Focus in 2020
What a weekend I had! This year is my year of attending festivals. I’ve never been to Newcastle and Peter was unable to come so I booked myself into a lovely hotel by the beach. It’s a long way from Canberra to Newcastle but I was up for the adventure. Up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to Sydney and then train to Newcastle.
Upon arrival at my hotel I was given the lovely news I had been given an upgrade. I opened the door of my room and gasped! The room was gorgeous but the VIEW! Of the beach! And it was a two-minute walk away. The weather was rather warm and I wandered down to the beach, found a spot in the shade and just sat. I watched surfers, swimmers, families, young people and older people all enjoying the sand and surf. The sound and colour of the ocean brought back memories of growing up in Perth. Swimming in my younger years was not something I enjoyed as I didn’t see very well without my glasses and was continually getting lost. As a young adult the beach became the place to go and just sit. And I did a bit of that on the weekend. I had forgotten how calming it was for me.
On Sunday I met up with children’s authors and illustrators and had a wonderful time. I went to book launches and hung out at the library. My plan was to go to a few events later in the day but the draw of my balcony and the ocean won. I sat outside and ideas for a new story popped into my head. When the day cooled down I went back to the beach and sat for a while.
On Monday I was given a ‘cook’s tour’ of Newcastle with Ross Lane from Books4outback. I urge you to check out what Ross and his friends get up to. They take books out to schools in remote parts of NSW.
Then it was time to start the trek back to Canberra.
I didn’t see as much of the festival as planned but it was a wonderful writing retreat weekend. I caught up with old friends and made new ones and rediscovered how much I love being by the ocean.
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