Thursday, December 1, 2011

Brake down.


It's amazing how quickly the language of travel changes.

One minute our vocabulary is filled with words like explore, adventure, discover, swim, climb, surf, mileage, reststop and camp. One minute we are looking forward to Esperance and the Nullarbor and the slow travel home.

The next we find ourselves speaking in terms of caravan drum brakes, and mechanics and parts being shipped from Perth. We go to sleep in a cabin and wake up with bedside tables, a full length mirror, our own bathroom, a toaster and a fridge as tall as me. And I am laughed at when I make the mistake of pronouncing the street our mechanic is on, Cockburn street, phonetically.

At times over the six months we have dreamed of clean white linen, sturdy chairs and a bed that doesn't get folded away in the morning, but this close to home it doesn't feel right. We miss our cosy caravan. We feel like a turtle without its shell. We long to be on the road again.

The indoors life with its little luxuries is overrated, give me a caravan and the great outdoors any day.

We know we are lucky that out of all the places we could have been stuck in, that gorgeus Albany is it. We know that if part of a road trip is breaking down, then we got off pretty lightly.

This morning the guy at the purple place on the hill knew my coffee order before I said anything. And  when I walked out with our morning strong lattes, he waved me off and called out 'See you tomorrow!' Is this how travellers beome locals?

We are hoping to be back on the road any day now. Maybe even this afternoon.

It's all part of the adventure.

Happy travels. xx

Pics in this post were taken last week at Elephant Rocks at Greens Point near Denmark. Seriously one of the most magnificent beaches I have ever seen.

21 comments:

  1. O. MY. Goodness. That Beach Is AMAZING.

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  2. Goodness, we live in a beautiful country don't we!

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  3. errr,,, how else would you pronounce it??

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  4. Hope you are back on the road safely and soon
    Those rocks just say Tassie to me - that rusty colour on those boulders is just like on the ones at the beaches I grew up on near Bridport.
    ( wish the weather was as good down here)

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  5. I usually hate going to the beach. Wet sand between my toes. Aaaargh!!!
    But I'd make an exception for that beach. Looks divine!!
    Andi xx

    PS I'll take the clean sheets and fridge-as-big-as-me ANYDAY! ;)

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  6. That beach is one of our favourites too. Just booked our annual holiday on Rottnest for Christmas next year.
    For your readers, it is pronounced CohBurn ha ha ha

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  7. Love that beach! The water is so clear and the colours are amazing...hope I get to see it someday xo

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  8. I love Denmark too. The water is always so cool (chilly). The icecream from the lolly shop is pretty good too.

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  9. What a beautiful place to be stuck! I would make the same mistake, even though I'm sure it's pronounced Co-burn. If it was meant to be prononced like that though, why the unfortunate spelling?

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  10. Caravan park cabins. yeah. no.
    I would be desperately seeking the caravan too.
    and bought coffee......
    of course the first thing i thought of was - "remember to take the coffee machine with you"
    ...but it's screwed down!
    aaaaargh!

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  11. Such a beautiful place, your Australia looks very special to my European eyes. I would like to come one day...

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  12. Elephant Rocks is magical isn't it. wish i was stranded in Albany.... and maybe you will all have to live in one room when you get home :-)

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  13. that beach really looks So beautiful!

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  14. Whoa, that was really a great place to unwind. I love the calmness of the water and the print on the huge stone. Lovely. :D

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  15. How beautiful. Stunning. Never seen anything like it. Makes me want to hop in the Mazda 323 and head straight there.

    Your trip has been so inspiring to so many people, you know!

    Hope your van gets fixed soon.

    xx

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  16. Like everyone else I can't get over that beach!! Amazing.
    But I also hear you on being this close to home and not being on the road. I hope old Frankie Blue is up and running no time xo

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  17. I have been following your blog for a month or so now. It took me a weekend to go back to the beginning and read it all. Just want to say that I am really loving it. I love logging on and seeing a new update of your holiday. Hope it doesn't sound too stalkerishy but I really feel like I'm part of your holiday adventure. Your photographs are amazing.

    At the beginning of your adventure you visited a place that is only over the hill from where I live.


    Lisa.

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  18. You are so right about Albany being a good spot to break down, that is if you really need to break down. We spent a week there last year with the Ulysses Club AGM and it is just a magic spot. We spent a very pleasant afternoon climbing over those rocks. Here's hoping that you are back to being turtles very soon.

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  19. I have been wanting to see what you guys are up to for so long now. WOW WOW WOW. Kate you have an amazing eye for beauty (obviously coz you hooked Brenny from a young age). SO easy to read you feel like you're there. Pics are brilliant. You living the life that people talk about wanting but not quite knowing how to get it.
    Good for you all. Looking forward to cuddles soon. Say hi to Oz for me
    Love Lainie

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  20. enjoy the slow trip home kate. there is nothing life like on the road. i would swap wardrobes and full length mirrors for caravan minimal in a heatrbeat

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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