Waking up at 5.30, sunrise watching, sand walking and busy being happy – this is how the first half of our first camping trip went. There was a wonderful feeling of freedom and simplicity which we found almost immediately, despite having to drive for 5-6 hours daily and staying at each campsite for only a night. 5000km back and forth on the road for just 10 days is an ambitious endeavour which surely requires resilience and sacrifice
I cannot say it went without resistance on behalf of our children (13 and 15 at the time) but we somehow managed to make them unplug from the net and practice health and longevity. I dragged them out of the camper before dusk, surviving a wave of verbal abuse, and then we would go for a 1-2km run or do some exercise with the sun floating up slowly. The few people we met on our way were smiling and nodding with approval, thinking how good a mother I am, perhaps. It would have been better if the kids themselves showed a bit more enthusiasm but hey, two teenagers with fishing rods instead of mobile screens is a huge success either way.
It was funny how one morning, when Hanko and I were particularly proud with our active lifestyle and excellent parenting, a group of swimmers aged 65 and above showed us how it’s done. Half-asleep and shivering in the brisk air we were making our way from the campervan to the beach, preaching to our poor children the benefits of waking up early. The plan was to walk and fish for a while until it gets warmer, then sun bake and then head off to the next trip stop. While elaborating on the matter, we saw 15 sportive figures in swimming attire who approached the sea, took a decisive dip and swam away in minutes. Not sure what the water temperature was at that moment but for an hour before sunrise on a late April morning, I’d go with 18-19 °C…
As per our agreed routine, after spending the morning on the beach, we vacated the camping spot, hopped in the van, turned up the volume and prepared for the next 500km ahead. The excitement was big because 1) we were getting closer to the Great Barrier Reef and 2) we were going to spend the next two nights on a real bed in a real waterfront apartment at Airlie Beach. Life on wheels is good but so does life in luxury.
In our opinion, 500km in Australia feel like 5000km in Europe. The roads are mostly two-way and very often under construction so the average speed we could achieve was 80km/h. On motorways it didn’t get any better, with speed limits of 110km/h and speeding offence fines between $500 and $800. This is why after 5 days of driving at a snail pace we were really happy to set foot on firm grounds and enjoy the urban bliss of Airlie.
The view of our terrace was insane as well as the whole area. After just two hours spent in this Queensland coastal town, we started contemplating permanent relocation. Fantastic weather, greenery, sea views, exotic fruits and fish, and of course the white sands of Whitsundays nearby – hardly to think of anything else a sane person could desire.
We spent a hedonic evening of ice cream, walks, yachts, BBQs and then a night of bed appreciation. People and especially children really need to sleep on the ground or in the car from time to time, just for the sake of knowing what a huge difference some human inventions (like nice bathrooms and bedrooms) have made.
…to be continued…
