family have never forgotten the sight of Santa upon the roof in the heat of summer on an Aussie tropical island.

The time arrived for Santa to descend so he could begin distributing the presents among the already hysterical guests, who thought the performance was hilarious.

 However, the pantomime was to get funnier!

Santa's Helper, ladder under his arm, was at one end of the building, propping the ladder against the guttering to enable Santa to climb down, except every time Santa's Helper was on one side of the building, Santa was on the opposite side. They couldn't synchronise their movements and positions.

David would be at one side of the roof, and Graham, ladder in tow, would be at the other, and never the twain would match up!   One was as useless as the other in co-ordination!

The calamity went on for many minutes. As time ticked by, the laughter grew louder and Santa's face grew redder from, not only the heat of the day, but from his bulky attire. There was great 'to-do' going on.

All of us below watching the hilarious antics of these two had tears running down our faces, and pains in our stomachs from laughing and gasping for air.

Finally, Santa and his Helper connected around about where the radio mast stood aloft on the wall outside my office.  It stuck up between the large gas bottles.

The drama didn't end there!

As Santa began his descent he dropped his large sack full of presents! Naturally, it landed on the head of Graham, Santa’s Helper!

Eventually, the presents were distributed with much ado. Champagne corks popped and champagne flowed freely, as did the laughter.

Santa sat on the ladies’ knees while he asked if they’d been good and what did they wanted for Christmas.

These days, with political-correctness gone overboard, I guess, such behaviour wouldn’t be allowed.  But, then...in 1986, the guests, men and women alike loved the innocent frivolity.

The fun continued throughout lunch.  The guests were a happy bunch.  My staff were a cheerful crew.  

I'll always remember, particularly, the Japanese family. I'm sure they'd never experienced anything like it before, nor would they have since.

Ahhh...the halcyon days of island life!