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Carnarvon circa 1982
My mum with all of us at the chalk caves on route to Boolimba Bluff. Catalyst – a person or thing that precipitates an event.
We’ve always talked about taking the boys on a lap of Australia. I did it with my family when I was four and Jason and I had done it in sections over the years before kids. 2020 was going to be the year we set off to coincide with Jason’s long service leave. That was until a series of events set the wheels in motion just a bit faster than we had originally planned.
With the passing of both of my parents in just over two years we were ready. What were we waiting for. Life is too bloody short to sit around talking about ideas and ideals. My mum passed away in December last year after battling for nearly two years with a blood disorder and then leukemia. Her approach to her last few years were not to bow out quietly or slow down as her body did. She lived each moment to it’s fullest potential and in the process of dying I think taught us all a lot about how to live. Her final words to me as she
spoke for what would be the last time were: “I did a good job. Goodbye.” At that moment I wasn’t sure whether she meant she’d done well that day staying strong and alert enough to see her last child Damon, arrive to be with her, or whether she was referring to the past week where she’d kept herself up and moving for longer than her body wanted to. Perhaps though, and this is what I think, she was referring to her life of 75 full years of family, adventure and achievements.
I spoke to mum about our plans to travel around Australia a few months before she died. Her words were: “Once you decide to go it will just happen.” She made it sound so simple. Just make the decision and the rest will fall into place. And it has. Not in such a simplistic way but she has shown us that if there is a will we can find the way. So here we are. I’m sitting under the awning of our caravan writing our first update on the trip of a lifetime.
People have asked us why we have chosen to travel
Chaos
Boys toys! with the kids, two energetic boys, living in a small space for 12 months (or more..). Our main reason: family time. Time that we won’t and can’t possibly achieve while working and schooling full time. We are acutely aware of how quickly time with your children can pass and don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to hang out with them while they still think we are funny, smart and a little bit ok most of the time.
It has taken some work to get to this point. Once we’d set a date and the wheels were in motion the chaos began. Selling, passing on and reducing our belongings to fit into a shipping container. Getting the house clean enough to present to prospective tenants. Fixing all of the things that we had just lived with over the years. Finding a vehicle and selling two others. Finding the van. Buying things I’m ok with but the getting rid of possessions I found really challenging! How did we end up with so much stuff?
The boys and I spent a few weeks between friends houses at the coast and Jason’s parents farm whilst we
waited for Jason to finish up his final few weeks at work. It was lovely to spend some time with Nan and Pop before we set off. We left on Oliver’s 8
th Birthday. 37 years and 2 days after my family had set off on our lap when I was a child. First stop was Exhibition National Park and then Canarvon Gorge.
Canarvon is a special place for me. It’s the first major stop my family made on our trip around Australia in 1982. It’s also the scene of one of my favourite photos of my mum being amazing amongst the chaos of six children. These first few weeks have really hit home for me how hard her and dad worked to give us the opportunities we had as children. Experiences that have shaped who we are today.
So now let the adventure begin….
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