I have to admit, I have often sneered at those who frequent the high rise apartments on the beach front at Surfer's Paradise. However I did spend three nights at one last week and discovered there are some distinct and pleasurable advantages to being 15 floors up a lift journey away from the sand. The sound of the surf and the morning light refelcting from the ocean (particularly calm) were soothing and brought back memories of my Grandmother's house just down the road on the beachfront at Palm beach (though for much of my childhood the erosion meant there was often a sea wall rather than sand at the botom of the garden). Depressing to think that it is unlikely that I could ever afford to own something like that - something that my Grandfather, a simple carpenter, was able to afford. Makes me wonder whether our buying power/ standard of living has advanced much the last 50 years.