Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
Gold Coast 1995 life was good, & in fact all through the 90s, my home at 106 Upton St Bundall was “party central”, 1995 was no different, I was working for the NRMA as a Financial Planner and enjoying life to the max, this post shows many of the people who made it another memorable year.
I love this photo
My old friend Harley Bradstreet on theGold Coast 1995 telling one of his long winded stories that used to bore everyone to tears. He had a million stories but they were all about himself, the look on Kerry’s face is priceless. The other guy is Barry Madden who worked for the NRMA in Newcastle, it is now 2014 and we are still in touch often on Facebook.
Grahame Kinsela & Harley Bradstreet.
Harley was & still is a terrific guy, he now lives in Perth and collects & restores old Jaguars. Grahame was also an old friend of mine from the northern beaches area of Sydney.
In those days Harley seemed to stumble from one disaster to another, a mutual friend of ours Larry Wilson, a Gold Coast solicitor, coined the phrase referring to Harley, “anyone can have a bad decade”. This seemed to describe Harley to a tee. 🙂
November 2016 & I saw saw the sad news on Facebook that Grahame had passed away, RIP my old buddy.
My new jetty Gold Coast 1995
I remember this photo so well. My Doberman Ziggy is taking his first look at my new jetty, he was a very confused dog for the next hour or two.
This is what the jetty was designed for.
Drinks, drinks & more drinks, my jetty turned into the main party area for my house. On the left is Jim Bell, he rented a room in my home for 15 years, that’s what I call a long time tenant. Michael Gray aka “the Doc” was a local Radiologist & a well know collector of beautiful women. Finally on the right is John Hunjadi, a partner in several Gold Coast nightclubs, including ” “Cocktails & Dreams”, The Party”, & “The Bourbon Bar”.
Good buddy Phil Thompson.
Still one of my best friends today Phil was a handy guy to have at my Sunday BBQs.
My gorgeous girlfriend of the year was…..
Carolyn Clarkwas & still is a gorgeous girl, we were an item for about a year and a half in 1994 & 1995. Twenty years later and I’m glad to say we still keep in touch.
What do you think of these little puppies?
I gotta say I think they are gorgeous. 🙂
A weekend in Sydney
Carolyn & I flew to Sydney for a weekend, I caught up with my good friend Paul Slaughter, 2nd from left. The guy on the left was an actor from “The Bill” Tony O’Callaghan.
Great shot of the Gold Coast girls in Sydney.
On the left is Marie Stephens beside Carolyn Clark, far right is Kandice Aldington withMichaela standing at the back. It was a good weekend
My favourite song from 1995
The Oaks Hotel
Old friends meet for drinks at our favourite pub. Derek Pugh and Ian Rich,Paul Slaughter in the foreground with his sister on the left and girlfriend Clode on the right.
Drinks at my home before dinner.
I was always entertaining people in my home in Upton St Gold Coast 1995, after the year 2000 I started to entertain less & less due to my frenetic overseas travel. Wendy is 2nd from the right, sadly she passed away in 2017, RIP.
Beautiful Argentinian girl
Surely one of the most beautiful girls that ever visited my home, sadly I can’t even remember her name.
Photo bombed
Greg Johnston aka Greg Bin Laden looking like a middle east terrorist photo bombed me with the Argentinian Princess.
A gorgeous girl from Rio.
This is Andrea from Rio, my good friend Andre (RIP) bought her to Australia for a holiday.
Brazil on the left & Argentina on the right
Why does imported fruit always seem so much more exotic? 🙂
Time for some local talent
This is Jade, only on the Gold Coast would you go out like this. Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.
Fun on the Broadwater
Much of the Gold Coast 1995 life revolved around the water, many people like myself lived on the waterfront with our boat tied up to our jetty. The guy in the yellow shirt was a good friend of mine from Melbourne Ross Ansell, & as you can clearly see they seem to be enjoying themselves.
I was having fun as well
Here I am with Pascale & Rene, both gorgeous ladies.
Another party on the jetty
And the beat goes on at Gold Coast 1995, yet another party on the jetty, the guy on the left with his arm around Kandice was John Merryman from Sydney. We knew each other from the old days at Eliza’s in Double Bay in the 70s. The guy in the middle is John Gombos beside my sexy hairdresser Dianne in the red top. On the far right is Ziggy, same name as my Doberman.
Sadly Ziggy passed away around 2018, RIP.
So many girls in 1995 & such little time. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my Gold Coast 1995 photo blog.
Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life, was a very good year for me, as were many others. I intend to publish posts on the years I remember most vividly, & there have been quite a few. The header shows the view I had from my apartment at 112 Wrights Rd Drummoyne in Sydney, where I lived from 1979 to 1984. With my white Mercedes Sports in the garage, my Bertram 25 moored out front, plus my very own liquor store in Sydenham, some good friends and a string of beautiful girlfriends, life was very close to perfect.
The boat
I had the perfect mooring right outside my apartment, we had so much fun on Sydney harbor visiting all the great beaches & restaurants.
The car
My beautiful Mercedes Sports was the ultimate chick magnet.
The babes
As I said earlier, my life was as close to perfect as you could get.
Lets begin on New Years Eve 1981
One of the best NYEs of my life, we overloaded my boat with 16 people and headed off to a seafood restaurant at “the Spit” for dinner before heading to the Opera House for the incredible fireworks. My girlfriend for the night was the gorgeous one in the middle, very unusual that I can’t remember her name.
New Year’s Eve 1981, the Great Escape.
It was like we were caught in a Beirut bomb zone with huge sky rockets peppering the overloaded boat, causing some of my friends to dive overboard in the middle of the harbor to escape the carnage.
Let’s backtrack to the start of our adventure, it was NYE 1981 and 15 of my friends boarded my Bertram 25 and headed for a seafood restaurant near the “Spit bridge” on Middle Harbor in Sydney. Onboard were some of my best friends, Wolf Wottke, Harley Bradstreet, George McEwan & Graham “Biff” LaRoche from Melbourne and 6 or 7 gorgeous girls. My boat was licensed to carry around 10 or 12 people however it was New Year’s Eve so who really cared?
We moored on the edge of the sand at the rear of the restaurant and at 8.30 pm sat down and ordered a feast. Here is where things started to go wrong, we hadn’t factored in the NYE crowd and the food was very slow to arrive, in fact it was after 11 pm by the time the waiter started to serve our meal. By then we were well along the road to intoxication as we had started drinking late afternoon at my apartment in Drummoyne.
As the Sydney fireworks were due to start at midnight we decided to pack up most of the food and head for the Sydney Opera house to watch the spectacular event.
We faced our second problem re-boarding the boat as the tide had come in and the boat was now floating 30 meters from the shore. Our only option was to wade out carrying the boxed up food in water almost up to our backside. The good news was our nice view of the girls hiking up their skirts waist high, which endorses the phrase that every cloud has a silver lining.
Now “Biff” was a huge man as the name implies, & Harley was almost a midget, sometimes we would cruelly refer to him as an ariel photograph of as human being. So with Harley clutching a cardboard box filled with oysters “Biff” tucked him under his arm and carried him towards the boat.
I’m not sure why “Biff” dropped him, when only 2 meters from the boat, perhaps Harley wriggled or maybe “Biff” was feeling the effects of too many beers. Anyhow Harley briefly disappeared underwater along with the box of precious oysters, which I’m please to say we did recover.
Harley was our own human disaster area, if something was going to go wrong he was usually at the center of things, in fact it was Harley who coined the memorable phrase “anyone can have a bad decade”.
By the time we all got on board it was around 11.30 pm and is was a good 30 minute journey to the Opera House so I gave the boat full throttle and sped toward the Harbour Bridge.
We arrived in record time about 11.55 and I was weaving through the 1500 or so boats like a drunken sailor, which of course I was, searching for a spot to anchor that was not too close to any of the hundreds of spectator craft. Hallelujah, what seemed to be a minor miracle unfolded before my eyes. A clear circle of water right in the middle of all the boats, so naturally I gave out a cheer and dropped the anchor just as the first fireworks explosion sounded right above us.
Elation quickly turned to fear as huge smoking wooden rods started raining down upon us. As I said at the start It was like we were caught in a Beirut bomb zone with huge sky rockets peppering the overloaded boat causing some of my friends, in particular Harley, to dive overboard in the middle of the harbor to escape the carnage. In the middle of the mayhem & panic it suddenly occurred to me we were smack bang in the middle of the fireworks “drop zone” which the water police had cleared in readiness for the show before retreating out of danger themselves.
I sprang into action like a drunken super hero and pulled up the anchor in record time, then fled the danger zone. No mean feat as my boat lacked an electric winch, so I had to manually pull the damn thing up by hand while standing on the bow.
We moored safely out of harm’s way and assessed the damage, naturally Harley was the most wounded, soaking wet with minor burns on his arm, plus a few small cuts from the smashed champagne bottle he was holding when hit by the first rocket.
Well we settled down and watched the rest of the fireworks reliving the experience that would be told many times over in the coming years, our own personal “great escape”.
Later we motored along the Parramatta River to Habberfield to drop off some passengers, and finally returned “drunk as skunks” to Drummoyne at dawn. Later that day George, Biff & I on impulse flew to the Gold Coastto continue our New Year celebrations.
The fabulous Opera House
One of the world’s great buildings.
New Years Eve 1982, the party continues…..
It seems 1982 was one continual never-ending party, here I am NYE in Sydney 1982 with Steve Bates, Helen Burke & Robyn Underwood.
Doyles restaurant & the Watson’s Bay hotel
Three or four times a week my boat & I would head for Doyles restaurant & the Watson’s Bay hotel at Watson’s Bay. This was our favourite destination for long drunken lunches.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life with Helen Burke.
Helen & I spent most of 1982 together after bumping into each other (having not been in contact for several years) at Melbas nightclub in Surfers Paradise on the evening of January the 1st, the night after my epic “great escape” on Sydney Harbour.
I caught up with Helen again in 2014 at her home in Dromanawhere she produces excellent wine.
Grahame aka “Biff”, Kitty & Helen Burke.
January 1982 and the party continued on the Gold Coast. The new sexy girl in the photo was “Kitty” a totally uninhibited Dutch girl who I knew from Sydney, but that’s another story. 🙂
Kitty
Without a doubt one of the sexiest most uninhibited women I have ever known.
I rest my case
Biff is in heaven as you can see from the look on his face. 🙂
Lunch at Coolangatta
This was at Oscars on the beach with Graham La Roche and crazy Polly, I forget the other guys name.
A very difficult achievement
Here is Kitty, Di & Helen helping me achieve one of those very important difficult goals that I set myself during my younger years. Three ladies that I have bonked in one photo, that’s kind of like winning 3 Olympic gold medals, made more difficult when each of the three knew about the other two, priceless. 🙂
Kitty & her two sisters.
Three happy beautiful Dutch girls.
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Good friends at my home in Drummoyne Sydney 1982
Here is Graham LaRoche, George McEwan & Kitty’s two beautiful Dutch sisters in Sydney 1982.
Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life with Helen & Teresa
Helen Burke from Melbourne & Teresa Hamilton-Smith from Adelaide, oh oh! How can I not include the lovely Kitty? Make that my three favourite girls. 🙂
Well ladies, I have an idea
Say no more. 🙂
OK, check out these beautiful girls in Sydney 1982
Sandy & Teresa Beautiful Jenny
The perfect day on the harbour with a boatload of beautiful ladies, Sydney 1982 flying high.
Here is a short video I took on NYE 2012 of the view from my condo at Drummoyne.
Home sweet home 1979 to 1985.
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David Herd & Vin Deveroux in Los Angeles.
My friend Vinny picked me up at the airport in a Roller, then we headed straight to La Cage de Folles to meet Christeen Rudas a friend from Australia.
Christine Rudas
Christine was a hostess at La Cage de Folles.
Gorgeous Blonde at La Cage de Folles
Apparently she was in a show called Hee Haw, the closest match I can find is Gunilla Hutton, the age would be about right but I’m not sure if that is really who she is.
La piece de resistance
So here is my 15 minutes of fame I guess, lucky enough to meet Liberace and get a photo with him.
For many years Ian ran a tennis ranch in Los Angeles, in fact I think he still does in 2016.
We stopped in Hawaii on the way home
I went to L.A. for 2 months with Steve Bates then Helen joined us for the final 4 weeks. We drove to Vegas, Mount Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and down the coat to L.A. Helen & I also flew down to Puerto Vallarta for a few days.
Every time I hear this song I’m transported back to the Californian coast
April 1982, guess where I am?
We drove from Vegas to SFC.
Dinner at Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf SFC.
Helen was never considered shy and introverted. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thinking about my life in 1982 with all the babes, boats, gold chains & big hair, reminds me of another of my favourite songs from that year. Do yourself a favour & let Bertie take you back.
Bertie Higgins - "Key Largo" (Official Music Video)
Madison & Emma Aboud
Emma was the daughter of my ex girlfriend Carol Aboud, here she is with my wonderful German Shepherd Madison.
Don Morris was CEO at Mojo Advertising
Don was another good friend from Sydney 1982, we did a lot of boating together & drank a few cold beers.
Captain Peter (Hollywood) Hobbs & Liz De Crossan
One thing I can say about Peter in Sydney 1982 he could always attract the good looking ladies. I’m probably being unkind, Liz as you can see was extremely beautiful.
Jenny Dale, another lovely lady
I was lucky enough to have a little fling with this gorgeous lady.
Yolande, the Macleans girl
Even in a poor quality photo she is still beautiful.
Check out the video.
Denny Collins & Peter Hesky
Two good friends for the 70s & 80s.
Good friend Denny Collins, RIP.
Denny was a great fellow, he sadly passed away after a long illness about 4 years ago.
Valli Kemp, beautiful big eyes.
Valli was quite a well known Sydney model in those days.
Sydney 1982 flying high
On the left is Wolfgang who was my best friend through the 70s and early 80s.
Can life get any better than this?
I really doubt if there has been a better stage in my life than Sydney 1982 flying high enjoying life.
As you can see Sydney 1982 was really a non stop party, those were the days my friend we thought they would never end. 🙂
Towns on the NSW coast are really worth visiting, starting 80 kilometres north of Sydney we have Ettalong on the Central coast. This small town has so many wonderful memories for me as it was the place my family spent the Xmas holidays from when I was a small baby until I was a teenager. In those days the road was quite dangerous and wound around the mountains like a snake around a pole. The journey in those days took about 2.5 hours, now it’s just over an hour on the motorway.
Ettalong in 1953
Here I am at 10 years of age with young brother Warren and my grandmother Nan Tippett. Here is somewhere to stay in Ettalong with magnificent views over the water, the Tantra apartments.
Terrigal
Thirty minutes further north and a little more upmarket is Terrigal, another very popular holiday destination. Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous Aboriginal place name, signifying ‘place of little birds’. The town’s long beach is highly popular with tourists.
My favourite NSW coastal town, 400 kilometres north of Sydney, in fact my Australian residential address is here at my brother’s home. Warren has lived here for over 20 years and I always visit when I am in Australia.
Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.
Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia
Port Macquarie is a retirement destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its koala population, being the home to the Billabong Koala Park, and the Koala Preservation Society’s Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles.
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Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney, and 390 km south of Brisbane. Coffs Harbour is one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and TheGold Coast.
Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia
The Observatory hotel is just a short walk to several restaurants and cafes, the only downside is being woken early in the morning when the first train stops at the station 50 meters in front of the hotel.
Yamba Clarence River NSW Coast has a population of just over 6,000, which tends to triple in the holiday season. The economy is based on tourism & fishing.
Iluka at the mouth of the Clarence River.
Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW coast. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba. At the 2006 census, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people. The town’s name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning “near the sea”. It has long beaches on the ocean side of the river. It is reached by turning off the Pacific Highway approximately 20 kilometres north of Maclean. As Iluka is a popular tourist destination its population increases slightly in the holiday season with many Gold Coasters in the summer and Victorians in the winter.
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is a beach-side town located in the far-north-eastern corner of the state of New South Wales. It is located 772 kilometres north of Sydney and 165 kilometres south of Brisbane. The history of Europeans in Byron Bay began in 1770, when Captain James Cook found a safe anchorage and named Cape Byron after John Byron.
It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast; the scenery also attracts skydivers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.
Byron Bay
Only a 60 drive from where I lived in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, I would occasionally drive down for lunch at the famous pub near the beach. One of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.
Byron Bay lighthouse NSW coast
Australia’s most easterly point.
Magnificent deserted beach near Byron Bay
Miles of deserted beaches are all along this part of the coast. I intend to live somewhere along this coast around 2022. Hopefully I will find a little bolt hole where I can live in peace until I die. 🙂
Kingscliff Northern Rivers Coast NSW
A fairly typical coastal town with lots of coffee shops, tourists & terrific beaches.
Point Danger NSW coast
Port Danger is on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a very popular location for surfers.
Port Danger
Thanks for visiting my Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia photo blog, it certainly is one of the world’s great coastlines.