Road Warriors

The Australians are trying to show the Canadians as much about this country as they can while we’re here.  Considering it’s actually a complete continent all by itself makes the job a bit daunting.  There is no way, even if we spent our entire five weeks touring, that we could begin to take it all in.  None the less, we have covered some of the basics.

The first time we visited they took us camping starting from their home a lovely little seaside town, climbing winding, curving roads up away from the ocean to the tablelands inland.  Flatlanders such as ourselves are both inspired by the steepness of the roads (and drop-offs from the roadsides) and a smidge terrified of the possibility of weak brakes.  We drove through farmland and vineyards, ending up at a place called Bourke, which is where the land changes over from useful farmland to desert outback.  The dirt is rust red, you’d never think it could grow anything but when the rains come it does.

Our second trip over here we all flew across the continent to Broome.  There are two ex-pat Canadians in the family in Australia and they couldn’t live farther apart - kind of like one living in Halifax and the other in Prince George, BC.  This put us farther north and in hotter weather.  The temperatures were really high and the humidity was off the scale but they have a place called Cable Beach ... miles of sand and sea, impressive tides, and I can say I have stood in the Indian Ocean, taken a sunset camel ride, and watched crocs sunning themselves along a river’s edge ... from a bridge above ... no need to get any closer!

So here we are on trip #3.  The plan this time was a camping trip to the south, where it would be cooler.  We only had seven days and nights but judging by the number of pictures I have taken we crammed a lot into that time.  We took the coastal highway and drove over where they had to build a sea bridge because the road continually washed into the ocean.  We stopped at a lookout and watched as people parasailed off the cliffs.  We had a picnic lunch at an inland spot where the kids paddle wheeled to burn off energy.  There were places where pools had been built into the shoreline so that the tides wash in and refresh the water and a place where the surf roars through tunnels in the rock and blows water meters into the air.

And that was just the first day.

After two nights near the ocean we went inland for a farmstay.  The land looks strange - alien, even - very hilly, the grass bleached to a pale yellow, great gum (eucalyptus) trees, mis-shapened by the winds, dark green against the background, and weird eruptions of rock jutting out of the ground - souvenirs of volcanoes from eons ago.  It looks like a harsh place to live and yet the place where we stayed had rose gardens so it must be more hospitable than it looks.

The weather cooled with some rain as we headed back to the coast for our last three nights.  Australia is one gigantic island so the beaches never end.  The one we discovered on our last day was perfection .... a mile of fine sand littered with sea shells and rocks polished smooth by the surf.  The water was crystal clear.  At the far end the beach ended in volcanic rock formations: the kids climbed them, we explored them, the surf pounded them.  If I ever win the lottery I would love to build a beach house on the dunes above that beach.

Yesterday was a marathon drive home but we made it and today I have been sorting through my photos, amazed at how much we crammed into such a short time.  From here on the pace will slow down, there will be morning walks along the sea wall, more watching the kids surf, and at least a little checking Facebook to see what kind of cold we are managing to miss at home.