What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Recalling special Easter memories on Abrolhos, taken for granted as a child

Well, Easter is done and dusted for yet another year. As anticipated, the autumn weather arrived, showcasing Geraldton and the Mid West at its best. And every year, around this time, I get a little — no, a lot — nostalgic. You see, when I was a kid Easter was a special time. My dad, Alf, was the skipper of the Southern Lady, a carrier boat that serviced fishers at the Southern (Pelsaert) Group of the Abrolhos Islands. Back in the 1980s, the rock lobster industry looked different to what it does today. Today, working under a quota system and using bigger boats, the make-up of the communities has significantly changed. Thirty years ago, most fisherman had smaller vessels and would spend several months of the year living on the islands. And it was always a big occasion at Southern Group, when the Southern Lady made an appearance. In fact, the old girl was the baker, butcher, grocery store and post office all rolled into one. And on top of that, she would collect and transport the catch back to Geraldton. During the school holidays, my brother and I would get an opportunity to travel with dad, and often stay with families on Basile Island. We would leave Geraldton in the early hours of the morning laden with supplies, arriving about three hours later. Sometimes I’d get seasick, but there was always something amazing that quickly changed that as we approached the little archipelago. With the islands in sight, and the little huts peering above the horizon, dad would alert us to some unique visitors making an appearance at the front of the boat. “Boys, the dolphins are here, the dolphins are here!” We would rush up to the bow to see one, two, three, and often four porpoises jumping up in front of the Southern Lady as it approached the shallows. Sometimes, it would seem, we could almost touch them — they looked so happy. Every now and then, we would also see sperm whales frolicking in the distance. In retrospect, you could say it was like being part of a David Attenborough doco, not realising how rare and special it was. On arriving, the Southern Lady would visit some of the smaller islands and deliver its goodies, before mooring right in the middle of Southern Group. Within hours boats would come from everywhere and pull alongside to collect their supplies. After a night of Basile Island hospitality, we’d return with dad to the Southern Lady. As the sun rose on the Indian Ocean, the boats returned, but this time, to drop off the valued rock lobster catch. Hessian bag after hessian bag filled to the brim with crays were loaded on to the deck of the Southern Lady. And as we headed home to Geraldton, it would seem there was no deck space at all. Easter was indeed a special time. Peter Fiorenza hosts Fiorenza on Sunday between 10am and noon on Radio MAMA