I shut down all my social media and stayed away from blogging for a while because I’m being stalked by my ex and his new girlfriend. But I’ve decided – f*ck them, they shouldn’t control what I do just because they don’t like it. I need to live my life on my own terms. And seriously, they should stop obsessing about me and live their own lives.
And my terms are that I’m back on the road. Having the time of my life. And I don’t have to be quiet about that.
At the end of last year I took myself off on a road trip to outback NSW.
Yes, in summer. In outback NSW. When it’s really hot and dry.
But surprisingly, it wasn’t. I was there late November/early December. Just before the heatwave hit. Great timing!
I went to the north-west, the south-west and the centre. And one thing was clear everywhere – there had been a lot of rain.
Dams were full. Ditches beside the road were full. Things were very green.
And some red dirt roads were actually red mud. I thought I was going to be stuck in Cocoparra National Park at one point. For those who don’t know Cocoparra is just near Griffith. Which is a great place to stop to get supplies. Really amazing produce and the best Italian cakes ever! It’s where I introduced Doc to cannoli. We stayed in Griffith and went out to Bertoldo’s for breakfast. I bought some cannoli to have later for morning tea, but they didn’t make it that far!
I also went to Cobar and caught up with cousins and other family I hadn’t seen for a while. That was a lot of fun. Especially when the 7 year old took me for a drive around the property in the quad. He was such a good driver he barely made me spill my wine
I thought I might do the Darling River run from there, but an important stop – Kinchega National Park – was closed. Because of the amount of rain they’d had.
So I went further out. To Broken Hill. I love Broken Hill. The juxtaposition of the mine overlooking the main road with the art and cultural scene has to be seen to be believed. My favourite art gallery, the Pro Hart gallery, is in Broken Hill. If you do get to Broken Hill it’s well worth a visit. It’s not just the art, there is so much in there about the social and cultural life of Broken Hill through the years. It’s fascinating.
Then I ducked across to Adelaide to visit my mother. For a number of reasons I didn’t get to see her much last year. Fortunately although she’s 93 she’s still in good health so there will be frequent trips to Adelaide again.
Then it was back into NSW to visit Mungo National Park. But when I got there it was closed. It was inaccessible and some of the tracks were rain damaged. I’ve been trying to get to Mungo for years, but something always gets in the way. So I guess it’s still a next time thing. I will definitely get there one day!
But this just meant I needed to be flexible and change my plans. Isn’t that what being on the road is about?
A few days on the Murray River is always worthwhile. Quiet, peaceful campsites where I could just sit and breathe and watch some amazing sunsets. And swim in the river undisturbed by anything except the birds. It was difficult dragging myself away, but prior engagements meant I had to get back to the coast.
Meandering through the country and small towns I discovered (or rediscovered) a few things:
- The array of gourmet foods in the outback and in small towns has vastly improved, especially cheese. A lot of it is locally produced.
- Pubs are a great place to meet people and hang out. But I’ve always known that. Sometimes I feel like my trips are just extended pub crawls.
- A lot of pubs now have a great selection of vegetarian food. If they don’t, the chips are always reliable.
- There are a lot of places you can just pull up and camp. And some of them are the most scenic places in the area.
- Slow down. Life is much better lived at a slower pace. I’m working hard to get over the drive, camp, drive, camp, drive, camp routine I had with my ex. If you like being somewhere, stay for days. You’d be surprised what can happen, and who you might meet, when you do.
And now I’m back. I’m looking forward to having a lot more adventures, and writing about them. Life feels really good!
