Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs So many stories (and dates) of the Aurora Australis (C8), people certainly remember it vividly, even before Vivid tried to steal some thunder. Col Nicholson of Hawks Nest “saw the aurora as a primary school boy at Coffs Harbour. It appeared as a vivid pink/red glow across the southern horizon. Can’t remember the exact year, but it would have been around 1955”.Denis Cartledge, now of Tenterfield, says: “In 1957 we were on the beach at Halifax Park in Port Stephens having a feed of fresh caught fish that we barbecued when, just after dusk (when we were supposed to be going home), we noticed the sky to the south changing colour. So for the next hour or so we watched the shimmering colours, fascinated.” Hopefully, mum and dad were equally fascinated when you finally got home, Denis.Claudia Bottrill, now of Watson (ACT) remembers “waking one morning and noticing a vivid pink sky and surrounds. It was surreal. I was a child in Horningsea Park and my upstairs bedroom gave me a great view”.Gwynn Boyd of Mosman writes: “In 1958, we certainly had an aurora that was visible in Sydney. Indeed, the Herald reported next morning that it had been seen as far north as Singapore.”David Sallows of Ormiston (Qld) is sure he saw the very same aurora in Brisbane as a pink glow in an arc low in the sky.Now back to the dak dak. Lance Rainey of Rushforth remembers: “Not only did early Volkswagens (C8) not have a fuel gauge, they had almost no modern instruments. Mine had only a speedometer needle, a blue high beam indicator light, a red oil warning light and an odometer. The high beam on its six volt electrical system was laughably inadequate in the Australian bush at night. By the time you saw a roo, it was already swearing at you.”Jennifer Tidey of Mudgee had an old Beetle in the 1970s that didn’t have reversing lights, “so I found another use for the flashing hazard lights when reversing at night”.Then bread (C8), coeliac Angela Michaelis of Balmain wants to add: “I wonder if cafe owners who charge an extra $3 for gluten-free bread for a toasted sandwich or burger ever try it first? Decent wholegrain GF breads exist, but the crumbly over-sweetened rubbish often served can drain the flavour from even the best contents.”Column8@smh.com.auNo attachments, please. Includename, suburb and daytime phone
