The Last Time I Wore A Bikini

Yes, it has been that long ... the summer of 1976, in fact!

Mum took this shot on holiday in Rockingham, then a seaside holiday town of fibro shacks and now a bustling suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

Three memories leap to mind when I look at this photograph:

1. I was drawing apples in the sand — clearly I was a budding artist at three-and-a-half!
2. Later, dad took us running over the high sand dunes and I felt literally on top of the world.
3. Dad had a friend in Rockingham whose mother kept a pink and grey galah. My sister, Kerriann (pictured on the right), and I were told not to put our fingers in the cage. What did I do? A beak-sized gash in my palm was evidence of my disobedience!