NRISA The Achievers
  • Home
    • 17 April Baisakhi
  • Monthly Functions
    • 2023 >
      • 26 Jan Aus, India Republic Day
    • 2022 >
      • 18 Dec 2022 Dr Dhar, Shri Poly V.
      • 20 Nov 2022 Castlemaine Trip
      • 16 Oct 2022 AGM
      • 18 Sep 2022
      • 21 Aug. Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
      • 24 July 2022 Yoga Day
      • 19 June 2022
      • 29 May @ Bent St. Hall
      • 17 April Baisakhi
      • 20 March 2022 Holi
      • 20 Feb 2022 Bus Trip
      • 23 Jan 2022
    • 2021 >
      • 12 Dec 2021 Phillip Island
      • 21 Nov 2021
      • 18-24 Oct 2021 Seniors Week
      • 19 Sept 2021 Online Meet
      • 22 Aug 2021 Indian Independence Day
      • 20 June 2021 Yoga Day
      • 16 May 2021 Balaji Tribute
      • 18 April Baisakhi
      • 21 March 2021 Holi
      • 28 Feb 2021 Lorne Trip
      • 21 Feb 2021 Lunch
      • 24 Jan 2021
    • 2020 >
      • 6 Dec 2020 NRISA - Bendigo picnic
      • 19-25 Oct 2020 Online Week
      • 20 Sept 2020
      • 6 Sept 2020 Dance
      • 30 Aug 2020
      • 16 Aug 2020
      • 19 July 2020
      • 16 Feb 2020 Magic
      • 26 Jan 2020
    • 2019 >
      • 14 Dec 2019
      • 24 Nov 2019 Bus Trip
      • 3 Nov 2019 Flute
      • 20 Oct 2019 AGM
      • 15 Sept 2019
      • 21 July Tai Chi
      • 30 June 2019 Yoga
      • 19 May 2019 Pallavi
      • 19 April 2019 Bingo
      • 20 Jan 2019
    • 2018 >
      • 2018-11-17 Morwell Rose Garden
      • 21 Oct 2018
      • 19 Aug 2018 Home Again Movie
      • 15 July 2018
      • 20 May 2018 Kunal
      • 18 May 2018 Visit to AMCS
      • 22 April 2018 Combined Seniors
      • 25 March 2018 Holi
      • 21 Jan 2018
    • 2017 >
      • 17 Sept 2017 AGM
      • 25 June 2017 Bombay Talkies
      • 21 May 2017 Cake
      • 17 April 2017 Preston
      • 12 March 2017 Holi
      • 18 Feb 2017 @ Crown
      • 15 Jan 2017 Lunch @ Everest
    • 2016 >
      • 31 Dec 2016
      • 16 Dec 2016 X-Mas
      • 20 Nov 2016-Traralgon Train
      • 23 October - Diwali Function
      • 18 September 2016
      • 21 Aug 2016 AGM
      • 17 July 2016
      • 19 June 2016
      • 28 May 2016 Mehfil Ustad Raza Ali Khan
      • 17 April 2016
      • 13 March 2016
      • 21 Feb 2016
      • 17 Jan 2016
    • 2015 >
      • 25 Dec 2015 Echuca Train Trip
      • 22 Nov 2015 Melbourne Star
      • 18 Oct 2015 Pre Diwali
      • 20 Sept 2015 Bendigo
      • 16 Aug 2015 AGM
      • 19 July 2015 AMCS services
      • 21 June 2015 INSPIRE Nepal
      • 17 May 2015 Video & Food
      • 19 April 2015 Yoga & Magic
      • 15 March 2015 Ivanhoe
      • 15 Feb 2015 Combined Seniors Meet
      • 26 Jan 2015 Australia Day Parade
      • 18 Jan 2015 Australia Day Function
    • 2014 >
      • 25 Dec 2014 Shepparton Trip
      • 16 Nov 2014 Drs Goel
      • 19 Oct 2014 Energy
      • 14 Sep 2014 Picnic
      • 24 Aug 2014 Ararat Train Trip
      • 17 Aug 2014 AGM & Elections
      • 20 July 2014 Seniors' Rights
      • 15 June 2014 Seniors' Loans
      • 18 May 2014 Bed Demo
      • 20 April 2014 Magic Show
      • 16 March 2014 Holi Func
      • 23 Feb 2014
      • 18 Jan 2014
    • 2013 >
      • 31 Dec 2013 New Year Eve
      • 25 Dec 2013 Train trip
      • 1 Dec 2013 with Sahitya Sandhya
      • 20 Oct 2013 Diwali Lunch
      • 15 Sept 2013 Karima
      • 18 Aug 2013 AGM
      • 28 July 2013 Yoga Workshop >
        • 28 July 2013 Photos
      • 25 May Indian Australian Art >
        • 25 May 2013 Photos
      • 21 April Torquay trip
      • 17 March 2013 Ivanhoe Library
      • 16 Feb 2013 Magic Show
      • 20 Jan 2013
    • 2012 >
      • 16 Dec 2012 Bingo
      • 18 Nov 2012 Games Day
      • 21 Oct 2012 Diwali lunch
      • 16 Sept 2012
      • 26 Aug 2012- AGM
      • 15 July 2012
      • 17 June 2012 Page-2
      • 17 June 2012 Page-1
      • 20 May 2012 Prof. Ashok Chakradhar >
        • 20 May 2012 Page-1
        • 20 May 2012 Page-2
      • 22 April 2012
      • 25 March 2012
      • 19 Feb 2012
      • 29 Jan 2012
    • 2011 >
      • 24 April 2011 >
        • Photos 24 April 2011
      • 15 May 2011 >
        • Photos 15 May 2011
      • 17 July 2011 >
        • Photos 17 July 2011
      • 21 Aug 2011 AGM
      • 18 Sept 2011 Photos
      • 23 Oct 2011 Photos
      • 20 Nov 2011 Photos
    • 2010 >
      • 31 Jan 2010 >
        • Photos Dance 31 Jan 10
        • Photos Function 31 Jan 10
      • 28 Feb 2010 >
        • Photos: Bus to Warburton
      • 20 March 2010 >
        • Photos 20 March 2010
      • 25 April 2010 >
        • Photos 25 April 2010
      • 16 May 2010 >
        • Photos 16May2010
      • 20 June 2010 >
        • Photos Crown 20 June2010
      • 6 Nov 2010 >
        • Photos 6 Nov 2010
    • 2009 >
      • 19 July 2009
      • 16 Aug 2009
      • 12 Sept 2009 >
        • 09 AF Photos1
        • 09 AF Photos2
        • 09 AF Photos3
        • 09 AF Photos4
        • 09 AF Photos5
        • Chakde India Dance
      • 18 Oct 2009
      • 15 Nov 2009 >
        • Photos 15 Nov 09
  • Announcements
  • ENERGY INFORMATION
  • Executive Committee
  • Membership Form
  • Special Functions
    • 25 Aug 2013 FIAV Lunch
    • 31 Dec 2012 New Year Party
    • 25 Dec 2012 Swan Hill
    • 15 Aug 2009 Dinner
    • 2009 Annual Function >
      • 09 AF Awards & Chak De
      • 09 AF Overview & Dances
    • NRISA Committee Dinner 23 July 2011
    • Gandhi Function 2 Oct 2011
  • Members' News / Blogs
    • Charan Daas
    • Krishna Arora
    • Radhey Shyam Gupta
    • Dr. Dinesh Shrivastava
    • Kirit and Minakshi Kapadia
    • Santosh Kumar News
    • NRISA Members' Blog
    • Nalin's Blog1 Photos
  • Members' Backyard Gardens
    • Nalin Sharda
  • Health & Wellbeing
    • Healthy Diet
    • Yoga Classes
  • NRISA Awards
  • NRISA Official Docs
    • NRISA Constitution
    • Insurance
    • 17 Aug 2014 AGM
    • 18 Aug 2013 AGM
    • Accolades received by NRISA
  • Publications
  • Bent St. Hall
  • NAMASTE Program
    • 2013-14 NAMASTE Prog.
    • 2012-13 NAMASTE Prog.
  • SMART Program
  • iChoupal Rendezvous
    • Water Gardens
  • INSPIRE Program
    • INSPIRE Nepal
  • NRISA Memorial
  • NRISA and sister organizations

If there is a Paradise By Nalin Sharda

1/14/2010

0 Comments

 


“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast. If there is a paradise on the face of the earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”: The 13th century Indian poet Amir Khusrow said this of Kashmir. However, today this sentiment applies to Australia and its many natural wonders. One such natural wonder is Lakes Entrance. I love adventure travelling and camping. During my student days at IIT Delhi, I made many cycle trips from Delhi to places like Hardware and Chandigarh. A hiking tour in 1973 of snow clad Hemkun Sahib (at 4200m elevation) was the pinnacle of my adventures then.  When we came to Australia in 1984, one of my aims was to do more of adventure touring. But alas, life’s daily machinations (e.g. Roti, Kapra aur Makaan) did not provide enough opportunity. After doing but one camping venture near Lake Eildon with my family in 1994, the camping gear got relegated to the storage space under the stairs. While, as a family, we had taken many trips to the Great Ocean Road over the years, I had not seen the Lakes Entrance area, despite being in Melbourne for over 20 years. With my family members travelling overseas and interstate, I decided to create a Sangam of my two desires: to see Lakes Entrance, and to go camping. The result was a visit to Paradise on earth. The trip began a week before the day I left. How come? You ask. Putting up the tent in the backyard and testing all the bits to select what to take and what to leave out is important. Last year I had bought a new tent and other paraphernalia, and had gone for a trip to the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road; so most of my stuff was well packed. But when I tried to put up the tent, I did some things not quite right the first time, taking me twice as long to put it up. However, this saved me time when I got to the real camp site.  On 25th December 2009, a pleasant four hour drive from Melbourne, with suitable coffee breaks, led me straight to the Eastern Beach Tourist Park. As I was late in applying, I had only two nights’ booking: for 25th and 26th, and that too at $50 per night for a powered site, which is almost twice the normal charge. However the facilities were really 5-star: the toilet block was very clean and the common cooking area had BBQ, electric cook-tops, microwave ovens, fridges, and big wash basins.  But I cooked my meal in my tent’s front annex, on a small electric pan. After a hot shower I visited the beach, which was just five minus form my tent. But the water was too cold for a swim, so I left it for the next day. And the next morning I did have a good swim slicing the waves coming all the way from Tasmania. Aah! The joy of a glass of red wine under the canopy of your tent, as your new neighbours and their kids frolick around, is but one of the many joys of camping in Australia. Some people are regulars, and go to the same camping ground year after year. The things they carry with them to make their camping experince enjoyable are amazing. The next day (26th) after a swim in the ocean, I took a boat cruise from the main Lakes Entrance port near the Post Office. There were some short cruises too, but I chose the four hour 70 Km cruise, as it visited the inlet to the Great Lakes, and passed by the various small islands within the lakes system, including Lake Victoria. It went close to many costal towns such as Metung and Paynesville, making the people sitting in restaurants, or their waterfront homes, wave to us. As I had only 2 nights booking at this holiday park, the next day (27th) I went towards another one at Eagle Point, near Paynesville, with a panoramic vie of Lake Victoria. As I reached there the first things that came out of my car were a table, a chair and beer. As the sun was up, I took my time to pitch the tent, each tenting step interspaced with sips from the cold beer, kept cool in the battery operated cool box. Finally, I had a clear view of the lake as I sat under the front canopy of my tent. That evening I just relaxed by the beach, walking bare-feet in the sand, meandering down the board-walk into the lake, and my heart sang: “Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast ...”. The next morning (28th) I took a leisurely dip in the lake: sooo refreshing. This beach is shallow and safe for 7 to 70 years olds; it’s like swimming in a saltwater pool. My neighbour, Paul, invited me for a ride on his Catamaran –in short it’s called a Cat. He told me that Cats were invented in Tamil Nadu many centuries ago. A search of the Web confirmed that in Tamil kattu means to tie, and maram means wood or tree. The original Cats were made by tying together two tree logs, and such boats were used by Polynesians as well. Me and Paul’s other neighbour, Andy, gave him a hand to rig up the Cat, and then I hopped on with Paul for some adrenaline filled fun as the Cat zoomed up and down the lake, salt water lapping my face.   Three more days (29th – 31st) at the Eagle Point Caravan Park included going for horse riding at the Coonawarra Resort, and exploring Buchan caves with fantastically shaped stalactites (these are the cone shaped formations hanging from the roof of the cave - as they have to hold tight - got it?) and stalagmites (the formations rising up from the floor of the cave - as if built up by mites - now its easy to remembers, right?). A real thrill came with a trip on a recreated boat called P.S. Curlip II, a sort of replica of a 150 year old paddle steamer that was used to transport goods on the Snowy River.  All occupants of the holiday park celebrated the dawn of the New Year 2010, by watching the fireworks from Paynesville. Early next morning (1st Jan 2010) I packed my tent and took the winding roads through the undulating hills of the South Gippsland. I returned home fully refreshed, having bathed in the tranquil waters of the heavenly Gippsland Lakes and its pristine environment. (For photos See Nalin's Blog1 Photos tab) However, soon after my return from this Paradise, on 5th Jan 2010, the sad news of an Indian migrant Nitin Garg’s senseless murder made me think: Will this paradise one day be lost?  What can we do to keep it? By 
Nalin Sharda, January 2010

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    October 2011
    February 2010
    January 2010

    Categories

    All
    Camping
    Eagle Point
    Lakes Entrance
    Personal Lives
    Travel

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.