Visits to Phillip Island are, for me, the closest things to pilgrimages. My family had, from the 1960s to early 2000s, a block of land and, later, a holiday house at a quiet back beach called Ventnor. We went there every Summer, Easter and other times, staying in tents, caravans and plugging portable black and white TV to an extension cord to the electric pole so my grandparents could watch 'Homicide' and I could watch 'Doctor Who'. It is where, as a child, I learnt to swim, went on long beach walks, studied sea creatures (including a deadly blue ringed octopus I once collected on my metal spade!), discovered rabbits, koalas, lizards, spiders, beetles, frogs and even snakes visiting our tents and outdoor toilet and water tank. It was all tremendously exciting and the days in the sun seemed to stretch on for ever. As a teenager and young adult I also discovered romance there, but that is another story.
These days I don't spend weeks on end at Phillip Island but occasionally make the trip by car or train, ferry and bicycle. Recently I made use of my credit card travel credits and stayed at the Sea Pavilions hotel, two nights. I spent some time on my favourite beaches and also made some drawings on Cowes foreshore. The old twisted oaks, juxtaposed with people, seagulls and dogs are a great backdrop for the sea and the pier.
As a cartoonist and a sketcher I do notice humorous aspects and connotations and exaggerate or sometimes invent them.
Below are my sketches of Cowes foreshore. The Asian lady in the hat saw my drawing and said: 'Can I give you some advice?'
"Sure".
"Next time make me look 18!"
The man feeding the seagulls was not really doing so but plenty of others did. We are not supposed to feed them as they outbreed other species.
The cloud formations are approximate but the idea of them having eyes eating each other is my fanciful addition.
The lifeguards had a quiet time with not a lot of people on the beach, although they did get to see me swim the length of the beach and under the pier and back. I am not a dog lover and I especially don't like 'stoopid' looking ones (except to draw 'em). I don't remember the reed but it was hairless except for long hair on the top of the head, the end of the tail and the ankles.
There always seems to be the odd seagull with one leg. At first I thought it was doing the stalk thing, using one leg only. I often wonder how such birds lost their legs. Did a big fish or shark take it or did it lose it in a fight with another bird? I always feel sorry for them and I bet they get more food scraps than other gulls.
Those seagulls are always gatecrashing the pictures.
The unmanned lighthouse is in the distance. The beach looks different from my childhood. A dune, once huge to my eyes as a small boy, is now scarcely a hillock. Tea-trees grow where there was once nothing. On the beach areas are roped off to protect nesting birds. This time there were signs saying not to disturb the seal which was 'resting'.
No seal was present but there was a roped off area, an unsavory smell and some excrement. There was also a little mound of sand with some shells carefully laid on it. I suspected that the seal's 'rest' might be the permanent kind. I doubted that other seals had arranged the funeral; possibly some tearful children had covered the deceased marine mammal with sand and thoughtful decorations. Did they say a prayer and say what a good seal he had been, a wonderful son, father, brother, etc.? Anyhow, my artistic interpretation is more optimistic, although perhaps I should have provided said seal with a martini.
