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Destination Unknown…does it really matter?

My kind of country

As I sit here in my little studio listening to the neighbours hens clucking I look out at the far north Queensland greenery surrounding me and wonder what else life has in store for me. I know that I am up for whatever it may be; I also know that it is up to me to explore and open up the pathways which are waiting to be discovered. Some may call me fickle, others may perceive my gypsy streak to be that of one who is continuously searching, me I am starting to see myself of a connoisseur of my own life. I am my own Gatekeeper, my conscience is my own, I do not seek nor need permission from others to live my life as I see fit. There are those to whom I will turn when I am throwing thoughts around. Input from these people is important to me, not in that I will hang on every word they say, merely that there are times when other’s views can shed some insight which I have not already considered.

There are many sayings out there along the lines of “It is not the destination, but the journey which is important”. This is so true. If we strive only for the final destination then we are living each day with only our final demise in our vision. Surely there is a far more vast and meaningful purpose to us living this human existence than to seek to the end of our lives. It is the stops and stumbles, the triumphs and the tears, the baby steps and the giant leaps, the celebrations and the sorrows which make the journey so uniquely our own and oh so worthwhile.

Was it really only a few short months ago that I was living in Adelaide, South Australia, being consumed by my work for a company whose only focus was on the almighty dollar? I was just a pawn in the corporate game and silly enough to imagine for a short time that my contribution meant something to “them”. Eventually I realised that I was just like all the others, when they had sucked the last little bit of usefulness from me they would cast me aside with no thought of my loyalty or the commitment I had shown to the company or its people. Exhaustion had skewed my perspective on so many things and I was close to collapse. In true gypsy style the only thing to do was to bid them adieu and move on. As my own Gatekeeper I made that choice and do not regret it for one moment.

It has been difficult living at the opposite end of the country to me friends of the past few years. I did not make a lot of friends in Adelaide but those I did connect with are very special to me. I do not grieve for them as they are still very much a part of my life and always will be, just as the friends I have made here in Cairns, Far North Queensland will also be.

The most difficult thing for me has been the environmental change. My heart aches for the wide open spaces of the arid state of South Australia. Here I am surrounded by mountains and rain forest…an eternal sea of green. My daughter tells me that green is good. Of course, she is right. Green is wonderful and full of life however I yearn for the colours of the dry country. The blue of the clear sky above the endless rolling sea of purple, gold, orange and green bathing the red soil. The hues of the migrating of season as they change before my eyes. Am I romanticising? Possibly but to me the constant green is beautiful but stifling. So much beauty surrounding me which I appreciate but it is not my kind of beauty.

To be continued…..

Spear Creek….Ahhhhh what a perfect place to write…. My place of Solitude. Part 5

Spear Creek....Ahhhhh what a perfect place to write…. My place of Solitude. Part 5

28th December 2013

What a stinker of a night last night! Soooo hot and still for the most part. Of course, the wind picked up again around 2am but not as bad as the first night. The air con whirring next door may have made me feel it even worse.

I woke nice and early, the sun was not yet sneaking over the top of the ranges. How lovely it is to lay there and read without the heat and the flies. I was tempted to turn on the radio and make a bit of noise but I know what it is like to be camping with tired and cranky kids so I restrained myself.

I ran into Clem (with the trail bike) in the communal facilities. He and his family are on their way to NSW after 6 months in the Northern Territory. They went up there for a holiday and ended up staying for a while with work being very plentiful. He thought it was time to return home and see what needed doing at his place. He assured me that if I didn’t mind living in some rough areas I would find work without any problems in the Territory. Apparently they are screaming out for workers in all fields. I wonder……

My chat with Clem was the first time I had actually spoken with anyone since my arrival. It was lovely to exchange pleasantries and a bit of light chatter and then go back to my little piece of paradise.

I was sitting drinking my coffee and contemplating the scenery when Sharon the caretaker came and introduced herself. She asked how long I planned on staying and was not at all surprised when I said I had no idea. A lovely friendly lady, she said that she and Graham were off to town (Port Augusta) for supplies and did I need anything while she was there. I assured her that I would be heading in myself before long and thanked her for her kindness. Just the perfect type of person to be looking after this place.

As I made a mental list of what I need, ice and maybe a decent new esky being the priority, one by one the others around me began to pack up and leave. By the time I was ready to head into town I was once again on my own!

On the trip to town I once again saw the emus. Not so many this time but obviously it is a place they like to hang out. I wondered for a moment whether it could be an emu farm but then when I looked at the state of the fences it was obvious they were not there to keep the emus in.

On my return from town I noticed a clunking noise in the front driver’s side of my car. Uh oh! Maybe I should not have spent that money on the new Waeco Ice Box! Oh well, what is done is done. Fortunately I do actually know a mechanic in Port Augusta and a lovely fellow he is too. I will have to get him to take a look at my car and hopefully repair it for me.

It was so nice to return to Spear Creek and ‘my’ tree. It has been a lovely place to rest and rejuvenate. Even better when there is no one around and one can feel as though they are the only person on earth.

I received a message from a girlfriend asking me what my plans for New Year’s Eve were. I don’t think she really understood when I said that I still didn’t know if I would even be back in the city by then. Not everyone feels the same as I about the bush but now that I have found this place, thanks to my friend’s recommendation, I am not at all keen to leave it.

As I snap photographs of some of the bird life I think to myself….Ahhhhh what a perfect place to write…. My place of Solitude.

To be continued…..

Spear Creek…. a place of Solitude (Part 1)

Spear Creek.... a place of Solitude (Part 1)

As I approached the entry to Spear Creek, there in the paddock beside me I saw at least a dozen emus, possibly more, they were scattered everywhere fossicking on the barren land for some little tid bit. As I pulled over to snap a few photos I knew I was coming to the right place.

Spear Creek, a working sheep station just out from Stirling North in South Australia, was recommended to me by someone to whom I would entrust my life. If he said this place would suit my search for solitude then that is where I was going.

Upon arrival the office was shut with a notice saying that management was currently away and to please select a site and ring the number provided to arrange payment. I walked around the campsites and was instantly in awe of the beautiful ancient trees around the area, the backdrop to the trees being the magnificent Flinders Ranges. The best part about it was that there was not another person in sight.

As I started to clear off an area to set up my tent marvelling at the number of butterflies which were fluttering around, I reached to pick up something lying on the ground. It was a bottle top on which was stamped a lion’s head. Now anyone who knows me well knows that I always wear two pendants, one of an angel and the other a lion’s head. The appearance of the butterflies (living symbols of angels) and the lion’s head had me smiling deep within. The signs are always there, we just have to recognise them.

So I set about putting my campsite together. The birds danced and chattered in the trees around me. It was not long at all before they had christened my brand new tent with a dropping or two and when I scolded them they proved that their aim was no fluke as the next one was on my head! Cheeky things.

After the work was completed I sat under the shade of ‘my’ ancient tree, a lovely cold beer in a stubby cooler; and allowed the energy to soak right into my being. How lovely it is to not only have the awareness of ancient times but also to have it surrounding you. Off in the distance I could hear sheep bleating, a comforting childhood memory. The birdsong never ceased, not until the light of the day had faded.

There was a time when this kind of solitude would have been too much for me, fears would have surfaced and I would not have been able to stay in such a place. Now, at this time in my life this is exactly what makes my heart soar. To reach out and touch the beautiful smooth bark of ‘my ‘ ancient tree and feel the energy emanating from it is a humbling experience indeed. Images of those who had walked the land before me danced before my eyes.

Indeed, what a wonderful place is Spear Creek; one of those rare places that really can be referred to as Heaven on Earth.

to be continued….