29/08/2017
We hope you were all following Wander of the West!! Edwina has just completed the most amazing 100 days traveling around outback Australia, bringing the stories of the bush to the world!! Jump on over and chuck her a like and check out the rest of her story because we think her journey was truly incredible and have loved every minute!
Day 100- Home, Toowoomba, Queensland
A girl, her dog and a camera, travelling around rural and regional Australia without spending a single cent. I cannot believe I did it!
So let's take a recap of what has happened over the last 100 days of adventure, thrills, spills and times of no frills.
I copped a lot of criticism initially when I purchased my 1979 short wheel base Landcruiser BJ40, 'Alice'. Most people couldn't believe that I would even consider taking such an old car for a lap of the map. Well after over 27,000kms, over five states and some bloody rough roads, other than the occasional weld, bolt tightened here and only two flat tyres, Alice did not let me down once. The old girl was hugely reliable and any small issues that were faced mechanically were because of changes I had made to her original structure. Although she didn't drive fast, she really was a dream. We did have one small accident (a rollover near Alice Springs), and regardless of some cosmetic and cabin damage that needed to be fixed, she proved her value time and time again. There aren't too many motorcars in the world that you can tip upside down, buy a few spare parts for and fix yourself in the backyard. Despite all her scars, she is a little beauty and the best decision I made in preparation for the trip.
My faithful, loving companion Jordie was my one constant on our adventures. I underestimated how the journey would effect him and I can tell he's also equally exhausted and run down now that the adventure has finished. His loyalty did not falter and just having him there beside me when every other constant changed daily, kept me grounded. Who would have thought the dog I rescued from the shelter four and a half years ago after being dumped on the side of the road would rebuild his courage to get back in a car and then drive around Australia? When I purchased him, I had $470 to my name. He cost me $450. He was by far the best investment I have ever made and I'm so grateful he could enjoy the experience as much or if not more!
Travelling with no money, easy? Not exactly. Hard? Sometimes. Worth it? Absolutely. Earlier in my travels I had breached the fact of how money influences our overall happiness. Always being one to work hard and be career focused more times than not for the bottom dollar, I realised I was one of many in society who are part of the ‘rat race’. Removing money from the equation meant that my focus was on the people I was to visit and the experiences I would have. Although my offer of photographs for the people I stayed with was something I could personally give, I also realised that sharing the experience and adventure with others was equally as valuable. Like attracts like and many people had many stories to share with me that I was equally and if not even more so inspired by. Before I departed, I had a really hard time asking for help. Often on the trip, this was the only option I had and I learnt that generally people are more than happy to assist despite my previous assumptions.
There wasn't much I needed that I couldn't access without money but my only regret was not to have some cash and buy a coffee and a sandwich on my adventures. All those little communities I could have given a dollar too to keep them going. Rural businesses need travellers and I often felt guilty that I couldn't do my bit.
There was loads of things I would love to share (and plenty more to come once I catch up on sleep) however here are some fun facts!
If you told me the following would happen I'd have told you "you would be dreamin’":
-Within only minutes after I had rolled Alice on an isolated, rarely used dirt road, I couldn't believe my luck when a car came along. I then hitched a ride with two, alcohol drinking Aboriginals who were on their return to their dry community and proceeded to bum a cigarette off them.
-After meeting 64 year old, solo bike rider Dave on day four, on the outskirts of Quilpie in Western Queensland, I never would have believed that eight whole weeks later I would have run into him again just outside of Broome, WA, 5000km away from where we had originally met.
-That I would be caught not once, but TWICE taking a bush squat. Next time, I will invest in a Shewee...
-I would be trolled and threatened because I exterminated the second most highly venomous snake in the world, when it was located in an area where people worked, slept and were present. Apparently I should have driven 130km to access phone reception and called the nearest Snake Handler which, according to Google, was in another state, 800km away. I was astounded that most of these trolls kept non- venomous snakes in glass boxes but believed I should be jailed for my actions which indeed were legal.
There were many highlights, nearly every day something incredible happened but these had to be on the list and shared:
-Meeting so many incredible, generous and caring people. I knew the people I would stay with would be great but I have to be honest that I did somewhat underestimate how incredible, generous and hospitable they would be. I could honestly say I could be friends with most people I met. I have never felt more loved and to feel this by the majority of people I had never met is a huge and very real reflection of bush families and communities.
-The drive along the Oodnadatta Track. 400km of incredible dirt road between Oodnadatta and Maree, SA. I ticked off four bucket list boxes on this day by driving along the Old Ghan Railway, taking in Anna Creek Station, the largest cattle station in the world, experiencing the southern part of incredible Lake Eyre and visiting the historic town of Maree which was home of Afghan Cameleers. It was the most interesting day of driving I experienced and I would recommend it to anyone.
-Watching the whales frolic and have a morning feed at Cape Arid National Park, WA. One of the most pristine, untouched parts of Australia’s southern coastline that I was fortunate enough to visit. Sharing this magnificent National park with no one else was absolutely magic!
-Jumping on the back of a ute, gripping on for dear life and chasing wild cattle. If it was a sport, bull catching would be sponsored by Red Bull. So much exhilaration, so much excitement and so many genuine moments of Mother of god! It’s not for the faint hearted and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to experience it first hand and live to tell the tale!
It wasn't all party, sunshine and unicorn droppings. There certainly were some tough days where I wondered what the bloody hell I was doing. Here are some examples:
-Such as the day I was 'stood up' by a host family who backed out of their end on the bargain in a place I knew no one. Following this I bartered my time to drive someone five hours in return for a tank of fuel and befriended some ringers for a feed. I still went without food for 30 hours which wasn't the easiest of things to do, but I didn’t fade away.
-Experiencing an Asthma attack 50kms from the nearest town without phone reception and a car that has a top speed of 100km with a tailwind, going down hill. This was one of the only times I genuinely thought it could have been an unpleasant outcome. I did however manage to get help from two blokes overtaking me and I’ll be forever grateful for their assistance when I needed it the most.
-Eating Silverside and sautéed cabbage, SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROW. Now I will never be ungrateful for people's generosity and hospitality but when you have hated Silverside from when you were a kid, you can bare it one or two nights consecutively however, seven was painful. Some places there wasn’t even white sauce to cover up the atrocious salty taste….
-Being followed by a car on a straight long road for miles and then noticing their lights all of a sudden disappearing... moments after they were right up my clacker with their high beams on and started playing a dangerous game of 'Chicken' with me on the road. It was around 8pm on the lonely Stuart Highway in a non phone service area and it was the only time I was worried for my safety. Luckily they got sick of me and drove off, but I was pretty shaken after.
Over the last 100 days I have bathed in happiness that I have never felt before. whilst on the road my life was less complicated, the expectations I commonly feel from society to exist were absent and I felt a sense of freedom and belonging I had never felt before. In the places I was most logistically isolated, I felt the most content. The bush etched deep into my soul and made me feel a freedom and clarification that I've never been able to feel in the city before.
And it wasn’t just the bush as a place itself, the people who live there are something to treasure. The salt of the earth families who understand and fulfil the meaning of 'community', 'neighbourhood' and what it means to be 'Aussie’. I think many people understand that this is the case but not many people have ever really experienced the friendliness of bush residents to the full extent. I was fortunate enough to experience all the bush had to offer fro 100 days. What a privilege, what an incredible journey.
I couldn't have completed the trip or even started it without the support of friends, followers and the wonderful people who have in some way participated, hosted or encouraged me along the way. Thank you to the wonderful people who helped me find places to stay along the way, shared posts, fixed Alice for me and generally made sure I was always OK. Many of these people I didn’t know, yet their concern was real and their help was great. Terrain Tamer 4WD of Alice Springs deserves a special mention for servicing my car out of hours, for no charge just in order to make sure Alice was up to scratch (which at the time, she wasn't). Most importantly a huge thank you goes to my assistant Annie (Edwina Sander) who tirelessly made sure every single day I was safe, organised the logistics of the trip and was my voice when I was all out of steam. I thank her for accepting my crazy idea/s and assisting making it happen.
Now I am back in Toowoomba I haven’t decided or figured out what happens next. I do know my passion lies with the bush and being a platform to be a voice for the great people of the bush that aren’t often heard. I would love to and will continue to work on creating new relationships, friendships and a solid understanding between the bush and the city. I would love to encourage people who live in urban areas to explore their own backyards and take their own adventures west of the Great Divide; learn where their food comes from and have a greater grasp of how different rural and regional lifestyles are.
Thank you for all your support and believing in me even at times where I had sweaty eyes and didn’t believe so much in myself. Without you, I simply could not do what my heart was set on.
Edwina, Jordie and Alice
