Australia Day

What does Australia Day mean to you?

For me, the Australia Day long weekend is one of the most anticipated long weekends of the year.
It has become tradition for Amy’s family to head down to a shack at Clifton Beach for a long weekend of BBQs, loud music, tennis, swimming, noise complaints, card games and beach cricket.

Let me paint you a picture:
The “shack” is incredible, it was recently built by a member of the extended family and affords all of the modern conveniences of a home, whilst somehow keeping that shack-like feel. Directly outside of the front sliding doors there is a patio-ish area with a table, chairs and two BBQs. Yes – TWO BBQs. The meat:mouth ratio leans very much in our favour. A few feet further forward stands a fenced tennis court which is for the exclusive use of the shacks that sourround it, and the beach is but one sandy minute’s walk over the dune.

We bring a PA down with us into which we plug a radio. On Australia day, we bring it outside for yet another BBQ and listen to JJJ’s Hottest 100 with the volume on 11. This has netted us some very un-Australian complaints in the past, but the music cannot be stopped.

Standing around a hot piece of metal which is covered in spitting, oily meat, beer in hand (the last case of James Squire Sundown Lager in Hobart, I’ll have you know) with friends, family, the sun, flies and sport – all while taking part in an Australia-wide celebration of music are just some of the privileges of being a resident of the best country in the world.