Anchoring at Sale

Posted on by Miriam

I’ll never forget when I first left home.  I was so excited about venturing out on my own but there were also some fears and nerves and a tinge of sadness at leaving the place where I’d grown up. Where I’d gone to school, had my first date, boyfriend, my first job.

Sale was my home for 22 years. It was where my parents chose to live when they emigrated from Italy to Australia, deciding after a few years that city life wasn’t for them. They settled in this friendly country town in East Gippsland and forged a new life.

When I turned 21 I traveled to Europe and upon returning home I moved to Melbourne. And so the next stage of my life began.

Four years ago I wrote an article on Sale. My Editor accepted it but held it on file.  I can’t believe that on the week of mum’s funeral the story was finally published.

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Coincidence? Or meant to be. I’ll never know, but what I do know is that some of the places I wrote about were some of my favorite places in my childhood. Here’s a snippet …

Briagolong and Blue Pools

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Me stepping back in time at the rock pools of Briagolong

We knew it as Freestone Creek, and I can’t remember how many picnics we enjoyed here and the hours we played in the pristine waters of the creek.

Bush walking, building dam walls with rocks in the creek while mum and dad prepared the wood fired barbecue and the food.

And then years later we brought our own kids here and it was their turn to play in the creek.

Seaspray and the 90 Mile Beach

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My two darlings in younger days at Seaspray

The beach was always my favorite place in Summer and North Seaspray was our favorite stretch.  There were miles of sand to call our own, we rolled down sand dunes, lathered on the coconut oil and sun-baked, had fun in the surf and slurped on sunny boys.

It wasn’t all laughs though. Huge pesky March flies left me with itchy and blotched skin, I got sand in my cracks and often dunked by waves. And inevitably sunburnt.

Marlay Point and Glenmaggie

I remember cycling to Lake Wellington in my late teens.  It was a hard 24kms slog, up and down hills on bikes with no gears but a lot of fun. I also learnt to drive out here.

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At Glenmaggie Doug knows how to relax while mum looks on in bemusement

Glenmaggie Weir was a popular day trip and I lost count of the number of times we walked across the dam wall. The first few times it completely freaked me out!

We had so many picnics in the grounds here. The adults played bocce and sang Italian songs and there was always plenty of good food, wine and laughter.

Years later we returned with our own kids and the views and picnics with mum were still just as special. I think I appreciated the place even more with my adult eyes.

Lake Guthridge

This lake is the heart of Sale with a great walking track all around it. It was the place of many birthday celebrations and silly antics.

As well as the scene of an almost heinous violent family crime.

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The tranquil surrounds of Lake Guthridge

It involved a black swan and my husband.

We were having a coffee lakeside when a swan grabbed my daughter’s most precious toy Tigger (possibly thinking it was a bread stick). My quick thinking man, knowing that if the swan flew away Tigger would be gone forever, grabbed it by the neck and looked him in the eye. That was it, the two of them locked eyes and the bird dropped it.

And fortunately both the swan and Tigger survived to live another day!

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Even though Sale is no longer my home it still holds a heap of nostalgia.

Mum’s recent passing has left behind a lifetime of memories. She’s also left me a legacy of love, inspiration and hope for the future.

Wishing you all a steadfast anchor when the turmoils of life are rough. May we always be strong, appreciate the small things, love those close to us and look forward in hope.

anchor home

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89 thoughts on “Anchoring at Sale”

  1. It is funny how things work out, good to see the article was printed after all this time. I have a bit of a phobia when it comes to birds so I would have let him fly away with your daughters toy!! I am freaking out that we are coming into magpie season, I am not going to leave the house for the next month!!

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    1. Oh I know what you mean Anne! Magpies scare me too and I’ve been swooped more than once. But as for that swan, there was no way he was getting away with Tigger. She used to take him everywhere and probably would have been scarred for life if he’d been swiped! 🙂

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  2. Such beautiful places, Miriam…and wonderful memories too I bet! 🙂
    Also congratulations on having your article published…I think it is meant to be. 🙂
    Have a wonderful weekend Miriam!

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  5. Great post, life is an interesting thing, eho knows about it sometimes , from where to where. Moments are precious to be cherised and wisely lived. Lovely your article got published. A nice memorial for your mum .

    Lots of love hugs and thanks for sharing a beautiful bit of your life

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  6. Congratulations on the article! Thank you for inviting us in to your home town, and sharing some personal photographs. The story about the black swan made me laugh out loud, as well as bringing back traumatic memories of me, a cookie, and a swan. We didn’t get the cookie back….Swans 1 Steve 0

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  9. Sometimes life puts all things in an order that at that moment seems unnatural. But then we realize that this is the way it should be.
    Beautiful article and gorgeous memories.
    Have a dreamy weekend, dear Miriam ❤
    xoxo

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  10. Miriam this is a lovely post and how ironic about the article finally going into the magazine.I like the sounds of bocce and Italian songs by the Glenmaggie Weir. Appeals to the wannbe Italian in me. Love the swan story – that could have ended very badly. Swans can stand their ground. You look like your Mum and lovely that you can go back to the area and have so many memories. And as always a lovely reflective ending.
    Is that a young Harry in the creek?

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    1. Hey Louise, yes Harry is in the family shot with us but it’s our previous dog Cozzie that’s in the creek.
      And listening to mum and her friends singing opera and playjng bocce was a big part of growing up for me! 🙂
      This was such an enjoyable post for me to write and your comment meant a lot, thanks Louise. 🙂
      Hope you’re having a lovely weekend. xo

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  15. Fascinating photos as usual, and the people, looks very content and happy. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with us, Miriam. I miss reading some of your latest articles. Hope everything’s getting better. Hugs!

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  16. Congratulations on your publication, thats fantastic, but as you see the timing, I know you understand what I am saying, everything happens for a reason, no one is ever far away from the one’s we love, or them from us, Have a great weekend xx

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  17. Congratulations on being published! What a wonderful thing and your work is certainly worthy. Maybe your success was meant to inspire you at just this time. I am sad that you lost your mom-I send you wishes of comfort-I will remember you in my prayers.

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    1. It’s okay Andrew, mum read so many of my other articles that were published. To the point that she’d say to me “Miriam, why don’t you write more than just your travel articles?”
      So when she had her surgery and things went badly I started blogging and writing about other things. About her. And I’d read them to her. And I could tell I was getting through to her. They’re all emotional times and part of the journey I guess. Thank you. xo

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  22. 4 years? Miriam…that is just too much of a coincidence for me.<3

    Not matter why, it's a lovely tribute to your home and family. The pictures made me smile. So many years of fun and memories.

    'As well as the scene of an almost heinous violent family crime.' Cracked me up…having had a child who adored a certain stuffed animal I praise your husband for his bravery although…facing a child who lost their beloved 'guy' would be far more dangerous. 😉 ❤

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  23. First of all congratulations on getting the article published! And personally, I don’t believe it was a coincidence that the story was finally published the week of your mother’s funeral, four years after it was accepted. There are things in this world we don’t always completely understand, but they are real nonetheless. As real as a mother’s love for her daughter!

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  26. It looks and sounds like your parents chose a wonderful place to drop their anchor. And what timing for your article to be published. A prompt for all those happy memories to come flooding back.

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  29. Life has a strange way of working. Sometimes, we need a sign. I think this is yours, Miriam. 🙂 It’s strange that although I’ve never met you, looking back at your memories filled me with nostalgia. Take care. xo

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  30. It looks like such a lovely place to grow up! This looks like a perfect place for you. So often people and their surroundings don’t seem to fit (like me here) but this, this seems so you. How wonderful and blessed to belong where you are! I so envy you that!

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  32. How ironic for your story to be published now.
    As I read your post each place had me thinking oh, yes. Lots of wonderful places. But the most powerful for me is Marlay Point as we once did the Marlay Point overnight yacht race, what a dumb idea. You see I really don’t function well after midnight and certainly not sailing a yacht in pitch dark with hundreds of others. Cold, dark, wet, tired. Now that does not conjure up pleasant thoughts does it? Then we got to the Holland Strait and the wind dropped out and it was all hands on deck to pull ourselves through using the overhanging branches. They say sailing is like standing under a cold shower tearing up hundred dollar bills. Well they were right that night!
    Thanks for prompting my memories.

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    1. Oh Lindsey, I can’t believe you actually sailed out there after midnight. As a young girl with my parents, we used to go out there yearly to watch the yachts sail through and it was always such a spectacle. Couldn’t imagine doing it myself though.
      Thanks for sharing your story.

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