On The Road Again

In looking back over my pictures so many beautiful memories come to mind. It was really an incredible experience and what I took from it most of all was a sense of reverence for this gorgeous earth we share and a strong sense of peace within myself. Spending long hours in the car gave me lots of time to day dream and contimplate life and now, more than ever, I've become so aware of what a beautiful life I've lived, am living and the opportunites I have. Living in Australia has taken me so far out of my comfort zone and it's also an amazing jumping off point for new experiences and prospective roads to take from here. It's strange but I'm starting to feel comfortable in their culture and world- one small example is that it now feels natural to be on the other side of the road! I can also see where my American culture is part of who I am for the good, the bad and the comical! ("Really!?") And I've definitely picked up a few phrases.

Tangi, John, Cesar and I set out from Darwin in search of a promised hot springs. The first part of the trip felt a bit rushed. We had a lot of ground to cover and we all had a deadline on the other end and didn't really know how long it would take. We estimated miles and hours and daylight but in the end we also had to consider the roadblocks that were bound to challenge us in the middle of the outback with no towns for MILES! I'm really glad we all agreeed on being cautious in this way and thankfully everything (car-wise) worked out amazingly smooth! Our biggest issue was watching for kangaroos, cows and sheep on the roads. They were everywhere! We even saw an emu mama and her chicks!

We drove down into Litchfield National Park and began the beauty of the adventure. Litchfield has beautiful rivers and waterfalls. Because it gets so hot up there, the water wasn't that cold but it was definitely cold enough to wake you right up! At one of the waterfalls I couldn't help but feel challenged to join a group of boys who were jumping off the high cliffs into the clear, cool water. What a Rush! I feel like I'm that way about life again, jumping right in and knowing I'll land in an opportunity that will strengthen my character and leave me feeling the thrill of life!

We did find a hot springs but it wasn't what I imagined it would be. I didn't predict or project on any of the other places we visited after that and found myself so appreciative of the unique things each place had to offer. The hot springs was really fun. The water was being contained in a swimming-pool-like-river and was lovely and warm. My favorite part was the watersliding on my belly over the falls! The next leg of the journey was mostly admiring termite mounds, kangaroo and bird watching and awing the expanse of red dirt and rock covering everything we could see. We camped using our trusty "bible" that told us where free camping was along the road and lived off pasta and tinned veggies. It was nice to begin the trip with those lengthly drives. They gave us a chance to chat and get to know each other, take warm, cozy naps and share music. John had a fun Irish collection which everyone but Cesar loved. We promised him that by the end of the trip he'd love it too. (I think he was at least appreciative of it by the last day.)

I was so disappointed when they took all our fruits and veggies as we passed over the Western Australia border! Stupid customs, I think they should create a better system to suit their needs. There's so much food wasted! I had an apple in my backpack which I enjoyed the last day before we got to the coast. Broome, the first coastal town we pulled into, is gorgeous! We were all so grateful for a chance to relax on the sand and swim in the incredibly blue and clear Indian Ocean. We saw the first of many beautiful and clear sunsets on the west coast. It also felt good to be able to make a phone call again for the first time in a week. I checked in just to say I was safe but truly I was enjoying the retreat from modern technology. *

From Broome we started south. We pooled together ideas of places we definitely wanted to see after consulting the French copy of Lonely Planet Australia and John Elder, my personal travel agent. We explored some gorgeous coastal cliffs at Cape Gantheume where I went for the first of many "walk abouts," as the boys called them, exploring for hours. They were wonderful cliffs to climb on and I just lost myself in trying to capture the beauty in a photograph. I couldn't take enough and in the end, there's no way to hold onto that beauty but to savor the moment and hopefully the memory. These cliffs had clear dinosaur footprints in them that could only be seen at low tide. They were very cool! Amazing to feel so alive while exploring a place that was so, so very old. I had that experience several times during the trip, where I was just amazed to feel the value and incomprehensibility of existance and evolution of life on earth!

I think our next stop was Cape Kerudren where we unexpectedly came across a beautiful place to stop and spend the night. We watched a gorgeous sunset over the water right from our campsite and enjoyed a lovely dinner by candlelight (since we had nothing to build a fire.) The next morning Tangi was so hungover he couldn't move, so John took his fishing rod out and Cesar and I went for a stroll to the next beach. He couldn't walk on the sharp rocks with the shoes he had so we parted ways as I headed closer to the water. I found unbelievable tide pools! (I think that was the second of four times I was kicking myself for not having my camera with me when out for a walk!) They were stunning pools, filled with all sorts of life! I could've stayed there for hours but unfortunately the boys were waiting and I had no way to contact them. I just submerged myself in the experience of exploring it all and tried to take in the beauty and wonder of the underwater world! I'm absolutely fascinated by the diversity of undersea life which I know so little about and then I think about how much there still is undiscovered!