19/08/2026
67 Years of Marriage, 34 Years of Service & Plenty of Good Advice ❤️
One of the absolute joys of running a tourist park is the people who come through our gates.
Some stay for a night, some for a week, some come back year after year and along the way, we all get to hear little pieces of their stories. Every now and then, you meet someone whose stories, humour and character make you smile long after you've heard them.
Mr Pratt is certainly one of those people. ❤️
At 87 years young, Mr Pratt has quite a story behind him.
Born in Yarloop, he spent an incredible 34 years in the Air Force Reserves with the 25th Squadron at Pearce Air Base.
He has also been married for 67 years and this is something he is clearly very proud of, and rightly so.
For 17 years, his annual holiday was the long journey from Perth all the way to Broome. But these days, Broome is just a little too far down the road, so for the past two years we've had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Pratt to Summerstar Kalbarri Red Bluff instead.
And he doesn't just pop in for a few nights either, he stays with us for a whole month!
During his stay, Scotty and Fab make a point of checking in on him every day. Although us ladies in the office are beginning to think the daily check-ins may be a two-way arrangement… because Mr Pratt is more than capable of keeping an eye on the boys! 😂
He certainly isn't afraid to keep them on their toes.
A chat here.
A bit of advice there.
And occasionally, a very clear set of instructions! 😂
One of our favourite photos is Mr Pratt giving Scotty some very important guidance on exactly how the site should be top-dressed.
We're not sure whether Scotty was asking for advice or simply being told how it was going to be done… but we're pretty sure Mr Pratt had it under control! 😂
But amongst all the laughs and banter, Mr Pratt recently shared something with us yesterday on our lunch break, that really stuck. Knowing how proud he is of his 67-year marriage, and as newlyweds ourselves, we asked him:
"What's your best advice for making a marriage last Mr Pratt?"
He didn't hesitate. His answer was simple, honest and, after 67 years, pretty hard to argue with:
"No one is perfect, pointing his finger at us, and everyone has their things that annoy others. Everyone. To sustain you have to learn to compromise and tolerate each other. Discuss things and talk. Don't fly off the handle like the young ones do these days, haha. That only creates more problems. This is all a learning. You have to learn these things."
And there it was.
No grand secret.
No complicated formula.
Just compromise, tolerance, communication and understanding that you're both learning as you go.
We think there might be a fair bit of wisdom in that. ❤️
There is something pretty special about sitting with someone who has lived 87 years, served his country, shared 67 years of marriage, travelled thousands of kilometres for his holidays and still has enough energy to tell the younger generation how to top-dress a site properly! 😂
Mr Pratt, thank you for the stories, the laughs, the advice and for becoming part of the fabric of the Summerstar community.
We genuinely look forward to seeing you arrive next year.
We will ensure Fab + Scotty are standing by, ready for their next set of instructions. ❤️😂
