Our cousin Ron Pope passed away on Saturday, May 8th. The funeral was scheduled for Wednesday, May 12th, so Peter and I made arrangements to be there. Feeling that it's tacky to take photos at a funeral (though I have done it), there are no photos of the ceremony or the rememberance gathering later. But, there are many memories.
We agreed to meet at the airport about 10AM for the 10:45 flight to
the Gold Coast. Upon arrival, a car was rented and off we went.
Peter is somewhat more familiar with this area than I am, so he
was the designated driver and tour guide. We discussed having a pizza
lunch at a restaurant Peter knows well. But we ended up here,
Kurrawa Surf Club,
although it's only in the next block. But there was parking in front!
The statue is described thus:
The green is for the rain forests of the hinterland and the green of the parklands.
The gold is for the colour of the sand on our beaches and the golden sun for which the Gold Coast is renowned.
The blue is for the unique colour of our ocean and our skies.
Green and Gold are the national colours of Australia.
Blue and Gold are the corporate colours used by both the Gold Coast City Council and by Rotary International.
The sculpture portrays an overview of the community of the Gold Coast, its families and its environs.
The sculpture was by Andy Scott Public Art.
A view from the sculpture at Broadbeach down to Coolangatta and Point
Danger, which is the southern limit of Queensland's coastline.
There has been much building of accommodation on the Gold Coast.
My last memory of staying here was in the 1960s, on one very cold May
evening. In a two storey wooden motel. What a change 40+ years
can bring.
Contrasting architectural styles - a wavy building, a reflective
building and an "ordinary" building.
The wavy building all by itself - with a few icons.
While walking back to the car, I spotted this lizard on the ground.
Could almost have walked over it. We spoke to a lady who said it
had been around for a while, and was gaining weight! I guess it
doesn't have to work too hard to find something to eat in an area
with quite a few restaurants.
A close up of the lizard. Although paying very careful attention
to me as I moved in a bit closer, no ground was given. I suspect
it's becoming quite accustomed to people.
From the car park in front of the surf club showing another pair
of buildings going up - both 50 storeys. Peter and Yvonne have
access (via a time share) to the building on the left.
The distant building, the one with the spike on top, is believed to
be the tallest building in Australia. I don't know whether that
includes the spike, or whether it's usable floors.
By this stage it was time to head towards the funeral. We arrived with time to say hello, and catch up with Robin, Dawn and Jenny. Afterwards, a celebration of Ron's life was held in Runaway Bay. After a while, we returned to the airport for the flight back to Sydney.
2010