The long road home…..first part of the return journey

Gday there,

Well I arrived at my home base over a week ago. I never found the time to do another post before leaving Adelaide, my apologies on that, and on the way back I just wanted to experience once again the magical places I had visited on the way to South Australia though the Universe as always had other plans along the way. Ergo the magical mystery tour continued despite my best efforts not to deviate lol.

It was as always a wrench to leave the fur babies I had looked after for three weeks. No matter how hard you try you always bond with each and every one, leaving little pieces of your heart within their keeping just as they do you; or so it is with me. This time was no exception; the timid girl and over-protective boy gradually morphed into adoring, secure and mischievous fur children ready for adventure and, in Henry’s case, content to allow me to be the protector. He was such an anxious little boy, not used to a strange woman in his home (and who can blame him for that!) and determined to protect both his home and his fur friend from harm. Not only did he bark and growl at me for the first day but they both ran barking at any sound of passersby by, making for a less than relaxed overall feeling.

I did manage to take a day out of my schedule to check out Harbour Town but to my disappointment it was really just a shopping centre, large-ish but filled with the same shops as anywhere else. I had to laugh at myself, obviously I didn’t do enough research and assumed there would be a ‘harbour’ ….

On the bus trip there (just love that you can travel around for just $1.70 both ways lol), I noted we passed Glenelg which is on the coast and by all accounts a lovely place to explore and so I made a mental note to take another bus ride on a lovely day before leaving. After all, I did want to see more of this beautiful place if opportunity presented itself and a morning out for me in Glenelg would do the fur babies no harm as they preferred an afternoon walk around the local area. Sadly I could not walk them in many places as Henry didn’t like boys or bikes or skateboards due to a bad experience earlier in his life.

The wintry weather was rather unpredictable but South Australian winters tend to give beautiful mornings (mostly lol) and not so beautiful afternoons. I had little time to wait and, having discovered this interesting phenomenon, took a morning out of my busy schedule to go play. Glenelg is a pretty place I guess, at least it has ocean and that’s something I always love to be around. It also has a lot of interesting places for children to play, some funky shops and eating places. The only thing that I could say was not so pleasant is the smell there. Mind you I am not a city dweller so the smells of pollution that invariably accompany big cities often leave me nauseated. Therefore I am advocating that you decide for yourself since it is still a great place to spend a couple of hours or, if the mood takes you and the weather approves lol, the whole day!

Other than those two trips I spent my time with the babies while I organised the home made frozen dinners and paleo breads I would need to ensure I had enough money next pay to get back, diesel prices often wildly different along the way. I had calculated that I would hopefully have a little left over just in case I needed it (one never knows what may happen unexpectedly of course) and so it was.

Their human mum arrived home on time and, oh the joy of seeing her face when she saw her lovely fur children was a sight to behold; not to mention her dropping her bags outside the door and going down on bended knee to scoop them up in her arms in sheer delight, again such a beautiful sight to witness. If there had ever been any doubt, which there wasn’t lol, no one could witness the love between them without knowing what a happy home she gave them.

Bless her, she had brought me back a special tea towel from Beatrix Potter’s home; she looked rested and filled with the vitality a great holiday always provides. We sat and talked for awhile and then I bade her goodbye, not wanting to stay too long as I knew that having flown in from overseas she would be needing some quiet time and of course, the reunion with her babies needed no outsiders to help it along lol.

As for me, though I felt the wrench, I was so excited to be on the road again. I had planned to meet up with my grandson, his birth mum and her two youngest to say goodbye, thank them for the wonderful memories, hear their news and promise to be back. We whiled away a good couple of hours and when we parted company, my heart was filled to bursting with gratitude that I had been able to reunite with loved ones so far away.

Now for that trip back home lol….

I set the Navman rather than my phone’s gps this time, deliberately saving myself some data this time. It had gotten a tad expensive to use the phone’s gps on the way out and besides, I knew I would be touching base via facebook and email more often on the phone due to the sheer convenience of just typing it in… typos and all LOL… rather than having to fire up my laptop etc. This of course was the major reason I haven’t blogged on the way and of course other things worked to prevent me doing it since.Anyway this is about the final leg and so I shall try not to digress anymore lol….

I left Mount Barker (our designated catch up place) in the afternoon, heading for the border and then onto Mildura. I had in my mind that I would spend the night free camping in Renmark… well I had that in my mind but plans are always transmuting into other scenarios, don’t you think? My Navman was already working to sabotage my efforts but I had already refreshed my memory on which way to go if I wanted to take that particular route and so I ignored the constant trying to redirect me and stuck to my guns, passing through Mount Pleasant and onto Waikerie where I stopped for afternoon tea. I always knew I was going back; I fell in love with the views from the little café there and this time the sun was shining … what a wonderful opportunity to see those views in their best light if you will pardon the pun, not to mention the photo opportunities!

I do usually prefer to start off my travels around mid morning before I get too tired so I wasn’t sure I would be able to make Renmark and I did contemplate free camping nearby where it was obvious many did but I was concerned with timing as I had another house sit to do on the Mid North Coast and I wanted to visit Yanga National Park on the way if at all possible.

I am forever taking a little detour when some glorious vista is presented and this time was no exception even without the Navman’s interference! A little further along there was an actual lookout, something I had missed in the rush to get to the Adelaide Hills with my grandson’s step dad leading the way. Sometimes we cannot do what we want to do but this time I could meander lol and so I did…..If I had gasped at the view from the café, the one that presented itself at the lookout was even more breathtaking! I sat there in my motorhome just gazing out before pushing myself to move dammit! LOLAs I continued, I passed the sign for Lake Bonney and luckily, the beautiful view of the lake lit by the burgeoning sunset… oh yes I was very tempted to stop for the night now but Renmark was not all that far away and so I pushed on.

Isn’t it funny how one’s perception of a place can change? I had longed to check it out but this time when I got to Renmark, I felt a reluctance to stop. I was suddenly not so enamoured of this town and didn’t feel comfortable with sleeping in it. Maybe it was not the town though as much as it was the Universe’s plan for me to discover other things as yet unseen lol.

I drove on until I crossed below the Huge Half Tyre that separated South Australia from Victoria, pulling into a vacant bay and warming dinner before winding down with a good book ready to sleep. Somehow the fact that I had crossed the border was important, no doubt it was putting my mind at rest as I tried not to worry about time lol. I didn’t go into the parking lot where so many trucks park over; I figure they need those much more than I do as they take time out for a rest which in the end keeps not only them safe but the rest of us as well.

I admit to sleeping fitfully, the noise of trucks (a given when you park up like I did by the way) and my own errant thoughts had much to answer for lol.

The border prohibited foods checkpoint is only a one way thing to ensure that nothing is taken into South Australia that would bring unwanted bugs or diseases and I was relieved not to have to go through all the palaver of having cupboards and the fridge contents thoroughly checked, especially as I was a woman on a miss ion. I love travelling on the road in my beautiful bus so you can imagine the joy I felt starting each day that way. Coffee to start with and then breakfast around ten-ish works very well for me unless of course I have a late start. Next stop Mildura and either morning tea or lunch there, fill up and gone. As already stated, I am NOT a city person so, having learned that there isn’t many safe places to park overnight, I had already factored in the need to travel on. Lunch it was and not a healthy one as I really felt the need to push on rather than take the time out to find somewhere gentle to park and enjoy the beautiful breads I had baked beforehand. My energy was seriously flagging now so KFC chips and a bottle of water would have to suffice.

I had promised I would stop in at the Euston Caravan Park on the way back so I headed to the little town next, knowing I would be early but wanting to keep my promise and besides, thanks to my sleepless night I felt anything but enthused about doing lots of k’s.It was so good to be back in New South Wales at last. I felt a lot lest stressed about time because it was my home state, even though it was still a very long way from home base. I wasn’t lucky enough to get that lovely site right next to the water but I wasn’t far away so I set myself up for the night and set off to explore the parts of town I hadn’t done last time. There isn’t much to Euston if you are not a lover of nature; for me nature is more than enough and so I wandered along beside the Murray and let the gentleness soothe and nourish my entire being.

Needless to say I slept much better that night and set out the next morning thoroughly refreshed and ready to roll but for some reason unknown to me at the time, I felt a deep pull to turn off just 3 kms down the road and head into Robinvale. I hadn’t felt particularly pulled to it last time but I knew that there must be something I was meant to see or do, otherwise I wouldn’t feel the way I did. For me had simply been a place to get some much longed for fruit, thanks to the constant passing through quarantines along the way( from memory I think I had to offload even vegetables to enter Sunraysia!) The day was rather grey but still I pulled up near the local park, locked up and went for a wander hoping to find the source of that deep yearning.

Its only a small town, it was a Sunday I believe and not much was open anyway. Still I persevered and eventually came across a beautifully sculpted garden piece dedicated to ALL refugees both past and present beginning with the Aboriginal tribe who were guardians of this part of Aus. I read all the information, took some photos and admired the beautiful plants; and yet I knew this wasn’t the reason I had come to Robinvale. Disappointed with myself for not being able to pick up on what it was I was being led to, I wandered back to my bus and only then did I notice the sign proclaiming an entrance to the national park and the banks of the might Murray River was at the end of the street directly adjacent to where I was parked.

Well maybe that was it, I thought. At the very least it sounded just the thing to soothe my jangled nerves. So off I went, following the road to its end before crossing into the national park and exploring where the gravel road I was now traversing led. I found myself driving alongside the Murray River where several houseboats were moored, rocking gently in the water as the sun showed itself and brought a golden sheen to the waters.

I saw a sign with some writing on it not far from what was obviously a walking bridge that crossed the Murray to what I had assumed was the far bank and I pulled into the nearby parking bays to investigate. Of course I had been a tad too hasty in my assumptions, learning from the sign that the bridge led to the Bumtang Island, not the far bank at all as I had surmised. In fact I couldn’t see the other side of the Murray because I was in fact staring at the edge of the island. What I silly duffer I thought happily to myself. There was also a caution on that sign, warning that the island was in fact sacred aboriginal land and was not to be traversed without the permission of the tribal elders.

All good with me. I didn’t feel the need to walk upon such hallowed ground anyway, though I could easily have asked for permission. I was happy to sit and dream if you will, letting the Murray’s magic wash over me once again and that’s when it happened. I suddenly had a vision of a very old aboriginal man, long gone from the world of flesh but whose spirit resided here; an elder, a warrior and a wayshower to those with the ability to sense his sacred presence. Next came the writing as always happens with me, his exuberance at having found a mind open and questing a palpable thing. I allowed his words to flow through my pen, laid down and went who knows where for awhile before returning to my driver’s seat and making my way back out to the highway once again. I will put it up today before I leave my page for all who wish to read it (in the Rhymes and Reasons/Poetry pages)for the words are not meant for me alone though this was not to be the last time I was contacted by the guardians of the sacred lands. The second will also be put up and the poem that flew through of the joy I feel when bonded with nature in this way.

From here I took a leisurely drive to Lake Bananee, a mere 32 kms down the road. I always knew that I would spend a night there on my way home. Its gentle energies, the Little Eagles and Blue Cranes who called it home were always going to pull me back. Both welcomed me back, a Little Eagle flying low over my head to make sure I was not going to be a threat before flying before me as if leading the way along the edge of the lake I was walking. The blue crane sat and watched impassively, no doubt amused by this human who seemed to find enchantment in every nuance that nature offered her. It was much colder now and the next morning I shivered my way through breakfast, deciding to pack up and get going a bit earlier than usual. Yes I wanted to get home but I also wanted to get warm, the heat from the engine helping to thaw out my extremities as I went. I had to laugh though; due to the severe coldness of the outside temperatures along the way, my motor was not giving off its usual warmth… what a dilemma lol: part of me was pleased she was keeping so cool, the other part a bit miffed that it should be so when my fingers were still a little numb, not to mention my toes!

Next stop Balranald and a stopover at the Discovery Centre where showers (saves my water lol) and overnight stopovers are free. Love this town as you who have been following my blog will know. I wasn’t planning to stay long but I definitely wanted to wash my hair in a shower that had room to manoeuvre, say g’day to the Murrumbidgee River, walk along its banks and then snooze the night away before hopefully exploring the Yanga National Park just 7kms up the road before continuing my homeward journey. I was relying on the weather being kind of course as even 5mls of rain will close the road in … if you are in, it will stop you getting ou t! lol …. not a good idea when you are on a time limit.

I pulled into the overnight park space behind the Discovery Centre, smiling at the funky little frogs passed as I made me way through the town and headed for the shower. The chill of winter demanded early showers, especially if one wants to wash their long hair lol. Ahh what a wonderful feeling, body and hair clean along with the aura! Love showers in case you haven’t guessed. Not as keen on baths though I can be persuaded if there are beautiful smelling oils in it 😀 Next a coffee in the gorgeous café to say thanks. I am very strong on giving back as are many travellers and it keeps things open and friendly for us all. Besides the coffee there is good, its nice not to have to make it after a bit of a haul and I am a lover of a little spoiling lol.

I walked up and did a bit of a ‘fruit and vegetable’ shop at the local Foodland after that. Thanks to having invested in one of those trolley thingies I could easily walk from wherever I was parked to buy what I needed without having to fight the stressed drivers that often frequent their car parks. Not the reason this time, I just wanted to walk and observe.

Funny how spirit works its magic. After lunch, I went for a walk alongside the Murrumbidgee River here. I had intended to do so where the steel swinging bridge is … my memories of doing it last time filled me with a yearning for another walk there lol. However my soul had other plans as I felt myself recoil at the thought when i got there, and so I walked alongside the river on the opposite bank where the caravan park dwells instead, never dreaming there was a specific purpose to my change of heart. I hadn’t walked more than a kilometre when I came across this young pink and grey galah. My mouth curved in a delighted smile but as I got closer to him I realised this was an injured bird. I had nothing to put over him so he wouldn’t struggle when I picked him up and no box to put him in if I had!

Thanks to my prior time as a wildlife carer I knew my suddenly reaching out for him may just cause him to die of fright. I stood there for a few minutes wondering what to do. Should I go back to the caravan park office? What if a predator happened on him while I was gone??? I knew by the alertness of his gaze he wasn’t ill, just an injured wing or leg I felt. Duh Sandy phone them lol. I asked the wife to bring a box, explaining the situation. She agreed but sounded rather reluctant so to ensure she did I said I would wait with the bird lol. She sent her young son on a quad bike, who thankfully was sitting on a towel.

Throwing a piece of material is a necessity to quieten a bird while you gently and quickly deposit it in a box… making sure you can keep it dark while you wait for someone who is able to assist its recovery. The boy mentioned he didn’t think his mum wanted to look after it and so I sent a message about the local wildlife carers back with him and continued on my way. I couldn’t stop fretting about that little soul so I dropped into the office on my way back. I was overjoyed to learn that her dad had cared for a lot of wild birds and was on his way in! Oh how my heart sang and I thanked the universe for sending me to help.