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Published: March 21st 2010
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As I walked towards the check-in counter at Tokyo airport I saw a whole line of faces like mine - Western. I couldn’t help it, the tears welled up and I ran back to the phones and cried to my friend ‘I’m not ready to leave Asia’. Asia - where being different had inspired the most incredible kindnesses I’d ever experienced, where it was cultural, unusual, cheap and of course such an incredibly happy time. And all this given that I was travelling to the arms of my best friends family in Oz - where I'd been asked what I wanted more than anything before I got there and I just said - have your hugging arms ready - some decent wine and a greek salad!
So really my tears just sound ungrateful given what I was travelling to, but in honesty, anything less couldn’t have caught me.
What I was travelling to was love. They had put themselves out to travel up the night before, stay over and be there with huge hugs as my plane landed (in the rain!) at 4am. Just that kindness moves me to tears now - but it certainly wasn’t the last.
We headed straight back down to Townsville - 4 hours away from Cairns and, in the car, I heard them telling me about how horribly hot it was, cyclone season etc etc - I asked them to turn down the air con and get an idea of what it might be like!
Now, the next few days might not translate well into the land of travel blogs - aren’t we all meant to be off exploring the far end of beyond after all?? - instead I had a home coming of sorts. I was welcomed with such open arms and hearts to a family I love as my own - I went grocery shopping, had home cooked meals, used washing machines without coin slots, mowed the lawn, had many many great chats over many many bottles of assorted alcohol and, quite helplessly, fell in love with my friends niece.
The priorities of the day became an after school swim with my new pal, day time chats with Ma K, early evening walks with Sis K and late night boozing with Pa K. But, for all that, this was a wonderful opportunity to discover a country I had never
visited and I was damned if I wasn’t going to somehow make it memorable!
The way to do that is to start your diving career at the Great Barrier Reef! I booked a five day trip and loved every second of it! The people the boat, the learning and of course the experience. My first night dive ever was with sharks circling the boat! C’mon, things just don’t get better! Waking up to beautiful ocean in every direction - if anything was going to make Australia memorable that trip was. I also got to make my first attempt at under water photography - although I clearly lack aptitude in that area! Can’t wait for the practice though!
After that I went ‘home’ again for a couple more days before making a near racing driver dash to the airport. The goodbyes were horrible and disjointed but that ache can only be the sign of love and a great time - so while I sat there and sobbed through take off - (with the stewardess trying to soothe what she thought was my fear of flying), I was grateful for every second of the time we had together.
In
leaving the tropical north I headed for Melbourne where there is meant to be a good dose of Australian ‘history’ (I tease my friend horribly on this point - it’s easy and doesn’t show great wit or originality on my behalf!) What with the slightly older buildings and terrible weather this city really did feel like a home coming! A lovely friend I’d made in China and I met up again, and, as he’s from Melbourne he suggested one night that we ‘meet under the clocks’ - a very local thing indeed! We had a travelling dinner that took us for dumplings in China town and dessert on Lygon St - the Italian district - with one of the biggest cake shops I’d ever seen he sure knew how to make a girl happy!
By the time I left Melbourne though I had only had 3 totally dry days in Oz and the joke was reaching its end. My facebook updates were starting to look and more and more desperate for just a drop of sunshine and I was starting to receive sarcastic replies about my meteorological updates. Could Sydney deliver?
The answer seemed to be in the
balance when I got there but by my second day of gazing out over the roof tops from the YHA to the Opera House and Bridge - (yes a youth hostel ... with such an incredible view!) the clouds were starting to lift, and maybe, finally I started to get into Oz. I wandered the streets slowly, as is my thing, with my usual huge grin on my face and Sydney, or at least, some of its people smiled on me. I found people to laugh with, cultures to share and of course Sydney is rather
fabulous on the ol' pink scene so I had a ball. But there was still a craving in me to do something more than city dwelling and now, with the weather finally shining on me, I set off for a few days in Katoomba and the Blue Mountains.
If the love I received in the north was exactly what I had needed to cope with being back in the West, the mountains were exactly what I needed to complete fire me up for this country and all my onwards journey. The hostel was the best bar none I have stayed in for its
atmosphere, the people were fantastic, the hikes and the many drinks around the late night fires - my lungs felt expanded and my heart was finally able to enjoy Oz. I found great pals to hike with and hiked the Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary in a leg aching day - heaven!
Too soon though, it's always time to leave.
It had been a very tough time coming back to the 'West' but Australia sure did do everything she could to make it feel like home x
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sandra
non-member comment
our love goes with you
dearest cheryl, what a fantastic jearney we have been on with you, enjoy every moment, our love goes with you every step of your way love to you & gods blessings are with you love aunty sandy & uncle ricky xx