When you think of Australia, what is it you see? Snakes? Maybe spiders? Dingoes stealing a baby? The Outback is waiting to show you even more So go get a fly net and come to explore. We met up at Nomads at the end of the day Our small group of 8 seemed to click right away. We were made up of people from countries near and far, And we bonded over burgers at a little local bar. In the morning we woke to leave Melbourne behind, This morning was the last we would all be so kind. Down the Great Ocean Road is where we drove along, ‘Home among the Gum Trees’ would soon be our song. Next up were the Grampians where we lost 3 of our eight, We were hoping they wouldn’t end up as snake bait. They came out of the mountains dehydrated and burnt, Water was important was one lesson we learnt. In Mount Gambier we slept with one eye open wide As we stayed in a jail with old spirits inside. Adelaide is where our group of eight became ten, We got Josh as our new guide and were on the road again. We began our drive North with a stop to drink wine, It didn’t take much for us all to be feeling fine. We stopped to buy fly nets and we would soon see, This was the best two dollars ever spent by me! During our night in Quorn we would tell corny jokes, Random thought: why do Australians all call each other blokes? From Quorn to Beltana with a stop at Wilpena Pound, We would get to feed camels, one of the coolest animals around. When we left Beltana, the landscape became lifeless and bare, Sunscreen and a fly net were what you always had to wear. We would stop to take in some interesting sights along the way, The ‘Tom Kruse’ museum was likely the highlight of our day. We would walk on Lake Eyre, a salt lake with no water It was hard to believe this country could get any hotter. We celebrated Australia Day with our red, white and blue, In a town with a pub and not much else to do. After William Creek we headed to a town built underground, Some interesting people and opals were what could be found. From here we would drive further North into the Outback ‘Gaytime’ ice cream would soon become a favourite snack. We arrived in Yulara where we would camp for a few days, Josh tried to ease our worries about sleeping in swags. A late night visit to the hospital due to a scorpion bite, Drove us to set up two tents for our last camping night. We took 100s of photos of Uluru, the ‘Big Red Rock’ Our group sang, made jokes, and stayed up late to talk. Josh told stories of the Aboriginals and their sacred ground, Despite the heat and the flies, we hiked all around. We hiked through King’s Canyon and saw some weird stuff, Who knew that two lizards could ‘play’ so rough?!? From their we headed into the town of Alice Springs, We drank, and we danced and did some crazy things. Up North we would drive for many long hours, Just to keep cool we would all have cold showers. We stopped off in Elliot, some guy was a menace, In Daly Waters we would try to play tennis. Up in Darwin we celebrated and said goodbye, Leaving Josh behind would make us want to cry. We were then off to Litchfield and Kakadu Park, With the heat and no A/C we were all losing our spark. In a 4 x 4 we squished to drive through crocodile territory, We were miserable, but knew this would make quite the story. Everything was closed as we were there in wet season, So why we were there? No one quite knew the reason. Our last night of the tour we would all reminisce, The last 19 days together had been nothing but bliss. We had become such great friends and I’m not going to lie, It was definitely not easy to all say good bye. To my new friends, thanks for the memories I’ll never forget, It makes me so happy that you are people I met. Although we were ‘savage’ and sarcastic more than not, I have to admit that I will miss you all a lot! |
One of the things I hear most often from travellers I've met along the way is, 'I love travelling because I've met so many people.' While I have loved every second of my travels, it is the 'meeting so many people' thing I've had a hard time with. Yes - you meet lots of very interesting people in your travels, but as much as you are always surrounded by people, it can get quite lonely at times. You meet people and hang out with them for a day or two, but then know you will never see them again. Perhaps the lonely feeling is just normal, or maybe it's because as a person I value the quality, rather than the quantity of the friendships I have. I just finished a 19 day tour, and this just solidified the fact of how important it is for me to create relationships that are meaningful. Saying goodbye to friends you've spent every second with for three weeks is not an easy thing to do, but it makes me feel lucky that I have had the opportunity to create these friendships with people around the World. So while I have definitely met some amazing people along my travels, it is the connection I have made with a few of those people that mean more to me than simply just 'meeting tons of people'. That being said, I have learned so much from everyone I've met and have grown as a person just by interacting with them; however, to those who've etched a special place in my heart and with whom I've bonded with on a deeper level - it is YOU I'd like to thank for helping me create memories that I will value forever. To the people who I just spent the last 19 days with, this one's for you... ***More posts to come about our adventure through the Australian Outback. We had no Wifi along the way, so I'll catch up in the next few days!
2 Comments
Wendy Jewell
2/8/2016 04:55:26 pm
WOW. How creative are you? Your post makes me reminsce...we did the reverse tour - from Alice to Adelaide only, then did the Great Ocean Road. It was another world and your poem brings it all back. Quorn - swam in the pool which was wonderful; Coober Peedy - moonscape...couldn't get to King's Canyon due to a flood. Yes. A flood. This was so much fun to read, Colleen. Thanks!
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Colleen Powe
2/11/2016 03:44:06 pm
I'm glad you enjoyed reading it and am happy to have helped you relive your memories of touring Australia! Taking this year to myself has been the best decision I've ever made, and it's been fun sharing my adventures with everyone through my blog! Thanks for reading, Wendy!
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What's my Story?When one of my best friends, Lauren, came home for Christmas of 2014, my Mom was trying to sell me off to her in New Zealand for a year of adventure. Although she happily agreed to have me, I'm not sure she knew it was really going to happen. Thanks to my Mom trying to get rid of me, and my friend agreeing to take me in under her well-travelled wings, here I am...off on a year of adventure where my only plans are to say 'yes' to whatever comes my way. Look out world - here I come! Archives
March 2016
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