I’m fairly sure that one of the key skills you need when starting a business is the ability to ‘bluff’ – to pretend you know something that in reality you have no clue about, but equally to have the resourcefulness to be able to find the answers.

When I started Brighton Reticulation in 2008 I knew a bit about Retic but there was a hell of a lot I had no clue about – and ironically it’s only now that I realize just how much I didn’t know… If I knew then how much I didn’t know I might never have given it a whirl. In the first few months of work I relied on persistence, logic and the occasional call to the staff at Total Eden to bale me out when I was stumped. It got me thru.

But then I did start off doing it as a hobby with nothing to lose… I was having fun and wasnt too concerned if work came in or if things were quiet, but things have changed.

It was only this week that I actually acknowledged it. I have always seen Retic and turf as something I would do for a few years, but would drop once I got bored. But this week as I upgraded my trailer I realised this has got pretty serious… I needed a new trailer to fit all my stuff on. A trencher, a compacter, lawn leveller, wheelbarrow etc.

When I started I had a couple of shovels which I tossed in the back of the car and a handful of parts. Now I’m a mobile retic shop and refuse to use substandard tools.

Ok this isn’t a hobby any more…

So what is it?

I don’t see myself as a retic and turf bloke, but that is what I do. I guess I am still getting used to being a blue collar worker after so long in a white collar world. It’s been a gradual shift in my sense of identity and while I don’t want to feel bound to ‘Retic and turf’ I do need to acknowledge that I could be doing this for another 10 years if I play it smart.

If you’d told me 10 years ago that I would be doing manual labour for a crust I would have laughed you off. I hated getting my hands dirty and I was infamous for my lack of handyman skills.

But here I am now. It’s not a hobby any more… It’s a… I struggle to find the word. A business?…

Yep, but it’s more than that.

A passion?…

Hmmm… Probably stretching the definition of the word, but I do enjoy it a heap and live the freedom of being my own boss.

A job? Nope. I don’t like the thought of just doing something for the financial reward.

An adventure… I guess this is the word I would choose because it just keeps unfolding in ways that I don’t expect. I keep learning and discovering as I go and yet I never feel like I can say ‘made it’.

I guess that’s why I’m still going. A hobby is fun – and adventure is fun, but in a different way.

The last few weeks I have been filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the shape my life takes. Working hard on a cool sunny day, interacting with interesting people, doing a damn good job and seeing people happy, lunching by the beach, getting home early, being paid well for my efforts… I could go on… But I’m a fortunate man.

I’ve had some dark moments in the last few months as I have wondered where life is headed but right now I think it’s ‘more of the same’ and I’ve got to say I’m pretty happy about that.

My email signature has a quote from Helen Keller that says ‘life is a daring adventure or nothing at all’ and I guess I am feeling the adventure quotient on the rise again. That’s gotta make you joyful!

I was watching Getaway tonight and they were going around Oz choosing the best beaches. There were some pretty fair picks too.

Wineglass Bay in Tassie is stunning, Rainbow Beach on the Gold Coast is pretty speccy and of course Bell’s Beach in Vic is an icon. It was good to see Cresent Head in there as we missed going there on our big lap and its in my diary for the next time as a priority.

When it came to WA the top 3 picks were Cable Beach Broome, Meelup in Dunsborough and Cottesloe in Perth. What do you reckon about those for our top 3?…

I think the hard thing is that there really are so many to pick from.

Just a drive down to our local Quinns Beach on a sunny day is enough to make you feel like you are in paradise. So anyway I thought I’d list a few of my own favourites and maybe a few lesser known ones that might not make the well known A list. I will only list the one’s I have visited but I’m sure you will be able to add plenty more.

If we start at the top of WA and work down we find:

Cable Beach – absolutely stunning and ought to be up there as one of the best around. White sand, warm water and stunning sunsets make it a classic.

Barn Hill – about 150kms south of Broome – similar to Cable Beach but remote and with great huge red cliffs as a backdrop. We’ll be back there for sure.

Turquoise Bay – near Exmouth and famous for being part of Ningaloo. Sensational snorkelling!

I know there are plenty between Exmouth and Cervantes, but I haven’t been to too many real stand outs so I’m moving down close to home.

Wedge Island – powder white sand and stunning blue water. Its beautiful before the sea breeze comes in but after that watch out – she blows! Its also a part of WA history as a classic shanty town.

Yanchep Lagoon – a local favourite that gets real busy in summer. The lagoon is protected by reef and a safe beach for kids.

Scarborough – this is my pick of the city beaches. A long white beach that occasionally gets a wave. I spent many a school day on Scarborough beach!

There are great beaches everywhere in the city and in the stretch down to Busselton so I’m going to keep going to a few beauties down south.

Meelup – yup – a stunner so long as the wind is blowing from the south west. Otherwise stay home.

Yallingup – beautiful, rugged and expansive – not a place for a swim usually, but the view from the platform is priceless.

Indijup – personal favourite! Love the waves and the set up. I doubt it will win any prizes except with surfers.

Boranup – a beautiful remote sandy beach just north of Hamelin bay. Occasionally gets surf too…

Ocean Beach Denmark – a favourite as a kid and one I still love to go to. I’d love to be a local and see it when it breaks, although I’ve heard it gets pretty crowded.

Goode Beach Albany – another lesser know beach that in the right weather can be quite beautiful.

Cape le Grand – ok all the way to Esperance (and I know I left out Bremer Bay!) but this one’s a beauty. Remote, rugged and beautiful much like most of Esperance’s beaches

Ok that’s 13 and I reckon I could easily add another 20 without much effort but if you’re looking for a great beach in WA there are some starting points!

Ok, so parking your bike illegally is hardly evil, but this creative initiative by the City of Copenhagen shows that the biblical idea of ‘overcoming evil with good’ does actually turn a cog in people (so to speak…)

Here’s a teaser for the story:

The City of Copenhagen has been on a ‘charm offensive’ since April 2010. The goal is to get more people to use the bike racks around the city’s Metro stations, instead of leaning them up against everything else.

Here’s the simple trick. If you park your bicycle illegally, the City will move it over to the bike racks. Instead of finger-wagging, they will then oil your chain, pump your tires and leave a little note on your bicycle asking to kindly use the bike racks in the future.

How brilliant is that? And the great thing is that the initiative has worked

I wonder how many other annoyances could be overcome with this approach?…