I need to preface this post by saying that I love all.things.games! Card games (Cribbage especially! Also Monopoly card version as of this year), games on the beach (paddle ball), puzzling, bocce, etc. I like games for many reasons. They stimulate your mind in a unique way. They provide an outlet for really awesome, genuine bonding time with the people you’re playing with. They are good, wholesome analog (no digital!) fun for all ages. I’m a person who likes to be stimulated and busy (buzzzz); games are totally up my alley. I always joke with Doug that he better be ready for years ahead of us in retirement of shuffleboard, Bridge and the like :)
Along those lines, I’ve been delighted to see lawn bowling clubs in practically every Australian town we’ve been through! Lawn bowling, aka bowls/lawn bowls/bowlo, is a long pastime of the Aussies. It’s a sport in which the objective is to roll biased/weighted balls (to “steer” the ball in a particular direction) so they stop close to a smaller ball (called the “jack” or “kitty”). It’s played primarily on flat, outdoor grass/artificial turf. You rarely see lawn bowling in the US, and when you do it’s often a private club with its members strictly donning all white and players of an older generation. Apparently it was like that in Australia for the longest time, but they’ve worked to make bowls more accessible to younger generations. The fact that the bowling clubs are not exclusively private means that both members and non-members can enjoy playing.
We’ve Got to Go
When we arrived to the Gold Coast, we saw even more bowling clubs than before. I said enthusiastically to Doug that I felt like we *needed* to go and play bowls before we left Australia; that experience was a “must” on my list :) We agreed we’d sort it out for our next stint in Sydney at the end of the month.
The Universe Was Listening
Literally the next day this message came through from Trisha on our WhatsApp “Kangaroo Crew” thread (me, Doug, Trisha & Ben):
Trisha & I had never even discussed my interest or desire to play bowls. Jackpot!! To say I was ecstatic is an understatement :) Good news that everyone else was game to play too!
Barefoot Bowls
After a super day in/around Byron Bay, we popped back to the house for a quick shower. Trisha & Ben went ahead to Club Byron to snag us a good spot on the lawn. We followed shortly thereafter. We were booked or “barefoot bowls” at 6:00pm. Sure enough, no shoes on the lawns! Playing barefoot just added to the charm of it all.
The adults grabbed a beer and the six of us hit the lawn. Socks off, we split up into three teams. Funny enough, earlier that day in the car we had been talking with the girls about the lawn bowling & how we would likely play in teams. Paige had already called being Ben’s partner; likewise, Sadie called being Trisha’s partner. So that left me & Doogie as partners. We even came up with team names while out on the lawn . . . “Dangerous Dolphins” for P&B, “Looping Lighting” for T&S and “Lords of the Lawn” for S&D :) We got a quick rundown of the rules/how to play from Ben & Trisha (most simply, get your bowl closest to the “jack” small white ball) and were ready to start!
The girls quickly got the hang of the game and Sadie especially was razor sharp focused on the bowls. She kept her eyes on the balls, calculating and measuring. Trisha rightly rewarded her the title of "Queen of the Roll Up" (roll up is another nickname for bowls)!
Lighting Loop For the Win
We happily played bowlo straight until dusk, when the lawns closed. As dusk approached, we were captivated by hundreds of flying foxes (basically super large bats) swooping back & forth above us. Apparently their dusk flights are a common occurrence in the Byron Bay area. Having never seen bats that large and up close, we were fascinated!
In the end, Trisha & Sadie prevailed as lawn bowling champions! Final score, 5-3-1. Well done, ladies!
Good, Old Fashioned Fun
Our 1.5 hours out on the lawns were a glorious mix of smarts, giggles, goofing around and good sportsmanship. The six of us had an absolute blast! I was “perma-smile” and in my happy place the whole time :) A brilliant example of why games are such rich territory . . . bonding, healthy dose of competition, energy & stimulation, goofiness and the creation of special memories. I have no doubt that our barefoot bowling session in Byron Bay will go down as one of the favorite experiences together for all six of us! Can’t wait for a re-match :)
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