Lexi, what is it with you galls, that makes you want to cavort naked in the Oggin.

As you know I used to run boats "up the reef". We could take 250 out to the reef on the biggest boat. I did find it amusing that many southern bells would buy more demure bikinis while in the more conservative Whitsundays. They felt uncomfortable in those see through crocheted things they wore on Sydney beaches, in family resorts.

However this did not stop them wanting to go naked in nature, out the reef.

I installed a large pontoon base, which had a swim platform about 8 meters long. It was a large grate at water level, allowing every one to get in or out of the water, only about 5 meters off the drying reef.

I found it amusing that quite a few young women, who obviously sunbathed topless on southern beaches, did not get their tops off on the pontoon. They would get into the water, than take their tops off, [& sometimes their bottoms], handing them to someone, or tying them to the grate, before swimming off.

Equally amusing, when a group did this, was the sight of a mixture of tanned & untanned bottoms bobbing along on top of the very clear water, when they started snorkeling.

Perhaps Lexi, you could suggest why it was only the ladies who indulged in this communing with nature. Not ever did I see a bloke do the same trick, although sometimes they were standing on the grate, holding their ladies gear.

Hello there Lexi...

Yes I'm also a big fan of Pro Hart with all his vibrant blue's and lovely pastal colours.

He actually had an old Rolls Royce, which he decided to paint several of his favourite bush scenes, thereon ? He was a very well known figure around Broken Hill, and was considered very much a 'favourite son' of the town. I think David, his son, has also followed in his father's footsteps ?

Norman Lindsay was a great Aussie artist too. If my memory's correct, didn't he belonged to the famous 'Heidelberg School' of artistic style (I think) ? As did Sidney Nolan, and Russell Drysdale.

My wife and I have also visited the Old Melbourne Gaol. A gloomy, draughty, cold institution that would've driven the inmates mad with the dreadfully small cells in which they're were incarcerated.

I don't really know, but hasn't it been said, the gaol's allegedly haunted ? Not that I generally go along with such myths, but the place is so gloomy, you'd never really know, would you.

Dear Hasbeen,

I don't know if I can offer you a satisfactory explanation
of why some women behave the way they do - and some men don't.
I can only speak for myself. When I went swimming nude - it
was late at night with other females. We were on holidays at
Bateau-Bay, and the guys had stayed behind playing cards near
the cabins. As I said - it was a wonderful experience -
and felt like velvet. I certainly would not have done anything
so daring with men around. And I suspect many women feel
the same way. No matter how good our bodies may be - we're
still not prepared to expose them. Call it ego, shyness,
or the way we were brought up. And perhaps men feel the same
way about their bods? But, I don't really know. I've never
sun-baked topless on a public beach or even been tempted to do so.
So there you have it.

Dear o sung wu.,

Thanks for the information about the artists.
I think you're right about the Heidelberg School.

And I think you're right about the gaol being haunted.
With all those hangings and other atrocities that must
have gone on there - it wouldn't surprise me. They say
that Pentridge had hauntings - so I guess it makes sense
that the old gaol would too. I know I wouldn't
like to spend the night there.

My husband worked in an old National Trust building in
St. Kilda, here in Melbourne, that had been converted into
offices - and he experienced a few "unusual" experiences
working there late one night. He walked down the stairs of
the building and distinctly hear footsteps behind him.
When he stopped the footsteps stopped. And when he began
walking the footsteps would start up again. He kept
turning around but couldn't see anyone. He told his co-workers
about it the next day and they said they had experienced
similar things as well. They found out later that the
building had once been a very famous brothel - and several
people had been murdered there.

I still get goosebumps - when I hear stories about that place.

While touting the hills of Townsville, I quite enjoy spending a bit of time at the lookout (if you can call it that) at Hervey Range. Just by the 'Welcome to Townsville' sign. There's nothing special about the place physically, but if you get there at just the right time of afternoon/evening, you can enjoy a little bit of solitude while listening to the wind rushing through the trees and grasses, while the sun slowly goes down behind you and the lights gradually come on in Townsville, way off in the distance. From up there, you can appreciate the dwarfish size of the other peaks around the place and watch the various birds of prey gliding just over the edge. For some reason, it's always uplifting for me. A bit of a slog by bike, or a good workout for your engine if you're that way inclined.

What I like about it is that it's one of the few places in Townsville that are accessible by road (with a road bike or simple passenger car) where you can be completely alone, if only for a little while.

Dear Otokonoko,

Thanks for sharing Townsville with us. And I can
identify with yout wish for solitude at times.

There are so many great outdoor areas in this country.
In Victoria as I've already mentioned
there's the spectacular stretches of coastline
along the Great Ocean Road, then there's the
alpine beauty of north-east Victoria, the "wide-brown
land" of north-west Victoria, and the aquatic attractions
of Port Phillip Bay.

A favourite region of mine is -
East Gippsland - a dazzling lush area stretching from
the ocean to the snow-fields and up to the NSW border.

Here - under reasonably visionary policies, where a
conservation strategy in place means an expansion of
the national parks system. Rivers, inlets, freshwater lakes
and ocean beaches provide numerous camping and fishing
spots, and there's also an abundance of bush-walking
trails.

The area also features sub-alpine rainforests and gnarled
trees thousands of years old.