Ok, here goes.
My housemate Andrea and I, were both students at Monash University and the summer break was on the horizon, we were both about 18ish or so at the time.
There was no way we were going to miss an opportunity to do something totally radical with the six week break that we had saved up for all year.
So we decided we would drive up to Cairns for a change of pace.
After all it was only a mere 2797 kms from Melbourne.
Our car, an old Valiant ex ambulance, just had a total clean bill of health from the Mechanic.
Three nights before we were to leave, we all sat down for a smoke session with the rest of our house mates.
Totally smashed Andrea and I go for a drive to get various munchies and such, when we suddenly see him.
There he was right next-door to the service station, lying helplessly on his side; don’t ask me why this caught my attention, till this very day I could not tell you.
I pointed at him and said" look how sad he looks laying there helpless", Andrea also took pity on the poor little thing.
Before I knew it, I somehow jumped the fence and had him in my arms.
So we took him home with us , as we sat there trying to decide what his name could be , the plot hatched , and we were sitting at the typewriter typing out a farewell letter for him.
It went something like this:
Dear owner,
I have decided to go on holidays, as you never take me anywhere.
You don’t care about me; you don’t even chastise the dog for peeing on me.
The cat throws dirt on me , and you don’t care.
I have had enough; I may or may not return.
Sincerely yours
Fred ( The garden gnome.)
We snuck back and placed it in the letter box.
That was the beginning of our gnome kidnapping we had no Idea that we would make it into the news, but we did, Front page of the Age lol.
We took Fred away with us and sent the owner Polaroid’s of him at different locations that we stopped at.
When it was time to come back home we gave Fred a total makeover tan , sunglasses Hawaiian shirt ,and put him back in his garden.
We kidnapped many more gnomes but I will always remember Fred .