You have time and you make time.
I guess that's what you are there to do.
Since we arrived in Exmouth a few days ago we have driven up to the Vlaming Head lighthouse, we have climbed up on the steps, on the window and on the anchor. We stood on the cliff and watched the whales. We visited Jurabi Turtle Centre observation point and we swam and snorkeled at Turquoise Bay. We rode our bikes into town, visited a local market and drank coffee at a cafe. We looked at the reef from a glass bottom boat, ran up and down and up and down an enormous sand dune, looked at a ship wreck and at town beach. We have been good little tourists.
I guess three months of touristing has me thinking about the life we lead at home. We live in one of the most gorgeous areas in our state. Thousands of tourists flock to our town every weekend to take in the sights and do the Daylesford thing. But not so much us. We are so busy running around after our lives or so busy recovering from running our lives that we rarely appreciate our town and all it has to offer.
Yesterday we met a woman who lives here in Exmouth and rarely visits the beach. Fancy being so close to some of the most magnificent beaches in the world and not remembering to make time to swim.
Lately more and more of my thoughts are turning to how we can live a really great life at home. I think being a tourist at home could be such great fun.
See ya! x
We make the time to swim, and we love it. We have a great life right here and I am thankful for it every day.
ReplyDeleteThat's so often the case, people will travel abroad and know a lot of countries but they don't know what they have on their doorstep.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in our home country we rarely took the time to play tourists we were so busy with other things. Now that we've been living in England for the past 5 years we become tourists almost every single weekend exploring not only the great places nearby but further afield too and we now know this country so much better and have seen so much more of it than we have of our own.
Gorgeous photos!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day stuff. Sometimes the idea of getting everyone organised is to overwhelming (& there's only 3 of us! Ha ha).
We try to get down to Kilcunda regularly to visit the beach & rockpools, but otherwise we're pretty slack.
My mum has been down visiting, so we took her to the collingwood childrens farm, the abbortsford convent & Phillip Island Koala Sanctuary.
Dayelsford is a beautiful place. It's my favourite town in Vic. The people, the food, the village, the markets, the lake... aah. I've been dying to visit again.
Enjoy your week & all that it may bring.
x
Yes, I can relate, we have the beautiful grampians on our door step, and maybe go twice a year for day trips. We should all holiday a little more in our local area, good for our economy, cheaper holiday for us, no expensive/stressful flights or long car trips - just to get to the airport!
ReplyDeleteI lived in Amsterdam for a year, around the corner from Anne Frank Museum. Down the road from the Rijks Museum. I did do some bike rides out of the city, but never visited Anne Frank.
ReplyDeleteI always saw the lines snaking around the corner and thought I should get up early one day and go.
I never did.
I've been back in Oz for nearly 10 years and have never been to that museum.
(I also live a 45min walk from Melbourne museum and have never been there either...)
I often think that living in Canberra. So many great national attractions and visiting exhibitions but we rarely make time for them. We have just started Geocaching, which the kids love doing, and takes us out and about in our area much more.
ReplyDeleteI think you just start to take what is around you on a daily basis for granted, I know that is how it is for me...though since moving to Perth we make almost daily trips to the shore :)
ReplyDeleteThe thing I love about being in holiday mode is living in the moment without other cares distracting me.
x
Lots of hometown swimming here. It is what keeps us going. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I hear you! Also from a "tourist town" we sometimes forget to do the tourist things. We do love our festivals though and hang around for them when many others leave town as its so busy. I think you're saying that sometimes we just need to enjoy where we live rather than just living in the beautiful places that we do. Oh for travel time like yours to reflect xxxx
ReplyDeleteWe are often tourists in our own town. We try to make Sundays our exploring day. I love just taking a drive with my men around the Mornington Peninsula. We love trying all the beaches, bakeries, parks.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to make time to swim. Even if it's just once a week.
Oh my god that sand looks amazing!!! Xox
ReplyDeleteyou know I used to be much better at being a home town tourist, but the last year or so I have to admit i've lapsed into being a live near the beach and never go down there.
ReplyDeleteBut like you i want to be more of an explorer and tourist in my home town.
do you want to make a pact? xo
Not too busy, too thoughtless maybe...? We live in Cairns and I have NEVER been out to the reef here! Have in the Whitsundays, just not here where it's a 20 minute drive to the reef terminal and next to nothing for local's rates. My Mr hasn't been on the Kuranda railway either. They're like the 2 things every single tourist does.
ReplyDeleteI think we just take our surroundings for granted. We are spoilt. Which I think is funny, considering how long we spent travelling the country and soaking up as much as we could!
I am in a tourist town but Busy makes us do the tourist things, go to the beach, go visit friends in other little towns and go swimming in the waterholes, so fishing in the river. It is what I love around here and what people come to see.
ReplyDeleteYou've got me thinking now too, Kate. I'd have to say "too busy to swim", but it doesn't have to be that way, you're right :) Kx
ReplyDeleteyour words are like poetry, a joy to read. i love playing the tourist, i guess i get it from my mum. i also love to indulge in the small things, another treasure passed down to me. lovely post. x
ReplyDeleteYou are so right...we should start exploring or invite lots of guests to stay so we get to play tour guides....love the running down the sand dunes go you!!
ReplyDeleteYou make such a good point. I haven't pulled on the "togs" for ages. Melbourne is such an amazing pool and in the 25 years (good grief!) that I've lived here I've only dipped my toe in the water. How crazy!
ReplyDeleteHmmm might try and find something to do on the weekend ... that can accomodate chicken pox (1 down, 2 to come). Maybe the Luna Drive in in Dandenong .....
I am going to be a tourist in Exmouth in a couple of weeks time, ahh sun on the body, sitting back oh and just doing the touristy thing :)
ReplyDeleteWe often do the touristy thing at home. Not the Echuca mainstream stuff but the parks/hikes and drives. Its usually a Sunday thing, we get in the car and drive somewhere. The kids often choose which roads we drive down which is fun.
ReplyDeletehmm, bit of both. we have a renewed committment to go camping more when we get home. also to not be home on the block for at least one weekend a month. just have to see how that ACTUALLY works!
ReplyDeleteSo true Kate! We are all guilty of it!!
ReplyDeleteIt is a hard habit to break into I think - the getting out and about and exploring your area. Especially when you have craft/art projets, houses to renovate, vegie gardens etc.... I feel the same, we don't get out and about enough. I think you have to make a strategy...once a fortnight, or once a month on a saturday or sunday, and then even after school in summer down to the beach for us, or for a walk in the bush for you (hepburn springs have nice walks nearby i remember from as a kid)... At least that is what i am going to try for.
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