Sand mining to stop on Stradbroke Island after more than 30 years - here's what the mine looks like, a scar on the natural environment.
Queensland used to boast about this mine. We studied sand mining and development in school when I was at Wellington Pt State School - as a good thing.
We studied Colonial history by tracing the convict escapees Pamphlete, Finnigan and Parsons.
I remember the maps of all the islands we had to name.
I used to look out across the bay from our back steps at the moon path leading to Straddie and desperately want to walk across.
We used to get up at 5am when the King tides came in the new year to swim in crystal waters around "the pole" - it had tyres around it.
There was also the "four poles" - where our next door neighbours would store a dingy to clean I suppose.
We'd fish from the dingy with the neighbour's grandkids.
We'd lay crab pots.
I'd come home from school and beachcomb or dig clay up to make ashtrays for my dad - that was before smoking became a social crime.
The result of this is an abiding love of the bay we must protect.