On 2 April I had the privilege to take part in Sydney's Greek Australian Writers' Festival. The Festival is presented by the Greek Festival of Sydney (this year celebrating its 41st anniversary)
Gunnamatta Bay was a world away from the glistening, sparkling seas of surfers with bronzed bodies, blonde hair, budgie smugglers, two piece bikinis, zinc cream and red and yellow flags.
‘Magic Beach!,” my daughter Sia yells as we make our way to Sydney’s Gunnamatta Bay in Cronulla. That phrase is from her favourite book, by Australian author Alison Lester. This summer she yelled its title all up and down the north and south coast.
The opening scene of the book evokes a typical summer experience most Australians have of the beach. “At our beach, at our magic beach, we swim in the sparkling sea, surfing and splashing, and jumping the waves, shrieking and laughing with glee.”