It's About The Journey

“Home is where one starts from”, TS Eliot.

And so, after around ten months on the road we found ourselves about as far away from Perth in this fine country of ours as possible. Partly due to the unforeseen, and probably a little more to do with our love for and reluctance to ever leave Queensland. However it happened, we had left ourselves around three and a bit weeks to get back to Perth to allow enough time to prepare for our next adventure….

Happily for us, if you draw a straight line from Weipa to Perth it takes you through some of the most remote, spectacular and inhospitable parts of the country – pretty much our favourite places. It was time to leave the tropical rainforests of North QLD!

Down into the Gulf Country along parts of the Savannah Way and on through to the breathtaking oasis of Adele’s Grove in Lawn Hill National Park – a place we had been longing to visit and it certainly lived up to the hype. Visiting yet another of QLD’s five World Heritage sites – the Riversleigh Fossil Site blew our minds. Then through the iconic mining centre of Mount Isa before heading further south in to the legendary QLD Channel Country, home of min-min lights, artesian swimming holes and landscapes that have made the Australian outback known the world over.

Arriving in Birdsville, the anxiety levels started creeping up as we made our final preparation and checks before heading off to cross the Simpson desert. At this point we were about a month too late, going in the wrong direction, towing a trailer and on our own (none of which are recommended). Confident we had the experience and the equipment we needed to tackle one of Australia’s most revered 4wd challenges, we set off nice and early after a good night’s rest. Less than two hours after leaving we were bogged. Not just a bit bogged. Very, very bogged, in very sticky mud, home to loads of big wolf spiders – not what we were expecting in the desert! And so began a mentally and physically arduous, crossing of the desert. It’s been 6 weeks since and we still can’t seem to describe the feeling and we’re not sure we ever will. It was one of the most difficult, rewarding and exhilarating things we have done – so far…. Six days after setting off from Birdsville, we collapsed alive, intact and very dirty in Alice Springs. Relieved doesn’t quite cut it.

After a few days exploring ‘The Alice’ we were off again down through the Macdonnell Ranges and over to Uluru and Kata Tjuta – just wow! What truly spiritual places. Never having visited before and only seeing pictures, they still completely took our breath away. We are grateful to share such magical places with the Anangu people, the oldest culture known to man.

Time to start the final leg across a couple more deserts to get ‘home’. We took the Great Central Road through the Gibson and Great Victoria Deserts and came in the back way to WA via Warburton, Laverton and Leonora. Although dirt roads and fairly remote, this leg was a complete breeze compared to the Simpson. After a couple of big days driving we made it to Dongara to spend a few days easing (and cleaning!) ourselves back in to the real world with family, and demobilising some of our gear before we made the final leg to Perth.

340 days and around 41,000 km later and we are forever changed by this truly incredible experience that we somehow managed to make happen.

Although, there hasn’t been a great deal of time to reflect as we have spent the last four weeks reconfiguring our lives before, we jump on a plane and move to Cyprus for a year or two (or maybe London after Cyprus – who knows?). We are so grateful we managed to spend some quality time with so many family and friends and a bit sad that we didn’t get to see others but appreciate everyone’s understanding of our crazy lives.

Twelve months ago on this day, we headed off from the shack on a journey. We had no idea what we were looking for or what we would find. What we discovered as a family is more than we can ever put into words. Right now, we are at the airport about to board a plane and head to Cyprus to live in the Mediterranean for a while. It is beyond exciting to even try and imagine what we will discover in 2019!

In the wise words of ancient Greek philosopher, Plato: “Life must be lived as play”.