Thursday, January 16, 2020

ITALIAN INVASION... “ON A LIGHTER NOTE”...Pre-.PREQUEL


 
All Aboard the "Reef Venture" Happy guests and staff...
Me Acting the Clown at a Tourism Event
Hinchinbrook Poolside Fun with Skipper Bob in the middle!




Me relaxing at the resort bar after bidding the "Reef Venture" goodbye for the day!

Beautiful Ruska and me at my little abode at Cape Richards Resort on Hinchinbrook Island
Kewarra Beach Resort
Kewarra Beach Resort
Pool at Kewarra Beach Resort

 
A Cabin at the Resort
Kewarra Beach in all its natural glory
The Grumman Mallard settling on the waters of Missionary Bay, Hinchinbrook Island

After Andrea, to my surprise, had set foot on the island, he joined the other new arrivals at the poolside table to enjoy a refreshing drink while they listened to my “greet and meet” introduction to the resort and all it had to offer – things to be wary of etc.  The "greet and meet" was something I did each time newcomers came to the island to holiday...those who arrived by boat or seaplane.  Questions were asked and answered...it was always a relaxed introduction to the resort.

While I was socialising with the new guests, members of my staff deposited the guests’ luggage into their respective cabins.  When the guests were ready to venture forth, a staff member, or two, would escort them to their holiday abodes.  They were then left to their own devices, and I, to mine...to get on with the rest of my job of managing the resort.

Wasting no more time, Andrea headed off to spend his day investigating every inch – every nook and cranny - of the area surrounding the resort, and nearby secluded, uninhabited beaches.  He was like a kid in a candy store.

Dinner out on the deck that first evening...Saturday night...was high-spirited, to say the least.

As I did every evening, I mingled among my dinner guests...going from table to table, chatting, laughing, making sure all was well, being the hostess, which was something I very much enjoyed being.

After spending time with my dinner guests, some of whom were seated around tables in the restaurant’s interior, and the balance at tables outside around the resort’s swimming pool, I joined Jan, her husband and Andrea at one of the outdoor tables, to dine with them under the stars.

Andrea aka Andrew’s was awed by the expanse of the island’s beaches: also by the lack of bodies on those beaches...live bodies, that is...there were no dead ones, either.
Being used to the over-crowded beaches in Italy where neck-to-neck, toes to head beach-goers packed onto the sand, leaving not a spare inch, what Andrew had experienced during his first day on Hinchinbrook Island was foreign to him in every way.  Everything was new and thrilling to him.  Immediately, the beauty of the surrounds, the solitude; the peaceful sense of freedom of having a beach and the ocean to himself alone gripped him.  Without putting up a fight, he fell under the island’s spell.

He could barely contain his excitement.  Actually, he didn’t succeed in containing it.  Free spirits in their own right, his sparkling, dancing brown eyes unashamedly revealed his feelings.  Andrea’s enthusiasm was contagious.  It was intoxicating. When someone displays honest, unbridled emotions like he did during his first evening on the island, it’s difficult not to succumb to their fervour.  Their exuberance makes you take a look around through their eyes, causing you to come to the realisation, to an extent... no matter how small...unconsciously, not purposely, you’ve been taking some things for granted.

Not wearied by his energetic, adventure-filled day, Andrea stayed on long after Jan and her husband retired to their cabin.  We sat and talked well into the night...into the early hours of the following morning...under the stars, serenaded by the sound of the ocean gently lapping the shore below on Orchid Beach.

The attraction between us couldn’t be denied.   I had no desire to deny it, nor did he. 

Though a million years younger than me, any concern about an age gap was soon cast to the wayside to be considered at another time!  Who cared?  Definitely not me, nor did it worry Andrea.  I was a “free agent”, as was he.  We were doing no harm to anyone else.  In fact, it was no one else’s business.

I could very well have been the first ever “cougar”!  Eat your heart out, Demi Moore...we might share the same birth date (not the same year)...but I beat you on the cougar score!

As planned, Jan and her husband left the island on the Sunday afternoon around 4 pm.  They disembarked from the “Reef Venture” at the Cardwell jetty.  From there they drove back to Cairns, 182ks north.

Andrea chose to remain behind on the island, having asked me if he could extend his visit.  I wasn’t displeased by his request...by his decision.  Of course, I said, "Yes!" Our relationship intensified. 

Another thing in his favour was...he loved cats. Immediately, he'd befriended and fell in love with my ginger cat, "Ruska".

During the following week I needed to attend a pre-planned tourism conference at the beachside Kewarra Beach Resort, 200kms north of Cardwell.  Kewarra Beach is a northern beach suburb of Cairns. It is 20ks north of Cairns.

My car, a Cortina Ghia, was stored in the Cardwell booking office’s garage when not required by me.  The booking office, as I’ve previously mentioned, was run by husband and wife team....Bob and Bonnie.  Bob was the skipper of the “Reef Venture”.  No vehicles were required on the island.  There were/are no roads. It was and still is a wild, natural wilderness.  The resort did have one well-worn Toyota ute (utility) that rumbled up the track to the cabins.  It was used to carry guests' luggage, provisions, gas bottles etc., along the jetty, up to the main area, cabins, and to the generator-work shed.

I asked Andrea to accompany me to Kewarra Beach.  

We couldn’t lose sight of the fact he was visiting Australia as a representative of his father’s tour operator business.  Beppe, himself, was a well-travelled man, having visited many corners of the world.  Before Andrea became an employee of his father, the condition was he would learn to speak English.  Beppe sent his son to London, to live there for a while, primarily to learn to speak, and understand the English language. 

Following his London educational sojourn, Andrea was placed on his father’s payroll. 

Shortly thereafter, he was dispatched to distant shores to learn as much as he could about Australia, and Tropical North Queensland , in particular, which was an area considered to be a huge drawcard for Italian tourists.  

Therefore, not everything was fun and games.  And, of course, I still had a resort to manage; staff to guide, and guests to please.
  
When on and off the island, Andrea was a sponge, eager to learn as much as he could about tourism, and the area of Australia that had him under its spell.  

While I attended the conference during the daylight hours, Andrea roamed freely as he explored Kewarra Beach and its surrounding areas. At night he was my partner at the various dinners shared with the conference participants. An interested party, he listened intently to the conversations – asking pertinent questions where and when necessary.  Others immediately took to him. His personality was bright, cheerful, and intelligent. It was fun to be in his company.

After the two-day conference at Kewarra Beach ended, Andrea and I continued further north to Palm Cove.  Not once did he ask...”Are we there yet?”  Enthralled by everything he saw, I had a captive audience at my side.

We booked into a small beachfront resort/motel in Palm Cove. There we spent a couple of idyllic days, relishing blue skies, sand, the ocean, moonlit nights. During one of the days, we broke our tranquility, and travelled a little further north again...to Port Douglas...43kms north.

However, all good things must come to an end...and for our “good thing”...that time had arrived.

It was an emotional farewell at Cairns Airport when Andrea boarded a Qantas jet to fly him south to link to his flight to Italy. Tears were shed...not only by me. Promises were made to return to Australia as soon as it was possible for him to do so.  After a lonely, sad, solo trip back to Cardwell, I returned to my life on the island. 

Promises are often made that one feels will never be fulfilled. In this instance, I forced myself to face the reality of the situation.  Andrea and I had shared a vignette in time...in life...an unexpected, pleasant, passionate interlude.  I refused to let my heart expect more.

Watching him pass through the exit door onto the tarmac of the Cairns airport, I wiped away my tears, telling myself, “That’s that! I’ve had my ‘Italian Love Affair’…and it had been wonderful. It will be embedded in my mind and heart forever.” Another chapter in my life had come to an end.

For a fortnight, the world had stopped for Andrew and me. We’d become so engrossed in each other most of the outside world...outside our private section of it, anyway...had fallen into oblivion.  Nothing else existed. No one else existed except the two of us. 

As I watched, through tear-filled (overflowing) eyes, the jet soar aloft, and then turn southward, I felt a full stop, not a comma, had arrived at the end of a sentence...of a paragraph in my life’s story.

It was time to store in my mind’s vault, the stolen moments, the fun we’d shared...it was time to face the world once more.  Life goes on...as does one’s responsibility to one’s job!

The images of Andrew’s flashing eyes, his mischievous smile, his lithe, brown body and his lively personality continued to tease and taunt me. Together we had fitted like fingers into finely-crafted gloves. I missed his conversation, his joyful innocence when confronted by the wonderment of his new surroundings.

Through his eyes, I learned to look around me and see anew.  Our time spent together had been exciting...exhilarating...passionate, in all forms of the word.  I missed him. I missed him terribly, but I buried myself in work; and there was much to do, as always.  
It was fruitless pining for him, I told myself. We would never meet again.  For me to think otherwise would be living in a fantasy world.

I must point out, too...this all occurred in 1986, a long time before personal computers and the easy availability of the internet existed in my life...personal and business.  On the island I still used an old two-way radio system to be in contact with the boat operators and seaplane operators.

Andrea telephoned me immediately upon his return home to Italy.  To my surprise, and thorough joy...he continued to do so every couple of days.  Via telephone, Andrea even introduced me to his father, Beppe.  Without missing a beat, Beppe and I talked like we were old friends.  He was a most pleasant man.

Four weeks had transpired since Andrea’s departure from Australia when, one busy morning I reached for the ringing telephone in my island office. Andrea’s lyrical, cheerful voice greeted me. My heart leapt.  A broad smile creased my face as was the uncontrollable habit each time I heard his voice.

As I listened to his words coming through the phone, I was speechless. He was returning to Australia…to me! Was I still sleeping? Was this a dream?

To be continued...

***Andrea and I chatted at length two nights ago. Out of the blue, he contacted me to let me know Beppe (Guiseppe), his father had passed away a couple of weeks ago.  Oddly, I’d been thinking a lot about Beppe, for whatever reason, over the past few days....

30 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you and Andrea had such a great time and still connect. It's always a joy to see the land we love through another's appreciative eyes. Kewarra Beach looks like the sort of place I could retire to and live quietly, like a hermit, with my books and dvds, my cat :)

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    1. Hi River...it was a fun time...unexpected that is for sure.

      It's a long time since I've been to Kewarra Beach...I hope it hasn't changed very much through the progress of time.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  2. Your last three pictures were terrific. I want to be there. A cabin at the resort - with all that beautiful flora! And the water plane - you have had a wonderful life.

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    1. Hi Sandie...A little cabin like that, with no nearby neighbours would suit me perfectly, too. :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  3. It sounds like a perfect interlude for you both. A rich memory to savour, and how wonderful that you stay in touch. His most recent call was a sad one - but certainly a testimonial to the relationship you shared.

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    1. Hey there, EC...It was a special time...many memories were made...memories made and not forgotten.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  4. Anonymous10:11 PM

    What a lovely tale and how sad for you that he had to leave. He sounds like a sincere Italian charmer. If he had not travelled aside from England, I can imagine his excitement about Australia and especially the island. Can't wait for more!

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    1. Hi Andrew...Australia was far from Andrea's home...and the island, and the rest of Tropical Far North Queensland he visited certainly were so much different to what he was used to.

      I'm glad you're enjoying my revelations about a special time in my life. :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. Touristic resorts are quite the place for romantic adventures. I had a friend, hotel manager at the Dead Sea resort and she had some great stories to tell about that.
    The picture with you and the cat in your arms is awsome! So are the photos from Kewara beach.

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    1. G'day, DUTA...they certainly are quite the places for romance and adventure...and more particularly, island resorts! :)

      Thanks, DUTA...and thanks for coming by. :)

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  6. what a beautiful memory, how wonderful for you and Andrea

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    1. Hey, Linda...Yes...many happy memories from that time in my life.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. Isn't romance fun!

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    1. Hi messymimi...it is all things, I think...many emotions are involved.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. Definitely an Affair to Remember..
    Love this true story Lee :)
    Look forward to the next part...

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  9. G'day, Margaret...It was an affair to remember...by both of us. It was an unexpected affair, but not one that was regretted.

    Thanks for coming by...there is more to come. :)

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  10. What a story! I am waiting for the next installment!
    Listen Lee, the phone call...Oddly enough, I just did a post with JEFF LYNNE singing "Telephone Line". Listen to the words of the song, I bet it will bring tears to your eyes!

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    1. Hi Kay...good to see you. It's been a while since you've popped in. :)

      Great song by ELO...many songs bring tears to my eyes...I'm the biggest sook aka softie out! lol

      Thanks for coming by...take care. :)

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  11. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about that brief episode in your life. There are nothing like love affairs for creating memories. I try only to think about the good ones. That's not difficult because I've forgotten the bad ones. One of the sadnesses of age is that few of us have love affairs any more. However we may have friendships which have always tended to outlast love affairs. Of course some are fortunate to have love affairs that turn into friendships. Sometimes that even happens in marriages. You've set me off. I'm rambling again.

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    1. Hi Graham...there is still more to come on particular affair after these first couple of chapters.

      The bad affairs aren't worth wasting memories on. Fortunately,I didn't really have any bad ones...just a couple of dalliances with a couple of "unsuitables", that I knew in my heart were "unsuitables" pretty much from the start...so they didn't last long! lol

      There were a few brief dalliances that I knew from the kick-off were going to be brief...so no broken hearts there! ;)

      As with Andrea...after our "moments in the sun/seasons in the sun" a friendship from afar grew and lasted through the years.

      My late ex-husband, Randall and I remained very good friends through to his passing in August, 2019. He mattered a lot to me...and I know I did to him. We spoke regularly...a few times a week.

      My first husband and I never became enemies. Our marriage was brief....just over 2-1/2 years. Until this past year we've always rung each other on our respective birthdays, and at Christmas. However, he had a stroke during 2019 and now is in a care facility. His wife and I have chatted through the years, though...she and I have no reason to be unfriendly towards each other...we never have been.

      Now, the reverse has occurred....you set me off rambling! lol

      Thanks for coming by, Graham...take good care. :)

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  12. Fascinating reading, Lee. Can't wait for the next installment.
    Your island truly looked like paradise.

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    1. Thanks, Sandra. Hinchinbrook Island is truly magnificent...a large island of natural beauty...a wilderness.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  13. Hi Lee, You have captured not just the details a special time but also the feelings of the time. And you describe it all so well, the beauty of your surroundings and your romance.

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    1. Hey there, Pauline...it was a special time...and I'm glad I've been able to express the emotions of the time...for them to be understood...and appreciated. :)

      Thanks for coming by. Take good care. :)

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  14. I love the pic of you and Ruska:)

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    1. He was a beautiful cat...I loved him dearly. Not long after that a giant python took him. I was devastated...heartbroken. I still well-up when I think about it.

      Thanks for coming by again, Sandra...take care. :)

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  15. It's wonderful to connect with another human being in the way that you connected with Andrea. It's in times like that that we feel truly alive and not alone any more.

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    1. Yes, it is, Yorkie. In life one meets interesting people...and some really are worth knowing...and time spent with them is worth remembering.

      Thanks for coming by...sorry, I'd not notice your comment earlier. :)

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    2. No it is my fault for reading the post so long after you wrote it.

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  16. Good to read, and a good selection of photographs too …
    Thanks for sharing these many happy memories from that time in your life...

    All the best Jan

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