And it'll keep breaking records: yesterday was the hottest February day since record-keeping began some hundred-and-fifty years ago, but yesterday was just a warm-up as today will be even hotter. Extreme fire danger and possible power black-outs have already been forecast.
With the golden sunrise slowly fading, I walked down the property, cup of tea in hand, to discover that during the night a cabin cruiser had dropped anchor at the beach-end of "Riverbend". There was no sign of life on board but that would change as the sun began to heat up.
There's been continued interest by a certain person who three months ago phoned to inquire, "Is the property still for sale?" She wasn't able to round up the finance but is now trying to round up the family - one brother and two sisters - to chip in and buy "Riverbend" for the family.
What a good idea! I've always thought that "Riverbend" was too big for just two people. It was certainly too big for me when I bought it in '93. Somehow it had been in the back of my mind that perhaps one day an old mate from my New Guinea days would join me. He had found it hard - as we all did - to settle back into Australia after Independence had made life in Papua New Guinea intolerable.
He thrashed around, moving onto an acreage near Caboolture, then an isolated piece of dirt near Mt Perry with only crows and wallabies for company, and finally to the edge of Childers where fate intervened before he had time to check out "Riverbend". As he used to say, "My spiritual home will always be New Guinea". And so say all of us!
Should it come to a sale, I have no idea where our next home will be, spiritual or otherwise. I just hope it won't happen too suddenly as it will take some time to tear myself away from this peace and quiet.
