I have been in Australia now for about 6 weeks, about halfway through my stay here, as I am only allowed 3 months at a time on my travel Visa. When I arrived, I had a very happy and much anticipated reunion with my daughter Madeline and her partner, Osmund, who had been in Australia for almost a full year. This reunion was actually the original catalyst for this entire trip that I am on, as I promised myself (and her,) that I would visit Australia while they were still there, and I cut it pretty close because they went back to Canada just a couple of weeks ago!
Ossie was born in Norway, but he spent most of his “formative years” on the Central Coast of Australia, near Sydney, where his parents and many relatives still reside. So, the month of October was spent tagging along with Maddie and Ossie and they showed me around and introduced me to his lovely family. It was fabulous to have the inside scoop on the best of the Sydney and Central Coast regions. Ossie’s Dad is quite connected with some of the local aboriginal people . He does a lot of “bush walking” with them, and was able to show us some of the ancient tribal areas, stone carvings and share many of the legendary aboriginal stories with us.
Bush walking, what Australians call “hiking,” was the theme of the month of October. The scenery was varied and spectacular…from dense Eucalyptus (aka “gum tree”) forests to lush rainforests to rugged coastline, white sand and impossibly turquoise waters. One thing in common on the majority of these walks was MANY, MANY stairs. The trail building is quite incredible…due to the widespread sandstone and consistent erosion from the wind, rain and surf, the trail builders have heli dropped thousands or maybe millions of tons of rock and lumber in order to build stairs and boardwalks to preserve the soil and the flora. The region (and Australia in general) is exceptionally rich with National Parkland, natural areas that have been preserved to protect nature while allowing people to experience these wild and incredibly beautiful areas.
The hiking has been great, as I found I had become quite physically unfit during the last month or so of my preparations for this trip. My usual exercise regime is not possible, of course, moving around so much and not having a bike or a gym membership. Getting out of my normal routines however, is one of the main objectives of this trip. Instead, I have been getting my fitness back mostly by exploring on foot, and just being creative with exercise wherever I am. When I was picturing myself in Aus, I had envisioned frequent ocean swims and beach runs. Unfortunately, my only real disappointment so far has been the weather. It’s been mostly quite cool and blustery, which I was not at all prepared for. I remember the day I smugly gloated to myself as I packed my backpack with bikinis, shorts and tank tops thinking…do I even need to pack a jacket? Well mother nature sure has put me in my place, and the local Op Shops have been well supported by my purchases of many warm layers, including, believe it or not, a toque and mitts!! Here I thought I would be so warm “down south,” totally not considering the fact that “down south,” in the Southern Hemisphere is pretty damn close to the Antarctic! LOL
The other highlight to share at this point, is my thus far successful navigation of a right hand drive Honda Fit Hybrid, on the left hand side of the road! It was a bit terrifying to be sure, and in the beginning, there were definitely a number of Oh Shit moments, a bit of honking and a few middle fingers aimed in my direction. But I have mostly got the hang of it now, although it is not intuitive yet and there is definitely no coffee-sipping or sandwich-eating while driving as there is also the matter of high probability of Kangaroos hopping onto the highways to consider.
Not sure if you have noticed a subtle theme yet, but I am trying to tie in some matter of health or personal growth to these posts. Main take homes this time are the wonders of adaptability and neuroplasticity. What I mean is that I am proving to myself that if I let go of the attachment to my long upheld routines and ways of moving through my world, I am able to adapt, survive and even thrive! It has also made things that had become automatic, rote, taken for granted and even mundane (like exercise and driving) so much more interesting, exciting and rewarding! I am truly appreciating the value of getting out of my comfort zone. I encourage everyone to seek out opportunities do the same, as much as possible!
Please take good care of yourselves and others, my friends. Here are some snaps of just a few of many amazing moments!
Stay tuned for Australia Part 2, sometime in the New Year!
