Grateful for a grand adventure with Lizzie and Mariska :) Grateful to get back into nature, something I haven't done in much too long. Grateful for beautiful weather, clear blue skies and bright warm sunshine and cool water.
Grateful for an amazing place to be - the dam was one of the nicest spots I've been to. No phone reception, no Internet, nothing to disturb the tranquility except a bunch of friendly, amusing, intoxicated Europeans. We shared campfires and some marshmallows, they offered us some vodka, we offered them some tea, we both declined one another's offers. Nonetheless, they seemed a nice lot and we chatted to them throughout the day and night. At around eleven thirty that night, one of them, who we'd been chatting with earlier in the evening, came tearing down the hill, exclaiming in a thick English accent;
And he was like, "Did you fall over mate?" and I was like "Nah mate, I just fastly placed myself on the floor!
They were quite, quite hilarious :)
We left Lizzie's at around lunch time, the first mishap occurring before we even got to the spot - we took the mattresses on the roof, so we tied them through the windows. Guess what that achieved? So...we couldn't open our doors. ANY of the doors. Clambered in through the boot and we were on our way :)
Nice drive out, I can't get enough of the hot, dry countryside - the dust, the red dirt, that hot breeze. Makes me think of when we went camping as kids. Ah, the best memories :)
There were a group of people at the shed (where we'd planned to stay) when we arrived (after a minor 4WD experience in Lizzie's darling little car!) but they weren't staying the night. We went swimming to pass the time; there was an enormously fun rope swing a few hundred metres around, and the water was just amazing - clear and cool and so, so clean. Spent awhile in there, then went and had some cupcakes on a waterfall for morning tea when the Europeans arrived and commandeered the swing :)
Wandering and exploring down the ravine, then racing back up the hill to claim the campsite when it was vacated. Set up camp, another swim and collected firewood. Started our little fire and started on the soup. We'd forgotten the can opener but were all good to improvise with a pocket knife :) Soup for dinner, card games, toasting marshmallows, a near-full moon and some skinny-dipping neighbours. Went and sat with the European crew for awhile (their bonfire sadly outstripped our baby), shared some laughs and heard some stories.
Boggle and card games and lollies and chai.
Accents and embers and Avon catalogs.
Waterfalls and slime and an underwater camera!
We did scrunch up Lizzie's mail to use as a fire starter. And when it was burning too, just because it was fun. Unfortunately, the poor dear flames got a little smothered.
And the stars! Oh, the stars! They were magical. Actually, the word that came to mind as I looked at them was BRILLIANT. Tiny pinpricks of light shining brightly above our heads, in a dome. Like diamonds on velvet, but even more beautiful. It was one of those things that can't be captured on film, or even fully in words; the beauty of it truly took my breath away.
Bed at midnight, curled up on our mattresses in the corner of the shed, up by six to watch the sun rise over the water. Made some breakfast on the little gas stove, packed up camp and went for a morning swim. Waved goodbye to the semi-conscious Europeans, took some photos with the car and the dam behind us and off we went.
Some iced peppermint tea at Lizzie's, then homeward.
Photo exchange and a lovely chat, then the adventure was over. Grateful for the opportunity - I find both those girls intelligent and interesting, among other great things :) I would definitely love to do it again.
Sorry its so long tonight, it was an amazing weekend. This blog is an outlet for my happiness and gratefulness, and I hope you don't mind having to read a little extra :) thank you, for reading at all.
Loves, go look for adventure. It's waiting at every corner. I've had several these holidays alone. It can be a new place, a new person, a new experience. Every day is an adventure. Make it a memory too.
All my adventure-loving, campfire-scented, snug-in-a-sleeping-bag love!
Lise xx
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