Rain Music

by Di Morrissey

  ‘Hmmm, I guess that would have a certain appeal,’ said Bella, but she wasn’t convinced.

  ‘I’d be aiming at an older audience who aren’t as internet-savvy or would rather have someone else put together the best packages,’ Antony continued. ‘Overseas visitors will love that. They usually don’t want to waste time doing things that are of no interest to them just because it’s part of their holiday deal. They want to be able to choose what interests them most and do that.’ His voice rose and he became even more animated. ‘So I want to create lots of modules of the different sights and activities that are available in Far North Queensland, and then people can pick what they want to do and we’d coordinate it for them. I’ve been thinking about this for ages. Tourism here needs to step up. I know that there are still secret destinations that are accessible but not promoted in a major way either here or overseas. Some towns just wait for people to stumble in, or they let them drive through without targeting tourists. I want to make those towns a specific destination. I have big plans, and I’ve already got lots of useful connections.’

  ‘Well, good for you,’ said Bella, bemused by his enthusiasm, although she couldn’t see how one man could develop such a big idea without a lot of help.

  Suddenly, he pulled the car into a parking space and leaned over and touched her arm. ‘I want you to do this with me. We’d be a great team.’

  Bella was startled. ‘Oh, Ant! Don’t be crazy,’ she said.

  ‘I’m serious,’ said Antony, raising his hands. ‘I’ve already got some business plans drawn up and I’ve had some real interest from investors. It’s a great opportunity.’

  Bella stared at him and decided to change the subject. She unbuckled her seatbelt and they both got out of the car. ‘What’s this town you’ve stopped in?’

  ‘Mareeba. Time for something to eat.’

  Bella looked along the broad main street where they’d parked. It seemed a bit plain.

  ‘There used to be wonderful big old trees down the centre of the road, but they went for parking space,’ commented Antony.

  ‘What a terrible pity. The trees would have been so much more attractive than parked cars,’ agreed Bella. ‘But I’m dying for a cold drink.’

  ‘Let’s have a quick hamburger at the pub,’ Antony said, pointing to a nearby building. ‘Can’t guarantee that it will be local beef, even though the town is known, amongst other things, for its cattle sales. There’s a big rodeo staged here every year, too. You into cowboys?’

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘Bella, I think there’d be a lot of city folk who would just love to see a real rodeo. We could tailor a holiday around that and include horse trail riding, buck jumping lessons, whatever.’

  ‘Maybe,’ said Bella dubiously.

  The classic old country pub where they went for lunch had sadly been modernised in a way that had left it devoid of any atmosphere. Wooden tables and plastic chairs sat on bright red carpet and the place seemed very quiet for lunchtime. Bella scanned the menu board on the wall and thought to herself that Antony might have chosen a more interesting place to eat. There seemed to have been a few cafés and restaurants in the main street which advertised that they served local produce, and they had looked more exciting than this. Perhaps Antony was more interested in a cold drink than in good food. The young woman serving behind the counter looked bored and disinterested.

  ‘Could I also have a glass of sauvignon blanc?’ asked Bella after she had placed her food order.

  ‘What’s that?’ answered the waitress snappily.

  ‘It’s a type of white wine,’ said Antony.

  ‘Don’t think we have any white wine.’

  ‘None at all?’ asked Bella in amazement.

  The girl opened the refrigerator door behind the counter and peered in. ‘Might be a delivery later today.’

  ‘I think I’ll have a light ale,’ said Antony. ‘Would you like to try some of the local coffee?’

  ‘No, I’ll have a light beer, thanks,’ said Bella.

  They sat down at a table and the girl came over and put two bottles of beer in front of them.

  ‘Excuse me,’ said Bella. ‘Could I have a glass, please?’

  The girl looked at her for a second, then pointed to a pile of glasses sitting on a table near the bar. ‘They’re over there.’

  ‘I don’t do beer from bottles,’ said Bella as the girl walked away. ‘Besides, my father would never approve. I think Dad would strike me down from wherever he is now if he saw me drinking from a bottle.’

  Antony laughed and fetched her a glass.

  Twenty minutes later they were making their way back to the car.

  ‘Well, at least the hamburger was better than the service, but honestly, I think you’ll have an uphill battle tailoring holidays up here if the rest of the service on the tablelands is like that,’ Bella commented.

  ‘Well, I didn’t say everything was going to be perfect, and we would have to do quite a bit of research to weed out the places like that, but honestly, it gets better,’ grinned Antony.

  ‘Then lead on,’ said Bella, climbing back into the car.

  *

  Bella loved the dramatic, lush scenery of the plateau, and as Antony slowed at the entry to the historic town of Yungaburra, she caught her breath.

  ‘This is more like it!’ she exclaimed as they drove down the quaint main street of the little township with its beautifully restored old buildings.

  ‘We’ll come back here later, if you like, but first I want to show you something really spectacular,’ Antony said.

  Just outside Yungaburra, Antony stopped the car and the two of them got out and walked along a boardwalk and into the rainforest. They hadn’t gone very far when right in front of them was a very old fig tree whose aerial roots hung down from its branches like a giant curtain. According to the notice pinned in front of the tree, this was a strangler fig, more than five hundred years old. As Bella took in the amazing sight, she became aware that Antony was watching her closely. For a moment she felt uncomfortable, but then Antony smiled and she smiled back.

  ‘This is not the only remarkable thing in this area,’ he said. ‘The town backs onto a couple of volcanic lakes. There’s Lake Tinaroo as well – it’s a dam, but it’s well stocked with fish, including barramundi. It’s a fisherman’s paradise.’ His passion for the area was certainly impressive. Bella could feel herself warming to his ideas. Maybe he was on to something.

  Bella decided that she wanted to press on, so about fifteen minutes later, Antony parked in the main street of the small town of Atherton and they walked into the first café they saw. While Antony ordered coffee and homemade cheesecake, Bella took out the address she had for the backing band and googled its location. It wasn’t far away.

  ‘I’ve put a bit of extra cream on your cake,’ said the waitress. ‘You don’t have to eat it, but it’s local cream and very nice indeed. You staying up here?’

  Bella glanced at her watch. ‘No, we’ll head back to Cairns, I think.’

  ‘Let me give you some brochures for this area, anyway, in case you come back.’

  ‘Do you know who made this cheesecake?’ asked Antony. ‘It’s fantastic.’

  ‘Thank you. I made it myself.’

  Antony finished his slice and looked at Bella. ‘Tell me, how are you going to approach these blokes?’ he asked warily.

  ‘Well they won’t answer their phone, so I’m just going to knock on the front door. I hope they’re home, because if they’re not, well, it means I’ll have run out of options.’

  ‘Do you want me to come with you, or would you rather do it on your own?’

  ‘No, come with me, Ant. Thanks.’

  The address turned out to be an old federation house which had seen better days, sitting in a very neglected garden.

  As they stepped
onto the verandah, Bella whispered, ‘Seems awfully quiet. Maybe no one’s home.’

  But as she knocked on the door, there was a sudden burst of music that made her jump back.

  ‘You might have to hammer louder, or wait till the song has finished,’ bellowed Antony.

  ‘I think there’s a whole band in there,’ shouted Bella.

  But to their surprise the door was opened a few seconds later by a man who looked to be in his twenties. He was wearing dark glasses and had a red bandana around his head. His face was thin and his nose sharp, but his eyes were bright and friendly and he gave them a cheery smile. Pulling the door shut behind him, he stepped onto the verandah.

  ‘Hi. What’s up? You guys lost?’

  ‘No. I’m Bella Chisholm. Ned’s sister,’ shouted Bella over the noise.

  He walked out further into the front garden. ‘You’re Ned’s sister? Did you drive up here especially to meet us?’

  ‘I tried ringing and I left messages, but no one answered. By the way, this is Antony, a friend of mine.’

  The men shook hands and the music abruptly finished.

  ‘C’mon in if you like, we’re just running through a few songs. I’m Kyle, by the way. Don’t mind the mess.’

  Bella found it hard to avoid the clutter, as the hallway and rooms were filled with scattered belongings and musical instruments. In the lounge room was a drum kit, a keyboard, and a microphone hooked up to a computer. Two other men lifted their hands in greeting.

  ‘That’s Dan and Ryo, and guys, this is Ned Chisholm’s sister, just passing by.’ He grinned. ‘Oh, and . . . Antony, was it?’

  ‘Ant’ll do, mate.’

  ‘Do you want coffee or anything?’

  ‘No thanks, we’ve just had some,’ Bella replied.

  They followed Kyle to a small deck out the back where there were some old chairs and a sagging sofa.

  ‘You tried to ring, did you? I wondered who kept calling. Girls get our numbers and can be a bit of a pain. In a nice way. Sorry I didn’t get back to you. So how’s Ned doing? He had some wild plan. Is he writing?’

  ‘Yes, he mentioned he had this burning desire to write a musical,’ said Bella. ‘But he’s taken off and I’m not sure where he is and I want to find him for family reasons.’

  ‘He did a show with you guys in Cairns, right?’ asked Antony.

  ‘Yeah, it was good. Real good.’

  ‘Did Ned tell you what his plans were after that?’ asked Bella.

  ‘Plans? Dunno exactly what they were, but he did say that he had been offered a place by this other dude he knew. Thought it’d suit him for a while.’

  ‘Do you know where this place is?’ asked Antony.

  Kyle shrugged. ‘Think it was up in Cooktown.’

  ‘Cooktown?’ echoed Bella, raising her eyebrows. ‘How far away is that?’

  ‘End of the planet if you ask me,’ replied Kyle.

  ‘About four hours’ drive north of Cairns,’ said Antony.

  ‘Do you know anything more about where he was supposed to stay?’

  ‘No idea. Cooktown is a small place, so you could stand in the middle of the street and yell out and see what happens, eh?’ suggested Kyle helpfully.

  Bella looked at Antony in disbelief.

  Kyle got up and went back into the house and they heard him call out: ‘Hey, you two. Do either of you know anything about the place where Ned said he was staying?’

  ‘Not really,’ said Ryo. ‘No, wait, I’m wrong. He did say that it was the pink place. Yeah, definitely pink.’

  ‘A pink place? What does that mean?’ Bella asked.

  ‘Dunno,’ said Ryo, shrugging.

  ‘Well, thanks anyway. You’ve been a great help,’ said Bella, getting to her feet. ‘We’ll let you get back to your music.’

  ‘No worries,’ said Kyle. ‘And if you find your brother, tell him we’re ready to do another gig with him any time.’

  Outside the cottage, Bella was thoughtful. Finally a real lead to Ned.

  ‘Cooktown’s a pretty small place. Ned should be easy enough to find. Will you go up?’ asked Antony.

  ‘I suppose. I’ve come this far, so I might as well go all the way.’

  They could still hear the music blasting from the house as they got back into Antony’s car and drove off.

  ‘Since you’re going that way, you could check the place out for our tailored tourism list . . . big game fishing, historic tours, you might find some good ideas.’

  Bella laughed. ‘Ant, who says I’m going to join you in your harebrained scheme?’

  ‘You will, Bella, because it’s a really good idea. Hang on. There’s something I want to show you.’ He suddenly made a U-turn and headed back in the opposite direction.

  ‘You’re not really serious about this job offer, are you, Ant?’ Bella asked, studying his face. ‘I already have a well-paid and secure position in Tennyson, in Victoria, so it will be a very big commute.’

  ‘So move! You said you’re fascinated by this part of the world. Take the plunge, get into something where you write the rules.’

  Bella swallowed hard. ‘My boyfriend, my mother, my job are in another state, and what do I know about attracting visitors to a place I hardly know?’ She shook her head. ‘You’re nuts.’

  ‘You are a tourism expert,’ said Antony, glancing at her. ‘Your skills are portable. You’ll work out what can be done up here to make us money. And you can always visit your mother and tell your boyfriend to move up.’

  Bella refused to meet Antony’s eye. ‘He’s a dentist. He’s just built up a good practice.’

  ‘So tell him to sell his practice. Start another up here. There’s always a demand for good dentists. Or you could give him the flick and look for someone else.’

  She arched an eyebrow. ‘Meaning you?’

  Antony chuckled. ‘Bella, it’s a job offer, not a proposal of marriage, although that might come later.’ Bella swatted his arm and he chuckled again.

  ‘You really mean it, about the job, don’t you? Is your life always this simple? Just do it?’ Bella laughed in spite of herself.

  ‘Tell me, haven’t you ever thought about starting up your own business?’

  Bella was quiet a moment. ‘Yes. But not something so radical.’

  ‘You mean you just wanted to do something small, just dip your toes into the water, not really commit, perhaps a little venture that entails wandering around central Victoria, close to home, nothing that requires much of a challenge? You need to think bigger,’ said Antony. He glanced at her face and then added: ‘But you don’t have to give me an answer right away. Mull over what I’ve said and I’m sure you’ll see the potential.’

  ‘I have enough on my plate for the moment, thanks.’ Bella knew she sounded a bit terse. Antony was getting to her, rattling her complacency, because, as an inner voice reminded her, she’d had similar thoughts and ambitions but never the courage to devise a plan or take a risk.

  They drove on in silence for a while as Bella thought about Antony’s ideas. When they arrived at the outskirts of Atherton they pulled up at a strange corrugated iron and timber building surrounded by manicured lawns. A sign informed them that the Hou Wang Miao Chinese Temple was the local joss house built around 1903 by the local Chinese. As they stood at the elaborate entrance with its red carved trim they admired its careful restoration. Inside the joss house, Bella was fascinated by the ornate carvings, the shrine and the collection of Chinese artefacts. Antony described how John Atherton had opened the area up early on in the tin and timber days, and how a butter factory was operating by 1903, just before the train reached the region in 1906. Chinese immigrants all came to the area looking for gold but when the gold dwindled they went into timber, like red cedar and blackbean, and when that was all felled, they started growing maize and peanuts and
lychees. When the White Australia policy was introduced and the Not Welcome Here signs went up, some Chinese had managed to stay and lease their land, Antony explained, but after World War One, many were evicted and their land was given to the soldier settlers, so they drifted away from the tablelands to other parts of the country.

  ‘So how come this joss house is still here?’ asked Bella, gazing at the elaborate carvings.

  ‘A local Chinese family paid to have it restored and then gave it to the National Trust a few years ago. But don’t you see how good this all is, Bella, from a tourism perspective?’

  ‘It’s only one building, Ant!’ Bella said, rolling her eyes.

  ‘True, but this joss house is one of only a tiny number dedicated to this particular deity that still exist outside China. Actually, this whole area is full of Chinese history! Think of all the Chinese tourists who might want to come and see this part of their own heritage.’

  ‘Oh, I see. So this could be another tailored tour, but aimed at the Chinese market. That’s not a bad idea.’

  ‘You bet. The Chinese tourists could fly into Cairns, head north to the old goldfields, then end up in Cooktown. If you’re going there you can suss the place out. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.’

  ‘Whoa. I haven’t accepted your job offer!’

  ‘You will. You won’t get another chance like this again. Why don’t I buy you that white wine you missed out on at lunchtime when we get back to Cairns? Then I can tell you more about my plans over a drink.’

  On the drive back to Cairns, Bella couldn’t stop thinking about Antony’s proposal. In theory, it sounded like a very good idea, and his plan to tap into the Chinese tourist market could be an excellent move. And it was promising that investors were interested.

  ‘But what contacts have you got that would make people come to us?’ she asked as they headed back onto the main Bruce Highway.

  ‘I’ve got contacts all over, but I think that if we want to keep overheads down, we should put up a good website and take our bookings online. To make this really work, the tailored trips have to be well researched and reliable and better than any of the competition. What do they say? “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door”?’