Lulu Ong: Turn of the Century Tide

Abstract

My world, this time, stands at the crossroads between river and ocean (Tweed and Pacific); one state to another (New South Wales to Queensland); urban and rural; one year to another; one century to another. Turn of the Century Tide is a threeminute reflection on this juncture, and an intimate diary of the elements that made up my world at that time: the insect sounds at the Witch's Fall trail, Mt Tambourine; the ducks and other wading birds in the pond in our backyard; the crackling of barbecues and our idle chatter on the eve of the new century; the neighbours' kids playing with firecrackers and party poppers; waiting at the end of the runway at Coolangatta Airport for planes to come in; waves on rocks at Kirra beach; and distant thoughts on hot summer afternoons.