Home again

Having flown in to Melbourne airport I'm now happily ensconced back at Aireys Inlet in the holiday house as the "family home" (Michele and me) is let while we are both living the life of expats in Tokyo and New York respectively.

The house at Aireys is a haven. As soon as we arrive we both relax the house itself is so easy to rest in and easy to manage.
The walks on windswept beaches where there usually is no one else clears the head and invigorates.
The "usual" walk to the beach involves firstly putting Spencer (a black cocker spaniel) on his leash and a walk up the graded unpaved road (three blocks) to the cliff walk. At the entrance to the path we take Spencer off his lead and he runs back and forth along the paths and under the scrub sniffing out all manner of things. Walking through the bush which is low in parts and towers over your head in other sections. The path meanders along and comes out at different points giving views of sea and sky and then around one bend you get your first glimpse of the lighthouse and the beach.

Further along the path and around a bend there are the wooden stairs down to the beach. Depending on the tide there may be sand up to the edge of the steps or water. During our walk there was stretches of sand and some small rocks.
Spencer immediately runs into the water and paddles around a bit then runs up and down the beach. We have to keep an eye out for dead washed up things as he does love to roll in them.
We walk as far along the beach as the tide allows. Sometimes we can go a fair way along the rock pools and other just a short way but I never tire of the view or the freshness of it all.



Spencer spends time sniffing through the rocks and exploring the rock pools and then we turn and head back along the beach. He runs on ahead and checks out all manner of seashore "life" and the bush at the top of the stairs.
When we eventually catch up to him (having strolled along the beach) we head up the stairs and travel along the streets back to the house.
By the time we get back to the house an hour has usually gone by. It doesn't matter whether it is cloudy or sunny, windy or calm it is always so relaxing and invigorating.