Selectively Juggling

The break had done Aurora wonders, from the wide-open roads to the vast star studded-expansive skies, and hot ancient healing waters of the artesian baths. Every inch of her was at ease. Which was quite miraculous, given that only 12 short days ago she’d been a pent-up bundle of nerves ready to implode, or explode … or perhaps both simultaneously. Working from home, and trying to balance distance education for the kids, all on top of ordinary family life had taken its toll. Every one was stir crazy with cabin-fever. She needed a break. The kids needed a break. They all deserved a break. They needed time to chillax, laugh and breathe fresh country air. She needed to get out into nature, and heal, ground and replenish her emotional reserves. So did the kids. Nature always worked wonders for Aurora and her kids.

She had no intention, of heading towards a populous holiday spot on the Coast, as she knew she could see the beach any day. It was the Australian deserts, the outback that called her name, promising wide open star studded skies, wild bush flowers, hot natural baths and the joy of an adventurous road trip into the ancient Aussie Bush and landscapes. A trip filled with quirky ‘laconic’ Aussie locals, all the ready to spin a few yarns. That’s Aussie for stories. And let me tell you, the characters in the Australian bush are ‘bonza’, quirky and as resilient as you could possibly imagine. You should check out Lightening Ridge … it’s where people go to fall off the grid. A place as dramatic, as the incredible Opals that are mined there. Alternate, quirky and uniquely Australian. The same for White Cliff, New South Wales. Another Opal mining town, complete with an underground motel, built into the limestone caves.

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Aurora had thought about it for a while, realising that she’d need to do all the driving, prepare the car, daughter’s brain tumour and epilepsy medication, food, sleeping bags, camping gear, etc. And it was made more challenging as they couldn’t simply eat out, due to food allergies to gluten, dairy and egg. Aurora’s parenting life had been about learning to make restrictive diets nourishing, and easily accessible. You can only imagine how much planning went into travelling overseas, let alone just getting out bush for a couple of weeks.

Aurora’s husband Martin couldn’t get time off work, as he was heading up a large project. To be honest she enjoyed the freedom of school holiday road trips with just her and the kids, and Martin had been like a bear with it’s head cut off trying to oversee a project, especially with the added pressures of working under the challenges of COVID-19. She wanted and needed to go, getting away from the confines of work, home, and Sydney traffic. She knew it was hard work, and driving out bush took lots of planning and energy. Plus, it also meant that she had to be accountable and responsible 100% of the time, as although her daughter was 13 years old, her special needs meant she need much more support than her neurotypical peers. Making sure she was prepared for any eventuality took great planning, especially when the Australian outback was so vast. It is hard for people around the world to visualise its vastness. You can literally drive for 300km in the bush, and not see another single soul, albeit for the peregrine falcons as they swirl and torpedo through that vast open skies.

Aurora had felt a sense of release the very moment she finally decided that she’d simply ‘suck-it-up-sweetheart’ , put on her ‘big-girl panties’ and grab the kids, and head out of Sydney. Between the stresses of work, family life, and COVID-19, something had to give, and as a mental health clinician herself, she knew that a holiday would do them all the world of good. Fifteen year-old Oliver, had been struggling with his own anxieties over world and social events, covid-19, and the tug-o-war of being stuck in the middle of his best friends argument. Oliver convinced her “Hey mum, it’s been so incredibly stressful; lately, the news is so depressing, and I’m so sick of hearing negative news, can we please get out of Sydney these school holidays, and head out bush? ”  They had literally been on the same wave-length. It was more than just a coincidence , it was simply meant to be.

Aurora counted herself very lucky, as she knew that it was pretty special to have a teenage son, who actually liked to hang out, and talk to her about politics, philosophy, music, social issues and world events. In many ways Oliver was way beyond her in his understanding, acceptance and celebration of life in all it shapes and forms. He had fast become her teacher, and someone of a mini moral compass, calling her out when he felt she said of did something. Oliver had also been studying Indigenous Studies, learning about the true heartbreakingly sad Aboriginal History, and he wanted to go get a feel for the land, pay his respects.

Okay getting back to the trip …

Instead of driving her small city car, she needed to drive the big cumbersome 10-year-old 200,000-kilometers-on-the-clock-4WD, and that felt like driving a truck. However, it was crucial, as much of the outback driving was either off-road or on dirt roads. She needed the additional clearance to be able to not disappear into some of the gargantuan sized pot-holes. To be honest, once she got used to driving the 4WD, she did like that it allowed her more access to interesting off-rod sites. One trip she had taken when her daughter was 5-weeks old and her son’s were 17-months and 4-years, involved getting lost on moonscape like terrain, with rich deep red sands, gaping pot-holes and boulders. That was a memory to treasure, in a sick perverse way. Still every cloud has its silver lining, and the memories she had of her mum and dad were priceless. They didn’t camp that time, but had access to an old shearers quarters. The smell of lanoline still clung to the drought-dry air.

Aurora, being a pragmatic dreamer, was a realist and she knew they all desperately wanted to go. However, COVID-19 had changed so much, and taking two immunocompromised and immunosuppressed kids on a 4500 km road trip was daunting. It took courage, planning and a sense of adventure. She had all three. The journey had begun, simply with the planning stage. It was exciting to plan the route, which way should they drive? which towns should they visit? Planning was fun. Planning was part of the adventure. There was also the community focus of helping support rural businesses, farmers and artists. People had been encouraged to buy Australian made from rural business owners and artists that had been struggling. Australian people are renowned for their sense of ‘mateship’ and camaraderie in times of crisis they come together, they embrace the concept, of sometimes the community or group can come before the individual. The bushfires, COVID and other natural disasters had created a really strong sense of ‘connectedness’ . So in a way Aurora and the kids were helping the farmers, rural artists and Australian economy.

Aurora knew that nothing could step in the way of going away, getting outback, except another COVID-19 lockdown. However, she embraced the fact that they could travel freely within the state, plus they were all well, and had no cold or flu like symptoms. They literally jumped at the opportunity to travel. Visualisations of quiet wide open roads, remote hot thermal pools, vivid desert vistas, and incredible starscapes had filled Aurora with a renewed sense of passion and purpose. She, couldn’t wait to pack her camera, and capture some of the untamed ethereal beauty of the outback. She craved desert nightscapes, in the blackest of dark sky, where the Milky way is so incredibly beautiful, so incredibly vivid that you could simply reach out and pick a star from the jewel encrusted black velvety canvas.

The Journey

They packed the car the night before, as she wanted to get away by 6am, and drive at least 6-hours the first day, but taking time to stop and have a picnic and stretch her legs. The Australian cityscape gave way to increasing country and rural landscapes, from coastal, rainforest areas to expansive open plans, wooded forests, mountains, and eventually deserts. Sunrises promises new days , jam packed full of potential. Ancient lands rich with indigenous history.

Kaleidoscopic coloured desert landscapes whispered her name, and soft, vibrant sand caressed her feet and soul. The city girl felt at home, one with the ancient sacred land. Giant ghost gums welcomed their raucous feathered guests, and birdsong filled the air. Aurora’s healing journey had just begun. The kids felt a sense of calm wash over them, and Oliver’s anxiety was pretty non-existent. The stopped in Coonabarabran, Piliga, Narrabri, Moree, Burren Junction, Lightening Ridge, Goodooga, Brewarrina, Bourke then drove over 400 kms of dirt road to Tibooburra. Ancient lands ablaze with incredible and otherworldly beauty. They drove for hours through national parks, not seeing another soul. Spending one incredible star studded night sleeping outdoors. Then driving into Cameron Corner, where the 3 states of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meet. A sandy corner of nothingness other than a Dingo Fence that runs 5614 km long. They stopped at White Cliff and stayed in an under ground Motel, the quirky experience an interesting one, if not a little claustrophobic. They visited tiny town after tiny town, National Parks and historical sites.

In the end, there wasn’t a choice to make; they all needed time away from the new Covid-19 normal. Thankfully she did, as both Aurora and the kids had a fantastic time. A time of self-discovery, of healing and enjoying the beauty and grandeur of nature. They all knew just how blessed or lucky they were to be holidaying, enjoying nature when the rest of the world (apart from a few anomalies) where facing incredible loss and trauma from COVID-19. It was a time were they all disconnected from social media, where they were able to reconnect with themselves and each other.

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