As I have intimated many times, I’ll find any excuse to go travelling with my caravan, anywhere, any place, anytime – oft times on the roughest of roads and to far off places.
However, this year my decision was to take things easy, and mainly to remain on reasonably good roads and to make my life somewhat simpler, not to visit outlandish parts of Australia, especially to places with a judiciously high chance of a fatal visit!
Despite having always been an adventurous type, unafraid, confident, positive, and assertive, those prior dire warnings that I had received of poisonous bites and disastrous happenings had played on my mind.
Thanks to COVID-19, most of the world had been cooped up for too long. But here in Australia we were living a somewhat normal type of life, so despite all the warnings of disaster that could and would quite probably occur during my travels, and with my usual seasonal cabin fever that comes upon me with the first sign of the winter rain and cold, I knew the time had come to once again hook up the caravan, jump into the car, and chase the sun by heading north.
With the decision of making life easier when I travel, and since for some time I had been thinking of purchasing a smaller off road and more compact caravan that would make for easier traveling, I happened to be offered a price that was almost too good to refuse for my now much too large caravan. I grabbed the offer and in exchange bought a small hybrid off roader.
It is a Mobi Nomad, complete with a pull out slide out area containing a double bed, which made for much comfort and the creation of an abundant internal room. It contains every gadget a girl could possibly want, all completely operated by solar power or bottled gas. Plus, joy of joys, a large bathroom area with running hot water. The whole set up is pure bliss, and to top it off, so easy to manage and tow.
The freedom that comes with the caravanning lifestyle is hard to explain and incredible to experience – no lawns to mow, no gardening to be done (other than my thriving pot of parsley that always travels with me). The housework is done as quick as a flash, and if one doesn’t like their neighbours, it is so easy to simply pack up and find new ones, or head off somewhere where it is that a human beings won’t be seen for days or weeks on end.
The soul grows to be lighter, happier and more content as the stresses of the daily grind become a hazy memory. It was to Tasmania last year, and before that the Gibb River Road, Alice Springs and Uluru and the Camel Cup, the Oodnadatta Track, travelling all over the Kimberley and Arnhem Land, the list goes on and on, and why not?
Each year I would head for my annual migration – all alone except for the company of my small dog, “Peanut”. At the end of the day, we would sit together, me with my glass of wine, Peanut with her bone, cherishing the moment and enjoying the sunset, both knowing that tomorrow would bring new adventures with many more memories made.
How sad and miserable I was when a few months ago Peanut went to doggy heaven, there would be no more adventures for her. She was old, 15 years, but she had the heart of a young dog and like me, she loved her travels. She was my eyes that could see through the dust of the Kimberley, see through the clouds and mist over the rivers, lakes and mountains, my other ears that heard above the winds.
Peanut by my side was protection against my fears of the dark and unknown things. How very much I miss that little wagging tail that was full of such endless joy, those round brown eyes that could read every emotion. When I was happy, her joy was unbounded; if I was sad, she knew it and would stand on her back legs and rest her head on my knee to make everything all well with the world. And I miss the way she showed her hurt if I ever dared leave without her.
She was just a dog, but my dog. Her silent counsel was always the wisest, and she showed me what true loyalty and love means. She is now running free in paradise.
Possibly, I am thinking, the time has come to make a change, maybe I could replace my dog’s company for human company – that fellow in the white sports coat with a pink carnation? He does have a place in my heart.
A beautiful read Susan, with a predictably sad end. Clearly you & peanut were nuts about each other (pet pun, sorry). Sharing time with your dog is always special and yes they definitely read our emotions, sharing and caring alongside us.
I said goodbye, with the very peaceful ‘green dream’, to my much loved 11yo Blueee Boodja several months ago. He was with me pretty much every day of his life from about 8 weeks when I bought him at a farm in Brookton. In the littler, he was referred to as ‘Lazy’. I liked that, hence picked him. It reflected his wonderful temperament, at least until his latter couple of years when he’d get grumpy with other males, maybe which he thought were a threat to me or him. RIP Boodja.
I now have a little Blueee bitch, Djilba. She’s feisty, like all pups and comes equipped with needle teeth and an unwanted passion for ‘gardening’. But I love her and hope we can enjoy many years together, sharing and caring for each other, as only man’s/woman’s best friend can do.