WEDNESDAY 14 AUGUST     FORREST BEACH

By the time I got up, this morning, our acquaintances over the way had made an early – and quiet – departure. They left us their contact details in a note tucked under the Terios windscreen wiper – for if we found ourselves in Perth in the next few years.

Straight after my breakfast, took Couey for a beach walk. John was still in bed. She was a bit reluctant to leave him behind. A little way along the beach, which we were walking with her off the lead, she turned tail and ran off back, almost to the track back into the campground. I had to walk a fair distance back to retrieve her, whereupon she got put back on the lead and dragged along the beach until I was satisfied that we’d walked as far as I wanted. Just sometimes, I need to be boss around here!

It felt good to get walking properly again. I don’t think I could ever get sick of walking this beach, with  its outlook south along the sand, to distant ranges, and to the Palm Island group to the east. I wouldn’t like to live here in the summer humidity, cyclone and flood season, but it is a little patch of paradise in winter. Bit distant from Melbourne to have a beach house here, unfortunately…..

After lunch, had a visit from a lady we had gotten to know in the first week we were here. She had moved from the campground to stay with a local friend, but came for a walk and a chat, so that was a pleasant interlude.

I made a version of lemon chicken for tea. Cut up chicken thighs into pieces and par-boiled them, before coating them in tempura batter and shallow frying. Then added the lemon sauce – from a packet! John liked it a lot and said I should make it regularly. My improvising did not always meet with his approval, so I enjoy such success when it comes.