Barramundi, Billabongs, and a bottle of Merlot

My name is Lil and I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory. When I was 45, newly single and an empty nester, a huge change came my way. My Aunt Margaret who had always been my favourite Aunty lost her husband of 60 years. Margaret was one of those people who always seemed much younger than she was, and always smiling and happy. Jim her husband was the opposite. Margaret and Jim were married very young. Jim was quite the old-style husband who looked after all their finances and ruled the roost.

Jim was a bit of a gambler, he loved the horses and played the stock market, Jim was also a bragger, it was always how much he’d won, or how well his share trading had gone. Eventually Jim lost most of their retirement funds and when they lost their home, Jim finally confessed to Margaret. Jim was never the same, and sadly with his health in serious decline, Jim died within the year, aged 79. Poor Margaret was 77 and completely lost. She had never worked outside the home, nor dealt with financial matters. To top it off, Margaret was living in a rental house that she hated. Her only child Dan was living in California and for Margaret the US was not a place she could see herself.

Enter, me, happy single girl at 45, my children had grown up and moved on. I had decided to be forever single, all though I was married to my job. I spoke to Dan about Margaret coming to live with me and being my house mate. Dan was over the moon, and when we talked to Margaret, she was ecstatic. Dan flew over from the US and helped organise his mum move in with me. Margaret was excited by all the goings on and the change in her was beautiful to see. Even her little foxy dog was happier as she now had my dogs to play with.

When Dan left to go home, Margaret was sad, but her new outlook remained. Margaret started taking the dogs walking each morning and was always up and gardening well before I woke up. It was wonderful having someone else in my home. We fitted well together. The months passed and before we knew it a year had gone by, then two. Margaret had found her new self and was flourishing. Between my work and Margaret’s busy social life we were like ships in the night. Life was good.

One surprising Friday night Margaret was home. Surprising even more was that she was going fishing with a friend, he was taking her to one of my favourite places of all time, the Corroboree Billabong on the Mary River system. Margaret had rarely been fishing and was asking me all sorts of questions. The best advice I could give, was to just be her beautiful happy self, but no matter what, NO swimming with the crocodiles.

The next morning, Margaret was knocking on my door, I thought she may have been having second thoughts, so I got up to see what was happening. Before I knew it, I was going fishing as well. Margaret’s outing had become a family affair and she wanted me with her. Her date Leo had decided to get his son Jack to take them out so he could relax with Margaret, while Jack did all the work. I was more than happy to go. I hadn’t been fishing in ages and I missed it, and the Billabong with its wonderful soothing effects. The plants and animals that dwell there bring their beauty and wildness together creating a Serenity like no other.

Margaret introduced me to Leo and his son Jack. I had to hide my jaw drop as I looked at Jack, he was a dead ringer for Tom Hardy, the actor. Leo sat in the back of the 4-wheel drive with Margaret. I was in the front with Jack, the 90 Kilometre trip out to Corroboree flew by as we all chattered away. I decided very quickly that Jacks new nickname was Tommo, every time I looked at him, I smiled.

We reached our destination and Tommo and Leo put the boat into the water. All aboard and off we went, flying along on top of the water. Pink lotus lilies in flower were everywhere. Pandanus, Paperbark gums, Brolgas, Jabiru’s, and Ibis, rushing by us and such a huge variety of fish swam below us. Barramundi, Saratoga, Bream, Tarpon, Catfish, and plenty more. Plus, the Salties. Heaven on earth.

Tommo knew the billabong and headed straight to his favourite spot. He decided to troll so out our lines went. Back and forth a couple of times over a good snag. And woohoo, they were biting. I caught the first fish, a good size Barramundi, 60cm. legal-size Barra. With help from Tommo using the net, we got my Barra into the boat, lure off and a great photo before we let it go. Then it was Margaret who hooked one, and Leo was right there to show her what to do. Margaret was so excited when she landed her first ever fish, a Barramundi, she did a little dance which Tommo captured in a photo, before he helped Margaret let her fish go.

When your spoilt like we are in the NT, Billabong fish are mostly let go, too much of a muddy taste to eat, even when you flush them in fresh water. But more importantly, Barra from around the 70cm Plus mark or between 4 and 8 years old, change from being males to females. So it’s always a good idea to release the bigger ones regardless of where you catch them.

The weather was nice but sitting in the sun was hot. Tommo looked at me, reading my mind, he pointed at the esky and said, “help yourself.” I couldn’t help but throw him a cheeky grin as I lifted the lid on the esky and saw how seriously prepared they were. Water, beer, red, and white wine. Hell, they had food and all. I smiled to myself thinking, Leo has gone all out for Margaret today.

By lunchtime we’d caught 5 fish for the day, three Barra, one Saratoga and one Catfish. We’d even come across a huge Croc lazing in the sun on a bank, he was at least four meters in length. Crocs, or Salties as we call them are one of my favourite creatures and have been here for eons. They are the dominate predator in their environment except for us humans.

Tommo found a shaded spot and we stopped for lunch. Leo picked up a bottle of merlot and poured three glasses; none for Tommo, he was our “sobber bob”. I watched Margaret and Leo. Leo was smiling and looking at Margaret. then in a quick motion he was down on one knee, I didn’t know whether to smile or be worried, hadn’t they just met! Tommo had a big grin on his face holding the glasses of wine. Leo asked Margaret to marry him, while kneeling in the boat, in middle of the most beautiful billabong, all dressed in fishing gear, it was gold. Margaret held his hand and with tears in her eyes said yes.

When the crying and kissing was done, Margaret looked at me and said, “it’s okay Lil, we’ve been dating longer than you know.” We both laughed. We had definitely been ships in the night. Tommo passed the glasses of merlot as Leo told Margaret the wine was a gift from Dan with his blessing. Yes, tears again.

After lunch Margaret and I decided we liked the wine, so we sat back, put our feet up and relaxed while the fellas fished.

Margaret leant over to me and said, “So what do you think?”

Leo’s Awesome., and you both look so happy.” I replied.

Margaret said, “I know, but I was asking about Jack?”

“Oh, Yes!” I whispered with a huge grin. I told Margaret about Jacks new nickname. We had a great laugh, and by the end of the second bottle of Merlot, we couldn’t stop laughing, it was an amazing day.

From that day on life changed. My forever single status had flown out the window, and I divorced my job. Margaret and Leo were married, and the wine at their wedding, all the way from Bright Cellars in the USA. Merlot Mojave Rain; courtesy of Dan.

And Yes, on occasions I still call Jack, Tommo.

Acknowledgement:

“I would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to the Wulwulam people, the Traditional Custodians of the land of which is spoken of in my story.

I would like to pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, also paying my respects to your Elders, past, present and emerging.”

References:

https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/collection/archives/language_groups/wulwulam

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/wulwulam

https://www.brightcellars.com/