I AM

The Eora People:

I am a descendant of the ‘convicts class,’ and a native of Australia. I am among one of the First Australians. It was my people who named this land even though the people of the tribes who had lived here since the Dreaming make this claim. They were of many nations, but we are becoming one. Like the song, We are one, but We are many. My people have trodden these shores and plains of the Great Southern Land for long enough to be indigenous to this land and yet we are denied these truths. 

I am of the Eora People.  I am a ‘Woman of the Eora’ in the terms and language of the First Tribal Nations People, the Cadigal and the Tharawal tribes around Sydney. I am a ‘woman of the rivers’… yet I am not considered of First National Heritage. The indigenous population of the colonial era claim to be of ‘First Nation Heritage’ yet they were and remain of many different Nations. Australia is my National Identity. I am not of the tribal populations of Australia, my links are to the tribal populations of the Northern Hemisphere.

Women of the Cascades and Men of the Tenny – Convicts All

Hobart, Tasmania

In the eighty years of convict transportation to Australia, between 1788-1868, some 162,000 people (including children) were transported. Only 24,000 of these were women and a half of these women were sent to Van Diemen’s Land. It was a male dominated population most certainly. Hobart in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) received approx. 65,000 men and women transportee’s sent out from Britain, Ireland and several other English colonies. Many of their crimes were crimes of poverty and the brutal consequence of the industrial revolution, famine, as well as political crimes. 

Canberra – A Holiday Destination

Parliament House

On this tour we headed to our National Capital with a choice of places that made our Bucket List. My advice is – Plan your visit!  I couldn’t emphasise this more, and you will find Canberra a great place to take kids.

Here are a couple of choice highlights from our week and I hope they fire your imagination because despite it being damn freezing… its been a great week. 

The Legend of the Australian Bushranger

The Aussie Colonial Bushranger

Exploring the Bushrangers, or the Wild Colonial Boys of the Riverina district is a fascinating history and journey. Primarily operating on the mainland Aus’ between 1850 & 1870 the history of bushrangers however goes back to the very early settlements of mainland Aus’ and Tasmania and on into the early days of Federation in the 1900’s.

I have a few ‘bushrangers’ sprinkled through our family history, none overly famous for their bush-ranging years but all, at times, ranged through the bush. Most were merely trying to survive colonial life and a few found themselves in gaol.

Hot Springs – Outback in NSW:

We are off on our adventure into Outback NSW, and the weather if freezing (for a Qld’er) compared to the coast. But teaching the Grandson to light a camp fire was a lot of fun… and he has proven proficient at toasting marshmallow’s which is always a plus as we head into camp at the Pilliga Hot Bore. 

Back on the Track – Enjoying Outback NSW

It’s been something of an hiatus for me as family envelopes time. Travel however is still very much part of our world and revisiting those places we love, very much part of out time. But it is time to hit the tar… a very much anticipated event.

Given time and inclination I plan… and the planning for this trip has taken time-upon-time. Taking friends and family along with us is something I love to do, such as including the Grandies while we tour, or even bringing them to us on those much enjoyed occasions. It all makes for those special memories. This time we have my Sis’ in tow… and I’m looking forward to the fun and games we can get up to as we drive ‘The Man’ to distraction.

Travelling Our Aussie Stock Routes

Published by RV Daily – free E-mag

A Celebration in Sydney

 

Sydney has to be one of our favourite places to explore. While accommodation is always an issue, and the cities Caravan Parking is as scarce as hens teeth, one of the biggest advantages in Sydney is the Opal card… coupled with what is generally a affordable, usable and convenient public transport system. Yes… you can easily get around the vast city on the public network and with the use of one of the transit apps available for smart phones which links you via public transport, from where you are, to where you want to go.

It’s all in the Planning… Making the most of Travel

At the moment I am thick into another trip plan… one coming up soon, and as usual I have two or three of these trip plans sitting on my desktop as I develop them as the mood takes me. A number of travellers like to just go with the flow, and there are certainly times when this is the fun way to go, but then at other times planning is a part of the enjoyment of discovery and I wouldn’t even consider not building up a plan for any given tour… Even the roughest of rudimentary plans is a good option.

Traveling as we do as a lifestyle choice, as opposed to a 2-4 week or month stint across the country, we do have a broad based guide that gets us to where we want to go and then there are times where we just head off in a general direction… or in pursuit of a general goal or season respite… or even in pursuit of an interest, but the trip plan is an essential part of our future plans and I wouldn’t be without it. Mind you these trip plans are very malleable … such as this years primary plan which was to have seen us up in the Kimberley, but instead saw us spending 6 months in and around Perth… exploring, instead. Plans change as does your focus, and often. It is best to roll with the waves and enjoy the ride.

Time Out – The Pinnacles Desert WA

We finally made it to a destination that I have wanted to visit for a long time, The Pinnacles Desert of Nambung National Park. This landscape is a natural mystery and The Man and I have now toured the hard sand loop through the pinnacles, marvelling at… and arguing over the mystery that is these pinnacles, which emerge from the sand, just south of Cervantes in WA, 200 klm north of Perth.