Five landscapes in two.

It seems so long ago that we were able to travel freely. Now memories come unbidden of a time before drought, fire and disease shrouded the land and us, its people. Yesterday, a time when I could just be, wandering about my country, alone or with one other. These two images and the accompanying text traces hint at some of my stories from those days of unacknowledged freedom. These are some of my stories. I am just one of NSWs eight million people.

Landscapes of Yesterday

Toro and other stories

Traces

This land flows up through my feet

Once I caught the plane down to Merimbula instead of the bus. It was a tiny pane and smoke started coming out of the wing. We turned back and got the plane fixed. Second attempt was worth it - one of the best flights I have ever been on - the pilot flew a hundred or two metres off the shoreline for simply ages. It was a sunny day, people on the beaches looked up. Beautiful. Cricket on the beach on Christmas Day. Met the locals and joined in. Would I do the same again … Hold that thought. Library book overdue and still largely unread. ‘tis always late by the time everything is done.

Penders Beauty has history, Sea glass, logs, oysters, architecture, connections, retreat, family, … time, and the passing of … love, loyalties. 8 hours away by bus. Connection and absence. Canoeing, you were both utterly exhausted climbing out of the river. found by charting a plane, spotted from the air, near Lake Wopengo, the best oysters in the world.

Where clouds come from. Some things are wonderful.

Tathra, the mouth of the river as the clouds drift by. I don’t write and rarely phone.

At Termeil, long nights alone, luxuriating in front of the fireplace, disappearing into a book and a bottle of wine. Down the track, on the way to the beach, the lake was cut off from the sea and populated by …  My neighbours had a television, Mythbusters, Mork and Mindy, the news. The tank ran out and I had to bucket in water from a nearby rivulet.

After 5 days, all our … leaning into a stiff breeze up behind Kosciusko. There are more steps to the mile when you are going up, up and downhill. But you taught me how to travel where few had been. We always made camp in daylight and had plenty of water. Rhumba, Tango and the weaving rhythm of the Slow Foxtrot.

Hydrocotyl bonariensis got me the job. I still laugh to think of it. They sent me to study Horticulture, lucky me.

We’ll do that after but finish this first. It all takes so long, it takes too long, wait for just one more minute and I’ll be with you. 3am is for thinking when you too much hurry hurry every day. Monday is washing day, Monday is shopping day, Monday is work day. Tuesday is scheduled. Wednesday is … for dinner. Thursday is appointment and … and jobs leftover from Monday. Friday is for urgent jobs and spend time with Ambrose. And investigate schools. … to pursue, how … I had help and advice, so lucky for both of us. And packing, for the weekend.

Miniature Flannel Flower, Fringe Flower, Wedding bush, Christmas bush, Grass plants. …

Oh and Wombeyan Caves, Julie’s Corner, Coffs … Whale Beach, Mona Vale … Milk truck ride back to the city from Avalon, Boat Harbour, the settlement, Wanda Shark Island, Sandshoes, Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin, Tabourie, the Farm, Burrill Lake,Racecourse Termeil, Shallow Crossing, the Clyde River up Pigeonhouse Mountain, yabbying here and there with a string and bucket, seafood so fresh, water so deep and clean. Wedderburn, The Gorge, swimming in tea dark water, standing on a half sunk tangle of limbs to rest, duck eggs yum yum, the dam, my aunty couldn’t cry in front of them, horse riding with my cousins, hilarious horses took control and scattered, I managed to stay on, we were only allowed to do it once, we were too heavy for the tree branch, … on the verandah.  Curramoors sky, Charlottes Pass, Mt Townsend and high country skiing.. … for 5 days out to sea, fishing, becalmed, At sea with the motor off and everyone asleep, an utter calm and quiet so complete, the ears echo with a tiny wisp of air when you move your head. Becalmed. Then a serious storm rising fast, furious, wedged into the bunk, have toast first then dinner while you can. On land there is a constant background buzzing.

Bawley Point … the house built all around the courtyard. Riding through the bush all out along the back to the trig and then down to the coast. And my friend she … Nuski, The sea … Pebbly Beach, Tuross Heads one morning. Montague Island penguins. At dusk. Wapengo, Tanja, Tathra, Fishermans, Mumbla Falls ... Nyngan and back no stops. Braidwood stars And open sky. Nelligen, cool Shallow Xing.

Collecting and propagating seeds from my beloved homeland plants. Large and small, though they wanted mostly the large ones, I … … everything I came across.

Study makes you muddy, muddy When you too much hurry hurry. In the morning Rush out of the house, Down the steps in the Cliffside and dive into The sea salty pool. Laps then, After some time, Started to check out the sea … … … and that I’d float some more before breakfast.

Read the book I chose.

Termeil … down the track with … It took about an hour. I’d swim and read and look and then … swim and read some more. I could see someone coming from about 40 minutes away. Water was so clear, … … of shade. … w … … and rocky. Scrubby … … ..flies … And sand dunes behind  … Could … forever

Did I tell you of Yamba, Iluka, again I felt the land rushing up through me, at Mumbla, my self rushing through the channel.

The range, on top of the world Ramshead and Main, past the lake, Shush shush shushing all day through the deep quiet,

Under clean blue