By COL WHEELER
Long-time local Col Wheeler has had a love of the Noosa Shire since he first came to visit in 1950. Like so many of us, Col fell in love with the landscape, the people and that special something Noosa offers everyone who comes to see the piece of paradise we live in. Col wanted to say thank you for the memories.
Thank you, Noosa
I WAS a teenager in 1950 when my unique association with Noosa and district began. A high school friend invited me to spend a fortnight with his family at Edgar Bennett’s house on Gympie Terrace.
A year later, impressed by my report of Noosa, particularly of the friendliness of members of the Massoud family, a few school friends joined me in camping at Munna Point. Unlike now, that area was completely undeveloped – just large trees on the banks of the Noosa River and Weyba Creek. One of my lasting memories is of being justifiably confident that we could catch our fish breakfast every day in the river.
That episode would lead on to an extraordinary adventure at Double Island Point lighthouse – stranded with others for a week during a wrecking cyclone; fishing for food with an amateur net; astonished by mountainous waves crashing against the cliff face; and being supported by friends. When we were rescued, we were rewarded with free rum milkshakes. The story attracted nation-wide coverage and has since been featured in local newspapers and on radio. ABC TV also showed a relevant documentary in 2008.
In 1958, my wife Cecily and I spent our honeymoon at the Tewantin Royal Mail Hotel. We then holidayed annually at Noosaville or Noosa, and later, continued to do so with our children Peter, Wendy and Linda.
Fifty years on, our family enjoyed a celebration of our golden wedding anniversary, which for sentimental reasons, was held at the Royal Mail Hotel.
I recall playing squash on courts that Ray and Sandra Garraway had built in 1970. That site is now occupied by Noosa Junction’s IGA.
During working days, I was sent to start a new campus of what was then the Brisbane College of Advanced Education, on the Sunshine Coast in 1989. This was the forerunner of what is now the University of the Sunshine Coast. Relevant separate newspaper articles appeared with quotes like: “BCAE Sunshine Coast co-ordinator Col Wheeler is busy getting all things ’ship shape’ at the college’s new campus in Matthew Street, Nambour”, and “Sunshine Coast campus registrar is somewhat of a pioneer when it comes to taking on new challenges”.
Cecily and I moved from our Brisbane home and settled in the Noosa Shire at Peregian Beach. The new area generated opportunities to take on rewarding past-times through contact with neighbours, surf club members, U3A people and athletes like Ron Mantel who owned Lazuli Blue Cafe, Sunshine Beach Road.
I headed up a successful footy tips competition locally, wrote over 6000 trivia questions and answers for an organisation that no longer exists, constructed a database for the Neighbourhood Watch’s records and invented a still-functioning name and logo of its regular newsletter, enjoyed running in local fun runs, and served on the U3A committee as well as being one of U3A’s tutors.
I also wrote minutes of meetings for well-known groups and provided a printed program with logo for an Oasis group.
Despite the 60-plus years change of Noosa’s landscape, its capacity for nurturing friendships remains. To be part of Noosa has been a joy.
