Hi Dave
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to thank you for a great day and tour of Straddie. My wife and I have been coming to Australia, from the UK, to visit our daughter and family for 9 years and it’s the first time we’ve ventured out on our, daughter saying ‘why don’t you go to Straddie for the day?’. We booked our Tour which, coincidently, due to times of Tour and Ferries, was the same day we were flying home, April 2018 – bit of a dash to make the flight. My wife is coming out again in March so I thought I’d best send you the photos I promised you just in case she comes to Straddie again and brings our Aussie grandsons for a Tour and you remember my promise and leave her stranded somewhere desolate (joking!).
We arrived at the Ferry Terminal and asked another passenger, who was working on the island, which of the 3 Ferries we needed. He asked what we were going over for, and when we said for a Tour he said “Oh, you’ll be going with Barefoot Dave”. We asked how we would recognize Dave and he said “big bloke, doesn’t wear shoes”. Now, for a couple of Brits, this sounded to us like we were meeting up with Crocodile Dundee. Sure enough, there you were to greet us, big bloke, no shoes, warm and friendly. Pleasant surprise to find that the young couple joining us on the Tour were from the UK.
We had a short Tour where we were given a bit of the history of Straddie followed by morning Tea at Brown Lake. I’m not a Tea drinker but your brew nearly converted me, and the damper and jam went down a treat. Loved the way you stirred the Tea. We even had a visit from a large lizard which you said was a Goanna – looked alright from a distance but none of us Brits fancied it getting too close.
We had a drive around the areas you knew Kangaroos where likely to be until you found them for us – your knowledge of Straddie is amazing!
You again hunted out Koalas, which we’d only seen in Zoos or on the TV in the UK, and wouldn’t have seen at all until you pointed them out, bearing in mind that we’ve been visiting Australia for 9 years, looking up trees, and not spotting one, and we even had lunch just beneath the trees they were in. Well enjoyed meal, by the way. We had a stroll while you tidied away the picnic gear. Greatly admired the way you picked up litter on the beach while you waited for us – if only people in England were half as conscientious as you.
The drive along the beach to Point Lookout and South Gorge were amazing!
All in all, the Tour was fantastic, many thanks, and I’m only sorry I won’t be able to do it again this year but I’m sure my wife, Sue, will be bringing the boys along.
Hope you enjoy my photographs and would be interested to know what you think. Please use them anyway you like.
Best wishes
Trevor H
See you 2020
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to thank you for a great day and tour of Straddie. My wife and I have been coming to Australia, from the UK, to visit our daughter and family for 9 years and it’s the first time we’ve ventured out on our, daughter saying ‘why don’t you go to Straddie for the day?’. We booked our Tour which, coincidently, due to times of Tour and Ferries, was the same day we were flying home, April 2018 – bit of a dash to make the flight. My wife is coming out again in March so I thought I’d best send you the photos I promised you just in case she comes to Straddie again and brings our Aussie grandsons for a Tour and you remember my promise and leave her stranded somewhere desolate (joking!).
We arrived at the Ferry Terminal and asked another passenger, who was working on the island, which of the 3 Ferries we needed. He asked what we were going over for, and when we said for a Tour he said “Oh, you’ll be going with Barefoot Dave”. We asked how we would recognize Dave and he said “big bloke, doesn’t wear shoes”. Now, for a couple of Brits, this sounded to us like we were meeting up with Crocodile Dundee. Sure enough, there you were to greet us, big bloke, no shoes, warm and friendly. Pleasant surprise to find that the young couple joining us on the Tour were from the UK.
We had a short Tour where we were given a bit of the history of Straddie followed by morning Tea at Brown Lake. I’m not a Tea drinker but your brew nearly converted me, and the damper and jam went down a treat. Loved the way you stirred the Tea. We even had a visit from a large lizard which you said was a Goanna – looked alright from a distance but none of us Brits fancied it getting too close.
We had a drive around the areas you knew Kangaroos where likely to be until you found them for us – your knowledge of Straddie is amazing!
You again hunted out Koalas, which we’d only seen in Zoos or on the TV in the UK, and wouldn’t have seen at all until you pointed them out, bearing in mind that we’ve been visiting Australia for 9 years, looking up trees, and not spotting one, and we even had lunch just beneath the trees they were in. Well enjoyed meal, by the way. We had a stroll while you tidied away the picnic gear. Greatly admired the way you picked up litter on the beach while you waited for us – if only people in England were half as conscientious as you.
The drive along the beach to Point Lookout and South Gorge were amazing!
All in all, the Tour was fantastic, many thanks, and I’m only sorry I won’t be able to do it again this year but I’m sure my wife, Sue, will be bringing the boys along.
Hope you enjoy my photographs and would be interested to know what you think. Please use them anyway you like.
Best wishes
Trevor H
See you 2020