STINKER: With links to the coast and the bus, young Ardi has the best of both worlds

Key points

• Many people remember their first fish, and fishing and camping with family bring lasting benefits, even without a catch. Four-year-old Ardi Border has family ties to both the coast and the bush.
• Near Port Stephens he can go boating, fish from beaches, snorkel, surf and visit islands. Inland, rivers hold cod and dams hold crayfish.
• The writer recalls moving from Tweed Heads to teach in Gilgandra, a small central NSW town, and says the experience shaped them.