The majority of Australians mostly did (and still frequently do) spend their summers near the water. With us living on a big island almost everything in the summer is water orientated, and most people head to the beach, the lakes or our rivers.

Lots of people have beach or lakeside houses, and many have boats. There are stacks of boating activities like ocean, lake or river fishing, plus all the water sports like scuba diving, snorkelling, rowing, and water skiing, etc.

I left home at 17 to start my nursing training, and back then it was compulsory to live in the nurse's quarters until you finished your course, but before that I had to pick fruit to earn any money. Mostly it was apples, or berry fruit like raspberries and red currants. I also picked beans when they were in season.

It really was hard work, and that would have been the time I first got introduced to back pain! It certainly didn't pay well, but it was about all my parents would agree to until I went nursing. (The age of consent was 21 back in those days).