Slow travel, increase change

We've been on the road for 2 months now, travelling in our van with our two girls, camper trailer in tow. Our 100 days around Australia is more than halfway done and we've seen and done a lot.

Lately it's been hot weather, gorges and swimming holes as we've journeyed through the North West parts of our country - Broome, the Kimberley, Katherine Gorge, Darwin and Kakadu.

Some pretty photos for you below:

The girls at Town Beach, Broome

View of the Eastern Kimberley region, El Questro Station

Scarlet Gums glowing in the setting sun, Nitmiluk National Park

Rosie twirling batons at Mindil Beach Sunset Market, Darwin.

And as we've travelled I've been thinking (as those of you who know me will attest - I think A LOT!) about how the act of travelling is like an ongoing experience of rebirth. 

Stay with me here...

Each place we stay awakens new parts of ourselves - some positive, some less so - but either way it shifts us.

Each time we move we allow ourselves into something slightly different. So in a way we are reborn each we enter a new place - it's a new world for us to explore.

I believe this is one of the greater benefits of slow travel - we can increase the rate of change we allow in our lives.

We automatically stretch our comfort zones when we travel, we make more decisions, we move ourselves - literally with kilometres beneath our feet, but soulfully too as we expand our vision of our place in the world.

Xx

A marvellous day

Its a powerful sort of thing, when like-minded friends get together to climb a mountain on a sunny day. There's a strength that comes from climbing together, from sharing food whilst sharing stories, from reaching the summit together and hugging for the joy of it all. And there's a special bond that begins to develop, as friendships deepen and expand and barriers are surpassed. There's a clarity that comes from being up high, looking to the horizon, thinking of loved ones far away.

That's how it was for this Mama and her mama-friends last weekend. We started early and finished later than we thought, but Mount Feathertop was summited by all. And after 24km and 10 hours, we all agree that it was a marvellous day.

Our early morning beginning was colder than this Mama expected and we walked quickly through the forest remains of last Summer's bushfire before the sun reached us and we began to shed our layers.

By the time we reached Federation Hut it was a warm and sunny day, as we'd expected, and lunch was lovely on the 'lawn' of grass around the shallow saddle where the hut is built.

The 'summit push' was short and sweet (relatively speaking), but still took our breath away, and we enjoyed our glimpses of the Snowy Mountains in the distance, ladybugs on the rocks and the remains of the snow just on the south side of the ridge.

Two false summits led us to the small top of the mountain where we stayed for a while and pondered and looked and thought and ate.

Then it was down again and a long(ish) but lovely walk along the south razorback to Diamantina Hut where cars and loved ones were waiting.

The bushfires have devastated a large area, much of which we walked through last weekend, but everywhere there was new growth, however small.

Here's to more long walks in the mountains my Mama-friends!

Time for reflection

End-of-holiday reflection that is. Our last few days in Tassie were a mixture of beach play, exploratory walks and a big road trip to pick up Nana and Pop. It seems to me that the end of a trip, particularly a longer one, is a time of great reflection. I look back and think about the things we've done together since leaving home - the good things and the average things. And then I find myself looking forward - to the next period of time and especially to the next big trip.
Today Rosie and I plotted our next family trip around Australia onto a map - planned for next year. We look forward to desert adventures, seeing crocodiles and visiting cousin Elsa's house. I look forward to a longer trip away (at least 3 months, hopefully 5-6 months) where we can grow together more as a family. For travelling with family is such a great way to build relationships and a positive family culture of learning and exploring.
As I look back over this trip I see with joy how Rosie has become very comfortable making new friends. Over the last few days I have watched her make friends quickly and easily in new places and situations. I've seen her overcome some long-standing discomforts for the first time and seeen her writing and reading really blossom.
This is the beauty of travelling with kids for me. This is slow travel working its magic. Here's to the next trip, and the ones to come after.

Slow travel in Sleepy Bay

"Speed limited by lifestyle choice" said the sign on the large campervan we parked next to at the beautiful Sleepy Bay in Freycinet NP. It was a statement that made me curious because I've been pondering the concept of slow travel lately as we've relaxed into our camping in Tasmania.
So many people we've met on this trip and on other trips in the past seem to be in a hurry to see as much as possible in the shortest time. And it seemed to me, when I was a child and even older, that this was how holidays were. In fact I didn't really contemplate any other way of doing travel until much later.
But slow travel is my way now. When we travel slowly we become more intimate with our surroundings. And when these surroundings are natural and pristine we feel a deep connectedness to the Earth and to ourselves. Our lives align themselves with our natural rhythms. When we travel slowly we get to know people better, both locals and fellow travellers.
And when we travel slowly we get to experience the culture of the place we're visiting in a much deeper way. In a way that only grows with time. This is the real value of travelling slowly.
And so the sign on the campervan was curious - do these fellow travellers go slow in their van as a way of fitting in with their slow travelling lifestyle?
We did our own slow travelling, by kayak this time, in Sleepy Bay on the east coast of Freycinet. To say that this was the best kayaking I've done is an understatement. It was pristine. There was a gentle swell. There were dolphins and sea caves. And no one else was there. Heaven. Definitely a slow travelling day.
I like this way of thinking - it's outside the square (unless you're a grey nomad) which suits us, but it also just feels right. Hmmm...more thoughts to come here .

Why travel with children?

Easter camping at Freycinet NP is lovely. There are lots of people here but you wouldn't know it - campsites are tucked into the dunes, each with their own sea view or beach access, coastal forest surrounds the campsites, there are walks long and short to be done (if that's your thing) and at least one trendy cafe to get a good coffee. On the whole this is a special place that we've returned to.
But this time I feel exhausted just chasing kids. Camping makes sleep, washing, cooking, hygiene etc... just that little bit more complex and I've found myself asking that question that pops up without really noticing it: Is it worth it?
Pure emotions tell me No! But there must be more to it than that.
So today my gratitude is for the joys of travelling with my little ones.
I'm so thankful today for:
Rosie's love of nature and the outdoors
Games of scrabble with grandparents
Bethany walking in her cute shoes
Spelling lessons on the beach
A call from my love from a yacht out to sea
The sweet delights of hiding Easter eggs ready to be discovered tomorrow morning :-)

Why do I travel?

We're travelling again. Visiting places new and old in Tasmania while Ian does the Three Peaks race again.
After a mad day yesterday on the boat over (up early, still driving late, a car and camper trailer on the boat over Bass Strait) we had another exciting day dropping Ian off on his team's yacht for the race, driving through Tassie's beautiful scenery, then finally putting up said camper trailer near the most beautiful beach setting you could imagine.
During all these comings and goings I've questioned my motives for travelling. You see, I like home. Home is where I feel safe and able to have more control over my environment. It's where I've hidden in times of need and where I can knit and sew and garden and otherwise lead a creative life.
And yet, travelling is something I've done quite a bit of over the years and its something that I've always looked forward too. Only now, with children and post natal depression, it feels different. The thrill of new places has been replaced with a more subtle and perhaps genuine feeling. And its taking me a while to get used to.
So I ask myself - if its not thrilling, then is it worth going? Why not just stay at home and follow those creative pursuits and grow those veggies?
Today I struggled with an answer. I feel displaced instead of thrilled.
And so I aim, with these travel posts, to honestly reach for those beautiful moments each day, too see my travel experiences through fresh, more experienced eyes and to hopefully find an answer to my question.
Some beautiful moments today:
Ian happily aboard his yacht ready for the race
A beautiful beach scene
Bethany helping Pop put up their tent
Rosie loving her time around Nana
Still finding time for knitting
A hot chocolate in the dark as waves lap on the beach