1994 Return to Oz Part III

Heading away from the coast we saw another side of Australia. It became obviously drier and less green. Seeing kangaroos hopping alongside the road became more common and so did the road kill. Massive road train trucks were a common sight and my father took quite a fancy to them, joking that he was going to buy one and drive across Australia.

We visited an old school friend of one of my father's brothers, who had emigrated many years before. They were farming and really struggling because of the lack of rain. It was shocking to hear that they had had to shoot most of their sheep because they couldn't feed or water them anymore. It was a real eye opener. Totally different from the farming at home.

We were still on the Newel Highway when Christmas came. I had boasted to my friends that I would be lying on the beach having a BBQ, but that's not how it happened!! We found a lovely camp site and parked up for Christmas. We bought cold turkey and salad, some wine and I hung a few pieces of tinsel up in the van. It was different, but what made it really special was that it rained. Any other time I would have been gutted, it wasn't what I had pictured of my Christmas in Australia. And it really was a bit of a freak occurence. It had been four years since this part of Australia had seen rain, and the sight of children playing in the vast puddles which lay on the hard dry earth was more than enough to make you forget that you were hoping for a Christmas that was different from the ones at home! Some of these youngsters hadn't even seen rain. So instead of it being disappointing and miserable, it was a beautiful, special day. The atmosphere on the site was so uplifting and joyful. It was certainly a Christmas I won't forget.

I don't remember now where it was, but somewhere before Brisbane, I did another one of those things I am not proud of. At one of the camp sites I met up with a group of local people my age and with the agreement of my father, went of into town with them. I guess we both agreed I needed some time with younger people!! Anyway off we went to the pub. I had a great night, playing pool and drinking far more than I should have!! Anyway, I didn't go back to the park, I spent the night with one of the local lads. As you can magine my father wasn't happy when I turned up the following day nursing a massive hangover. Of course, now I have my own children I can imagine what must have been going through my father's head. I doubt he slept and must have been painfully worried. Considering we spent so much time together this was one of the only times we fell out, but I really can't blame my father for being angry and we made up pretty quickly.

We headed for Brisbane, a lovely, sensibly layed out town and then hit the coast again, and turned south.