Six months ago we went on a holiday to Caloundra and did a day cruise.

As we lined up on the Tripcony Lane jetty with the other 20 or so would be passengers we noticed a couple fishing on the jetty.  They had a child about 2 or 3 as well as a baby in a stroller.  The husband was say early 40's the wife a lot younger.

The cruise boat was pulling in and the Captain called out to the couple to move their fishing tackle, chair (on which the woman was sitting) as he needed to pull alongside .

No response from the couple.  The husband who was fishing,  was on the edge of the jetty away from where the wife was sitting which was about 2 feet from the edge and right in the middle of the jetty where the captain wanted to berth the boat.

No response or acknowledgement at all.  Everyone was just looking in amazement  and wondering why they would not move ...it was quite a bizarre reaction from this couple.  Anyone else would have moved their gear a few feet away to allow the gangway to go down and those on board to alight and those waiting to go on board to do so.

In the end, after asking a number of times,  the Captain jumped on the jetty, abusing the couple in no uncertain terms but still no reaction.   Finally he just took it upon himself to pick up the tackle box and move it to one side.  The wife still sat on her chair and would not move.   The result was that the gangway was about a foot away from her as everyone got off and on the boat.

Once underway you could hear the whispers as everyone was talking about this couple and some of the comments I could not repeat here.but suffice to say they were decidedly uncomplimentary. If I was a newcomer to this country I would be doing my utmost to fit in with the way of life.  Good manners must not be something practised in some countries it would appear.

I don't think I need to spell out their ethnicity.