Patonga memories are inspiration

Childhood memories of family holidays in Patonga are the basis for a new song by award-winning singer-songwriter Josh Pyke.

Mr Pyke has told national music magazine JMag that Patonga was the inspiration from one of his latest songs "The Summer".

Remembering his childhood, Pyke said: "You can never tell when those moments in life will come.

"Patonga was the best.

"That's what I think about whenever I am gauging happiness against my life now.

"Ever since I was a baby, until I was about 17, we would spend our holidays there.

"You'd go to the caravan park to see if there was any cute girls, play pinball up at the fish and chip shop."

The 30-year-old songwriter from Sydney made his musical debut with his ARIA Award winning album "Memories and Dust".

On his latest album Chimney's Afire, released October 4, Pyke pursues a "nautical theme" as well as reliving childhood memories.

"I went back to Patonga not too long ago and I felt very emotional," Pyke said.

"I remember very vivid snapshots - like playing hide-and-seek in the dark out on the sand dunes.

"There was all this tall grass and I remember a storm coming in through the headlands."

On his website, Pyke reflects on his holidays in Patonga: "Every day I'd jump in a canoe and paddle up the river and set crab traps or jig for squid from the wharf of get my dad to drive me to the next town [Umina] to go surfing.

"I always think of those simple pleasures as the ultimate happiness and so I think I relate solid, seafaring adventuring tales as the romantic, alternative universe that I'd want to live in if I was ever to throw it all away and disappear."

Publication, 24 Sep 2008 Samantha Clode, jmag