The Department of Education, in New South Wales, plans to spend a million dollars on the modernisation of St. Peters Public School.
Tiki and I met two years ago at Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand. To celebrate, we boarded the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant at the Jeffrey Street Wharf, in Kirribilli. A gentleman, in old blue overalls, was fishing from the wharf whilst listening to “Livin’ Thing”, by The Electric Light Orchestra, as it blared from the radio beside him.
A crowd boarded with us and we headed straight upstairs for a glass of lemon squash each, at fifty cents per glass. The boat became quite congested after it berthed at Circular Quay to take on more diners and we decided to move downstairs as we we passed the Opera House.
The waiter did not appreciate me asking for us to be moved to a separate table for two, after we had been seated at one of three tables that were placed side by side. We were shown to a table at the foot of the stairs. Still more patrons boarded, this time, at Rose Bay.
The “John Cadman” dates from 1906 when it was the ferry, “Lady Scott”. The vessel was gutted by fire in 1972 and rebuilt as a cruising restaurant by September of 1974.
At dinner we both ordered identically: barbecued scallops, with rice, as an entree (we each received a lovely fresh bread roll); deliciously tender fillets of steak prepared in a red wine sauce, served with tasty carrots and small potatoes; Cheesecake Bernard was followed by a cup each of white coffee. A bottle of Penfolds’ ‘Spring Rose’, — coincidentally of 1975 vintage — had been partaken of during our main course. The total bill came to only thirty-four dollars and eighty cents. We were extremely pleased, both with the food and the excellent service.
Once dinner had been served there seemed to be but a fraction of the number of persons on board. We stood at the open starboard doorway, with just the safety chain before us and gazed out at the lights of the northern shore of the Parramatta River and the reflection they cast on the calm water, on the cloudy, yet clear, night.
It was whilst standing there that I espied a quantity of friable cheesecake atop a nearby abandoned traymobile. Tiki was delighted when I homed in on the two handfuls and began to eagerly consume them.
The “John Cadman” turned around at the Gladesville Bridge and headed back along the southern shoreline, past container ships and wharves, as we danced to the music provided by three musicians. It really did not seem like four hours on board but, nevertheless, it was 11.27 p.m. when we returned to our car.
Tiki and I are boarding at her parents’ house. Prior to departing for our night out she had decided to perform a striptease for me. Enjoying it as I was, the act was abruptly terminated with a shriek when an impish compulsion arose that led me to glance towards the doorway to our room and declare, “She’s good. Isn’t she ‘Mum’?”