Sandhills

Lizards ghecko's and snakes lived with us on the Sandhills in the land of abundance there was always more than enough for us all to eat. There were fruit trees such as appricot, plum, mandarin, orange trees at the front of Nans house. As kids growing up on the Sandhills there was plentiful for all who lived on the Sandhills.

The dirt road linked the community of twelve homes together on the Sandhills, when I was growing up. But in previous years it was known to be thirty to thirty five homes/ huts on the Sandhills. Some of the homes and huts had tin roofs and tin walls, some had wooden walls and floors others had a dirt floors, which was swept, they were kept clean and tidy the people proud and had pride in their homes and also incase the welfare should turn up unannounced to check on the kids and in their homes.

Every family on the hill knew each other and took care of each other. All the kids attended preschool, primary school and high school together.

I attended preschool with ten of my cousins. When I attended primary school there was a majority of my cousins there as well.

Maybe about thirty of them in other classes, above me including my older siblings.

When I had gotten to high school the olders cousins paved the way in showing us rules we are to follow at school and in the community.

I had the privilege of growing up with my cousins and they have all inspired me to write of our lives of growing up on the Sandhills. 

We had chickens, roosters and a river which was our food source of fresh water fish cod, yellow belly, redfin and lobsters.

The river was also our playgroup for fun activity's swimming and playing in the mud clay baths at our Koorie Beach.

It was our place, our community from the Sandhills and town people would come together and celebrate Christmas and festive seasons together every year.

On the Sandhills during the queens birthday. All of us kids between the ages of six to eighteen years old usually about twenty of us,  would gather old tyres, broken chairs or anything else we could get our hands on to build the highest bomb fire on the middle of the Sandhills to celebrate the queens birthday with fireworks. As a kids it was the best day and night ever to build the bomb fire up, then waiting for night to come for the fire to be lit and fireworks let off, to light  up the night sky with spectacular sparkling colours radiating with the stars in the sky.

We had no fear, it was fun filled  excitement shared by the Sandhills mob on the hill.

The adults were nearby watching over us, or at the closest house next to were the bomb fire was built and lit. Some  were drinking alcohol and playing guitars, harmonicas and singing and dancing.

The women sat away from the men drinking, but close enough to watch the kids at the bomb fire. We were happy and free living on the land of Sandhills luxury.  

The happiest and funniest of times of my childhood being raised on the Sandhills, until we moved into town from age 8 years. However every weekend was spent at nans on the Sandhills.

There was no street names the dirt road led the way to homes.

The milkman and baker would make the deliveries twice a week. 

These days no milk or  bread is delivered, unless you have a business. Things have changed over the years.

Nan always bought a Boston bun for the family to share. We would make a pot of tea so we could sit and enjoy eating it together.

Whenever I see a Boston bun in a bakeries, I smile because it reminds me of those joyfull days.

Me and my cousins liked to live dangerously. The delivery vans had a bullbar at the back and as the van was driving off we would hold onto the back of the trucks bar and bend our knees to sand ski behind the van. The sand was so very soft. Before the van was off nans land we let go and do a army roll to a stop, Im laughing now just remembering how much fun we had, and luckily for us no one got hurt. 

Nan and grandfather TL were staunch strong people, with good morals and values. 

TL our grandfather favourite saying was I never sucked a titt, meaning he was not a bludger. This confused one of my cousins for sometime, she thought this meant he was bottle fed until, it was explained to her.

TL worked on the Waterboard and went to the second world war. He was a Rat of Tabrook of the 19th Batalion. We are very proud of TL and his father Tiger and brother Billy who also went to war with him. 

As a kid the homestead of Nan grandfathers place, it seemed huge the yard with abundance of everything we wanted and lots of love, care and kindness.

Although the houses little insulation, some rooms the walls had pasted news paper on them to block out the cold air. I liked sleeping with my sister we shared a bed in a room with our older cousins. These awesome ladies taught me much in my ealier days of health and hygiene. Looloo was a nurse and suzie being pedantic in everything she did OCD. They were the best teachers and carers well as my mother and aunts who raised us.

You see my cousins are more like my sisters we have been through so much over the years and it is still ongoing today.

I remember the days of running along the river banks to our beach. In our back yard our playground, oh the memories come rushing back, do you remember the hard clay the muddy tracks.

Running from the hardbank racing along the track to our beloved Koorie  Beach aka Narrandera town beach. As we raced through the many different sized gum trees following the winding track swinging around trees and ducking and weaving from branches we were guide along up and down the side of the banks we would go, as we ran on, through the brambles we ran excited hearts thumping and feeling joy and free with the wind in our hair. The smell of dusty clay wiffted through the air mixed with fresh river water as we ran without a care.  Climbing over fallen trees and jumping logs along the track,

Pass the mulberry bush as we went  pass the hot mud bath. Before we our feet hit the hot sand. Oouch arrh into the water we ran cooling down our feet and body in the flowing river on our land. Koorie beach is home to many of the Sandhills Clan.

We would cool down then lay in the hot sand or roll in the warm mud and dry in the sun cleansing our skin we didnt know it, we were just having fun.

We are all blessed with many fond memories to share. Enjoy my family and friends because I am happy to share.

Good vibes, short stories of our clan.

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