Hot and Bothered — ‘I’m not sure it’s a good idea,’ my eldest son’s voice intoned gravely down the line, ‘taking up ocean swimming in winter at — you know …’ After his father’s death, Josh seems to be labouring under the misapprehension that he’s the head of the family, the dispenser of sage…

Fears and Desires — Leonard watched in silence as I poured our coffees and set them down on the kitchen table. It was mid-August now, damp and cold. Rain scoured the window and I was selfishly glad we were at my cosy little house, so that I didn’t have to go anywhere in this. …

Revelations — I didn’t know what to expect — but I didn’t expect this. I’d imagined my friend living in a small modern unit or an old fibro beach shack. I followed the phone’s instructions blindly as it led me out of town. Pulling into a gravel drive, I stopped. Surely the…

An Odd Pair — After that, Leonard and I began to meet regularly. It was surely the oddest start to a friendship, and our friendship may have been one of the odder kind. He liked good coffee but couldn’t be persuaded to set foot in the beachfront café — or any noisy, busy building…

Fragile — I felt compelled to find out what was going on, even though I really, really didn’t want to know. So I headed up the beach, closer to the commotion, as if I were just walking in that general direction anyway. …

Letting Off Steam — As the pain in my feet ebbed, I grew restless. Swatting away the March flies became a bother and the day was warming up as the cloud cover rolled away eastward. …

Them Ol’ Beachwalkin’ Blues — I stood on the crest of the dune. The sea before me was seal grey under an iron sky. White rows of surf rolled and crashed. The previous day, the onshore gale had been strong enough to keep me away from the Beach. Overnight, it had subsided to a blustery…

Inertia Overcome — I met Geoff through work. Our workplace was a correctional centre in country New South Wales. It wasn’t an auspicious situation for romance. I was a nervous young community corrections officer doing her first stint in a male prison. I’d been warned about the us-versus-them culture among the prison staff. …

Strange Peculiar — Between the Rip and the Barwon River curves a south-facing arc of fine sand, backed by scrubby dunes. It’s ten kilometres long. A distinct geographical feature, it should surely have a name. Yet I’ve consulted maps and questioned locals, and it doesn’t seem to. The westernmost section is Raff’s Beach…