We have recently had reason to visit our family station on the edge of the outback in South Australia. A very special trip and one that my husband had promised we would make by car. YES. I detest flying at any time so to make such a trip by car was wonderful to me.
Yes, the drought is very real.
Many people have told me that I am mad for wanting to drive over, rather than fly.
Why?
Why do people think I am mad for preferring to drive and not fly? Surely it is a personal thing – and I know I am not like most of the rest of the world – in that, yes, I could drive in the outback, on country roads, forever, but put me in the city and yes, I will drive, but do not enjoy it. Too many people, too congested, traffic lights – just too much. And it’s not getting any better. The only city that I enjoy these days is Darwin – it’s still like a large country town to me – I love that.
There was very good reason for this particular trip – it was for the marriage of our gorgeous niece and her lovely husband. Very much a first for me – attending a wedding on the station. And what a lot of fun it was. Cannot imagine a better venue, except for the little park where my own lovely daughter and her wonderful husband were married, in Perth. I have been to one party – many years ago, on the station, but it was not a wedding. In fact, I am not quite sure what it was. There was no formality for this other event – it was a weekend back in my late teens. I believe it was actually to celebrate my 18th, my brother’s 21st and another brother’s 23rd. What a weekend it was – our mother tagged it: ‘The lost weekend’. And I reckon she was pretty spot on. The strange (for want of a better word at the moment) thing that I mostly remember is when my eldest brother and his then wife ‘danced’ (more of a series of jumps) across the wooden floorboards of the shearing shed – and promptly went straight through one! I cannot recall them injuring themselves, but I can remember laughing and not being able to stop laughing. It was a good weekend. One of my brothers celebrated his 60th birthday in the shearing shed as well but unfortunately none of my own little family was able to attend, including me.
Yep. Flat battery – at Madura.
Anyway, our trip was just amazing. We even got a flat battery in Madura – and realized how lucky we were to get it there and not out between towns or service stations – one of the very few negatives about the outback, in a situation like that. The on-site mechanic had us back on the road quickly and we were easily able to get to the station and back again, as far as the local town, to take ten minutes to get a new battery.
Our first night was in Balladonia, where things are so dry that they are having to have their water carted from Norseman – just like other areas in Australia’s outback. They even have special little notices in their en-suite bathrooms, asking guests to be careful with the water. These were there a few years ago, when we last passed through, so the situation has not improved. Second night was across the WA/SA border in Ceduna, which was very pleasant.
I knew the country was and still is in drought – but really had no idea just how bad it is. I cannot think of words to describe it. Once through the wheat-belt in WA., the drought was very evident from there right through to the station. Not quite so bad between Peterborough and the Flinders Ranges, as that is farming land as well.
The wedding was just superb. The ceremony was held on our old tennis court, which did look wonderful. And just a few steps away, outside the fence surrounding the court, is a trough which has been put there for the horses and any other animals to drink. While we were there, with the rest of the wedding guests, quite a number of emus and kangaroos came in to have a drink. It was rather an amazing sight. While I grew up with both, I cannot say I have seen them so close to the homestead before. Both humans and animals watched each other, the latter not appearing to be in the least bit frightened – which they usually are – and continued drinking while keeping one eye on us. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on hand for the actual wedding but did get a photo of the two very friendly Shetland Ponies that were just near the trough.
Garden at the front of the homestead. Corner of tennis court where the wedding formalities were held.
The reception was held in the old shearing shed, which, these days, seems to be used for such events more than anything else. But the memories were still there, including the ‘graffiti’ which covered some of the walls. Nothing ‘bad’ – just some fun writing and pictures from the shearers and some of the guests whom have stayed on the station through the years.
The night sky was just so clear and absolutely dazzling. No smog or pollution of any kind in those skies – nowhere near enough to a city or large town not to be able to see such uninterrupted views. The spectacular Milky Way – just fantastic.
Some of the guests were people I had not seen since school days – 1972! Several approached me and had to ‘re-introduce’ themselves, others I recognised immediately – by face, but not necessarily by name, which does make it a tad awkward when trying to introduce them to my family. But we got there and it was fun having a chat and catch-up with these people. While some had to return home early the morning after the wedding, others stayed on for an extra night. We were there for a couple of days, giving us the chance to climb a favourite local hill where Mum’s and Dad’s ashes have been spread. I do try to do this each time I visit the station, which is unfortunately becoming rarer and rarer. The last time we were there to do this was Christmas four years ago. And who knows when the next time will be.
Although, that said, we are hoping to go over again early next year. It will be a special trip and there are good reasons for it. And each trip, I do enjoy wandering around the homestead complex, taking a heap of photos. Every time I go up, a lot has changed. And this has naturally happened with each successive generation that lives up there. For instance, Mum and Dad changed a lot when my grandparents retired and moved on. Mum and Dad put their stamp on it, if you like. But they have now passed on and my brother and his wife are up there and have made another lot of changes and it really looks lovely.
I do miss the station, very much. It is my childhood home. But the second to last time I visited, it clicked – finally – that it really is not my home any longer. That ‘click’ has only taken…how many years?? Hmmm. One of my favourite things to do when I do go up there is to sit somewhere very quiet and just listen – to nothing. Complete silence apart from the birds and occasional dog barking – the sounds of nature. I think this is also part of the reason that I am not a person who loves listening to the radio, except in the car. I just love the sounds of nature – the wind blowing, birds, dogs – and the sound of rain, not that I hear that very often.
I have to admit it took a good week or so to get back into the swing of things once we returned to Perth after that trip. I just didn’t want to be here.
But I absolutely love my life here now – I have made a very good life for myself and am very happy with all that I do – but irrespective of that, I have always found it slightly difficult to adjust back to normal after having such a wonderful trip away. I always used to find that I needed something, no matter how obscure, to look forward to.
We have now been back for a couple of weeks and I am now really looking forward to a few future projects that I am starting to ‘work’ on.
I am also looking hugely forward (is that awful grammar…) to the next trip over to the station early next year. That should also be a lot of fun.
This used to be the station airstrip – where the RFDS and other small, local aircraft could land. These days, it would probably cause an emergency if anyone tried to land on it.
