You can never go home...

or...

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

Carms and I went down to Sussex Inlet this weekend and spent some time with Grandpa. We had a very relaxing weekend, with much playing of cribbage and Yahtzee (those who are in the know with the running "Yahtzee" gag can stop that giggling now) and it was great to spend some time with the old guy, especially cause I really don't do it enough. However, the big shock of the weekend was what they've done to Sussex.

When Cal and I were kids and we went cycling around the Inlet, we had (and, again I'll thank the peanut gallery to keep their minds out of the gutter)a plase which we called out Secret Place. It was down by a wetland and was a cool place with steep hills to cycle down and jelly fish to poke with sticks. Ah, simpler times. And now? It's going to be a frickin' housing estate! The area right on the lagoon is a protected wetland, so it's safe, but the bushland leading up to it has been subdivided and they've even sold 3 of the plots. But that's my childhood they're selling! They've already cleared out half the trees, so you can see the road from down in th ebushes (something you could never do before) and... it's... just... wrong.

Add to that the large buildings now lining the main street (including a pretty big holiday apartment complex) and the fact that Tradewinds Avenue (where Grandpa lives) is completely built up. Also, I went for a wander down one of the other tracks Cal and I used to explore and found two dumped cars! BASTARDS! I can live with the jumps that trailbike and BMX riders have built up on the track. At least they've added to the fun of the track, but two gutted cars! People! Respect my childhood and clean this shit up! One of them was so old and rusty, it even had grass growing on its roof for Gods' sake!

Fuckers.