Last Friday I was on afternoon shift and when Vaughan and I left each other's company he vowed if he had a productive evening of math study we would be off camping the next morning. During my shift I was offered a couple of weekend shifts and had to make the call, full of anticipation, of whether or not the study had been done. Thankfully for me, it had! Unfortunately the girls had to find someone else to cover the shifts... So the next morning we packed up and we were off!
We travelled south through Oberon, through the mountainous Abercrombie country towards Goulburn where plans to catch up with a cousin of mine were cut short. From there we wound our way through the Southern highlands to Braidwood, a heritage town I can't recall ever going through before. A gorgeous little stop with c.
1890-1900 buildings along the Main Street and a Catholic cathedral with a sizeable bell tower out the front. From there we left along the poplar lined road towards the Kings Hwy which led us straight easy to Batemans Bay. The scenery changed so rapidly from here, gently undulating dry farmland with classically English trees to the hills descending to the coast, of semi-temperate rainforest, trees up to about 40 metres tall in places.
From here it was a short half hour north to Kioloa where I remember coming as a kid. What I didn't remember from childhood was the lack of phone reception, an added extra. Probably because I wasn't caught up in the virtual world at that time. We set up camp, 30 metres at most from the edge of the beach and stopped. Fish and chips on the beach for dinner and the dog met the ocean for her first time.
Such a perfect spot. Stopping, with no distractions, to enjoy each other's company was the best part. We spent the night watching the stars then listening to possums, which Zali wasn't too sure about. She was fine once she was in the tent sleeping on our feet though, a special occasion.
Crystal clear water and an ambient air temperature meant perfect weather for a dip that morning, despite the looming blanket of cloud threatening to drizzle. Zali was confused at how I could get waist deep in the ocean, diving into the waves crashing towards us without drowning. She stopped barking at each oncoming wave when she was concentrating on how to reach me. I waded back to the ankle depth waves for her a few times though, to allay her worries. The water was perfect, so clear and blue. And the sunrise magical, just what was needed to refresh the soul after a few long weeks at work. After savouring the morning we packed up and jumped back in the car, journey up the east coast this time-Ulladulla, Nowra, Wollongong (where I hadn't time to stop and see uni friends), to work our way through the suburbs on the edge of the coast towards the Royal National Park. It's amazing to think we have such a glorious semi-temperate rainforest just on the edges of NSW's capital city, Sydney. The drive was soothing, winding through the hills, seemingly taller because of the trees than the actual rise and fall of the landscape. Must go back and go for a weekend hike sometime. We entered the south eastern suburbs of Sydney and as we all started to get tired, our mental strength faded and we argued but this is one of the unavoidable facts of life. Not everything is roses and I want to include it because life is never perfect. We got through the other side though. Listening, not hearing but actually listening is an important, no vital skill to use in even your most low moods. Listening to your other half and trying to understand, even when it is hard is so important and I believe, even at this early stage in life, is part of the secret to living a happy and wholesome life.
We made it home about 5 hours later after a detour to my parents for a BBQ, for which I am grateful for not having to cook. This was the end of our trip and we climbed into bed ready for work for me and uni for him tomorrow, back to it, to do our best in a different regard.
