How do you adequately write about a month’s holiday with family that was filled every day with something new, in two different countries, on the other side of the world? By just making a start…
How do you face the 24-hour plus journey travelling alone to Australia, a first and daunting prospect. By taking it step-by-step with the mindset that sees this as an adventure – embracing it and having faith in yourself that you can do this. And of course, once I was on my way, with no going back, I made the most of all the different experiences that four flights with the same airline and the same plane (and seat number!) allowed. It was the people that made the difference - so many interesting personalities and cultures to observe or interact with.
How do you make the most of every moment when every moment is different with the danger of information overload?
I guess the answer for me was just being there, being conscious that I would never have this moment again and making the most of all the great opportunities for seeing, doing and learning about new worlds. I didn’t want to miss anything. Eyes wide open took on a new meaning as the magnitude of the mountains in New Zealand surrounded me at every turn. Breathing in the healing smell of Lemon-scented Eucalyptus that hit me every time I stepped out of my Sydney apartment. The feeling of coming home whenever I looked at the expansiveness of the scenery that reminded me of the many years I lived in the wide-open spaces of southern Africa. The birds wherever I went in Australia were new and I was excited to learn all about them – their names, calls, colours…from the Kookaburras to the Rainbow Lorikeets and my favourites, the Fairy Wrens.
How do you truly appreciate special moments like the thrill of watching the Flying Foxes leaving their roosting places in the trees at dusk, with the glow of the setting sun making the fur on their fronts look like the glowing embers of a fire. Swirling around and then gliding away, this soundless wonder is etched in my memory as one of my life’s unique, joyous moments.
How do you take in all the surprises along the way? The many English birds and flowers that I saw in the garden of our accommodation in Queenstown. The fact that New Zealand is as much about cows as sheep, where in the south the large sheep stations are dying out (we passed one of if not the last). Seeing kangaroos in the garden in ours and neighbours’ gardens in the beautiful Megalong Valley over which tower the Blue Mountains. A baby snake wriggling on the footpath of my apartment block! Being on a golden beach and paddling in the sea while looking across at the Sydney skyline.
The answer is simple. With immense gratitude for being so fortunate and privileged to be able to travel to such distant places, see such wondrous sights, experience the kindness of strangers, share momentous moments with loved ones and see the world through the eyes of my just turned 2 year-old granddaughter.
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