Monga Lake Adventure

Million dollar views from our lunch seat

The weather is so much cooler and it's a shame to stay inside while a cooling breeze swirls with the soft warmth of the sun.   I pack a picnic lunch, take the wheels of the wheelchair and load everything in the boot.  We are off to Lake Monga, one of the many beautiful lakes which surround Perth.  It is always a joy to visit.  There are always families of black swans, ducks and an assortment of other wildlife.  A busy road runs past and even the freeway on another side but the joy of the lake surpasses all of this.   We find the car park which the gardeners have adopted.  Their tractors and machinery take up part of the parking space.  The gardeners themselves are sitting around a picnic table enjoying their lunch.  I pull out the wheelchair, push on its wheels, footplates and throw on the cushion before putting Merv in the chair.  We smile at the gardeners as we follow the footpath.  It is a working day and only a few people pass us.  We are soon half way around the lake and we look for a place to set up our lunch.  There is a pagoda at the end of a small jetty and we discover a seat in its corner.  We balance our plates on our laps and I finish our half made sandwichs.  It is a beautiful million dollar view as we munch away.  Others come and share our space.  An elderly man who is mesmerised by the view over the lake.  He is followed by a Mum and her two small children.  

Black Swans delight visitors

They have a barrage of questions and delight in looking at the swans.  We continue our walk and the gardeners have finished their lunch and are back at work.   They are testing sprinklers close by and we stop in our tracks to prevent getting soaked.  A young Chinese man isn't so lucky with the sudden splurge of water and tells us so.  We are soon chatting and he tells us he has an engineering degree from UWA (University of WA) but he has been unable to secure a position.  He has a part time job in retail but he is disillusioned with his predicament.  He does not know whether to try his luck in the Eastern States or even return to China.  He said he has thought about changing his direction and try nursing.  We don't talk long enough for me to ascertain where his passion lies.  I wish him the best as we turn off the path and head back to our car park.  Merv and I say a prayer for him.  We can only imagine how difficult life is for him and the decisions he needs to make.


Merv enjoying his adventure