You know what its like. You are dreaming, and someone is chasing you. You are trying to get away but you are frustratingly unable to speed up. Imagine the opposite. You are trying to slow down, but there is this mysterious force that speeds you up.
That’s what the first day back in the yurt felt like. All we had was each other’s company, our music when we felt like it, and the smorgasbord of country scenery as we crawled north through Victoria and NSW. My brain kept racing, even as I slowed my breathing and tried to soak in the surrounds.
Today was better. Much better. We’ve got as far as Gunnedah, about 80ks shy of Tamworth. We’ve been through Wagga Wagga, Parkes, Dubbo. We normally take the double lanes via Sydney to Newcastle and hug the coast. This time, for a change, at the last minute we hung a left, setting aside the slow snaking Hume for the Western Plains. Tonight we ventured to the local RSL where the fare is predicable but sound … satisfying after a couple of days at 90ks … on the flat.
So removed from the rest of life have we been that we have only just discovered; the Socceroos bitter sweet finale and …. And that Julia Gillard made the move and ousted Kevin Rudd.
The soundtrack for some of our travel today was a playlist I put together of ‘Australiana’ music. Those familiar with the iconic drawl of John Schumann (RedGum) will recognise:
“We went looking for Australia, between the TV lines,
‘cause the ABC just never made it real.”
Or the opening line of midnight Oil’s Truganina, “There’s a road train going nowhere …”
Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary … my ‘Maria’ playlist will get a run for sure.