Chapter 28: Ten reasons I could be persuaded to do this again
NB: this story doesn’t have a picture because I’m sitting on top of a hill an hour out of Melbourne with only one bar of internet available. By the time you read this, I’ll be drowning in a sea of washing…
With less than a day to go, last night we reflected on what we enjoyed about this trip, what we missed about home, and what we would do differently.
The consensus was that everyone enjoyed it. And, to my surprise, that included me. Was it my all time, dream holiday? No. Could I be persuaded to do this again?
Hmm…
If we shortened the distance and increased the time to create more flexibility in the schedule around freak weather events, then well.., yes I could. I mean, not any time soon because I’ll need to recover from this trip first but with a few tweaks, yeah, probably.
So here are the top ten things we all enjoyed about this trip.
#10 Seeing the different forms of public transport in different states
For G, the public transport enthusiast of the family, seeing the trams in Adelaide, the giant freight trains, and the trains in Perth was particularly exciting.
Not so much for the rest of us but hey, each to their own.
#9 Completing the Nullarbor Links Golf Course
I’m really glad A wanted to do this one. It helped him understand the distances involved in crossing the country and gave him something to focus the trip on. Not only that, he made a concerted effort to have a go at every hole. He didn’t care he was terrible at it and loved every minute of it. He is very proud of his completed stamp card and certificate. They give him a real show and tell moment for when he goes back to school. He’s already planning to put all the photos into a video about it.
For us, stopping and walking the holes meant that even though we were in the campervan for eight hours for two days, I did not feel too stiff or sore afterwards.
#8 The on-road camaraderie
It was lovely how many people coming the other direction acknowledge you with a raised tip of their finger. This was particularly prevalent on the Nullarbor. The road is so long, straight and seems endless. When the wind buffets the van, as it did a lot of the time, driving takes sustained concentration.
But seeing a car coming in the other direction gives a little mental break. Then when someone waves, or waves back, it gives you a little thrill.
It’s like they are saying, ‘hey there, I know what it’s like, I’m feeling it too. We’ll get there in the end!’
#7 Listening to more podcasts
I like podcasts but as I work at home and don’t drive more than 20 minutes at a time most weeks, I don’t have a lot of time to listen to more than an episode of one podcast a week and certainly not all at once.
On this trip, I caught up with a pile of episodes and listened to entire serials the whole way through. I listened to a few that T likes and it gave us more topics of conversation. I even expanded from my usual True Crime genre to learn more about peri-menopause and how I’m doing it all wrong.
But really — who knew so many people with a smile that could light up a room end up murdered and with a podcast done on them?
#6 More time to read a whole book at once
The length of this trip meant that not only could I listen to podcasts, I could also read entire books all the way through to the end. Usually on holiday I read one and get halfway through the second one. Then it ends up on my bedside table where it sits for weeks or even months until a rainy public holiday weekend when I finally pick it up again and make a concerted effort to finish it.
I’m on my fifth book now. I picked it up in the laundry in Penong in exchange for one I bought in Esperance. It may go the same way as the other half-completed books but hey, it was free!
#5 Fresh water swimming
Australia is home to some spectacular beaches and we saw a lot of them. We may have peered through misty rain to do it, but they were there.
I love the beach and the surf but there really is nothing like swimming in fresh water on a hot day. There’s no waves or salt. No seaweed, jellyfish or sharks. The water is clear but underneath is always dark. What IS swimming around down there? Did something just nibble my toes? It always feels a little dangerous and thrilling swimming in fresh water.
There’s no crocodiles in southern Australia — despite the pictures people draw on the signs around the river — but that doesn’t stop you launching a fake crocodile attack on your unsuspecting youngest son.
Good times.
#4 Skinny-dipping
On one of the few sunny days at the Fitzgerald River National Park, T and I went for a walk along the beach by ourselves. Although the waves pounded the sand, we found a sheltered pool between rocks. Looking around and seeing no-one in sight, we stripped off and jumped in.
Swimming naked really is the best. If only we’d had the nerve to do it in fresh water but sadly, too many people around.
#3 The beauty of the wildflowers
Summer is not wildflower season in Australia. But the two national parks in southern West Australia (Cape Le Grand and Fitzgerald River) were still home to some truly magnificent wildflowers happily blooming just for us. It really is a miracle of nature that such harsh weather conditions can produce these tough-looking plants that themselves create such delicate and pretty little flowers.
The showstoppers though were the banksias and hakeas. Bold and magnificent, these were quite extraordinary. Seeing so many at different stages of their life cycles was worth the entire trip.
#2 A functional family Christmas
A great blessing of this trip was meeting up with my sister and her family for Christmas. As long as we don’t talk about politics, we drink, laugh, play games and all get along. We have very different political views from them (except my nephew, he’s on our side!) but people walk away and agree to disagree rather than blow up into a fight.
My niece and nephew are ten years older than my kids. Despite the age difference, they cheerfully spend time with my kids without any duress, bribes or rewards. In return, my kids’ absolutely adore their cousins. We are truly lucky to have such wonderful role models on hand for them.
#1 Reconnecting as a couple
I probably should say something about how this trip brought us closer as a family. But, to be honest, it hasn’t really done much to change or strengthen our bond with the kids.
Yes, we got frustrated with them and all had our moments. But I think they already knew how much we love them. This trip did nothing to change that.
What it has done is show me that when T and I strip away work, school, extracurricular activities, extended family drama, friends’ divorces and illnesses, and the mundane realities of day to day suburban life, underneath is still all the feelings that brought us together all those years ago.
And it was all just there under the surface too.
Hopefully, we can make it last back in suburbia!
Honourable mentions
· Catching up with old friends and being cheered that they are still happy together too
· Winning Catan three times in a row (go me!)
· Enjoying West Australian wine for a change
· Telling A and T that the creature swimming in the Murray river was a rat and not the rarely seen platypus I have been trying to see in the wild for 30 years
· Doing yoga on the beach at Lucky Bay
· Taking the kids on a 14 km bushwalk and them not complaining … that much
· Learning more about my family history
