We set out early, the glow of the headlights showing us the way and reflective white lines flashing past as we sped north. The big dog, my four wheel drive, ate up the distance with ease, the big V8 engine burbling along smoothly as it hurtled us forward to our destination; Far enough away to be devoid of others, and close enough to reach on a day trip.
We were headed for some hiking, Faith and I, and had a mind not to see anyone else. I'd contacted a friend of mine who owned a huge farm at the southern end of the Flinders Ranges and he was pleased to allow us on the farm for some hiking and a picnic. It pays to know people.
Once at the property we would see no one else, but on the blacktop we passed car after car as we sipped our coffee's, chomped on a donut and chatted away. It was 8am Sunday morning.
We would normally be far away on the June long weekend, camping, but we decided not to travel this year as my dad isn't very well; Being closer to home seemed prudent.
A day trip seemed possible though, some hiking, and as we pulled into the driveway of the property, some 3 kilometres long, I felt our decision was vindicated; All thoughts of anything but the trails ahead of us melted away.
A few hours later we were making our way on trails most will never see, to places only a few people get to go.
This property is vast, many kilometres in length and depth, almost a thousand square kilometres in total area. We are fortunate to have access whenever we choose, and I come here to shoot, hike and off road several times throughout the year. So here we were hiking along, listening to birds above and the scurrying sound of lizards running for cover as we went.
Around 1pm we decided to find a spot for lunch. I had packed a lunch of pre-made sandwiches; Ham, cheese and mustard for me and cheese and tomato for Faith. We had cashew nuts, almonds and dried apricots for after and water to wash it all down. Nothing gourmet, just good wholesome food.
I'd brought along a small piece of mesh which I used to toast the sandwiches over a fire. A little effort finding some wood and starting a fire rewarded us with hot coals to cook over and before long the smell of toasted bread and melted cheese was making our mouths water, a tastier counterpoint to the smoke of the fire...With the crackling of the flames, warmth of the sun on what was a pretty cool day and the company of my wife Faith combining together I felt pretty good about our decision to make the day trip. Life doesn't get much better in my estimation.
Faith and I had promised not to talk about everyday things like the virus, work, our business, my ailing dad, our cancelled holiday...We just sat there, munched on our sandwiches, listened to nature and the crackling fire, occasionally talking about where we might travel next year on our road trips around the country.
The photo immediately above is where we stopped for lunch. There's a small winter creek and it was nice sitting there listening to the water as we toasted our sandwiches and ate.
We continued our hike after lunch and came across a spot we have been before. It's a piece of petrified sea bed from millions of years ago.
This whole area was under water, around 570 million years ago, and evidence can be found all over the place, fossils like this sea bed turned to rock. It's very cool to find some, and amazing to think that this area, the sea that was here, predated the dinosaurs.
Before long we trudged back to the big dog feeling pretty tired but content.
My mates family were not at the property yesterday however the farmhouse was open and we had permission to go in and freshen up a little. We left a carton of beer there in thanks and headed home.
Days like this are always long and tiring. After five hours in the car and five to six hours of hiking we always arrive home worn out, but always satisfied.
We are very lucky to be able to access places like this, to have permission to come and go as we please. It is a privilege. Taking the time to go all that way, making the effort to do so, brings us happiness and some distance between the stresses of everyday life and our own well-being.
So, that's what my Sunday was like. How about you? What did you do, where did you go?
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
Fantastic day out👍
It was pretty cool. My old bones were protesting a little later last night, (and today) but it was a nice day. Good to get away from the city.
Once upon a time that same seabed was a part of Africa my friend, before the continents split.
I think it was called "Gondwana", or something like that. My father in law is a geologist and he has many stories to tell about the ancient times.
It is certainly amazing to touch a seabed that is so old and it seems that you guys had a well deserved "rest". That farm looks like an ideal getaway place.
Gondwana land, yes that is the name.
It's a great spot to go and I so a lot of off-roading and shoring there from time to time. It's a good spot for us, pretty close (2.5 hours) and we can be assured of not seeing anyone there. Idyllic, but bloody hot in summer. Winter and Spring is the best time to go.
Should also be winter in Aus now?
2.5 hours is an ideal distance and that V8 of yours would love a run like that!
Yep, winter now...Blue skies, 13-20 degrees each day...(We get some rain too, but not too much).
Yeah, the Cruiser loves the distance...2.5 hours is just around the corner for us...We are always out and about.
If you saw my last post, the lady is dressed for winter but the guy still reflects the summer look hahaha.
We are at 17 degrees today, nippy this morning as I stepped out to get the moon dropping and the sun rising.
I haven't seen it but will be scrolling through a little later so will do so. We had 14 yesterday, same today. Some warmth in the sun, but around 3pm it started to get chilly. It was the same today.
Chilly right now here, as we are expecting one of those severe cold fronts to arrive tomorrow. Rain and snow according to the weatherman, but it is the gale force winds that is a bit troublesome. 60-85kms and reaches 120kms in some areas. 7 foot waves and no wonder that so many ships sunk here.
They call it the "Cape of Storms"
People cling onto street lamp poles when they walk around here lol.
Thank you for the visit to my post!
Now imagine if Aus was still attached to us. You could maybe have traveled 2.5 hours to come and visit us hahaha.
A good spot in a good season is like gold. I also like the idea of isolation, just to get away from all of the twitter and twaddle that human beings are so fond of.
No one has an ideal life, but at least you guys have most of it together and that's always a good thing!
Taking oneself away from others is the only way to understand who we really are. Time to think, to reflect inwardly and make sense of it, is important. Yeah, if our continents were still connected we'd have kangaroos hopping around with the lions. That would be interesting. 😁
So strange isn't it?
No kangaroos here and you guys don't have lions?
Somebody shortchanged Aus when the continents were divided, as you have almost none of the African animals.
The cheetahs will have a fun time chasing down the roos lol.
I think cheetah have fun chasing down anything...I watched a doco the other night about it. Fascinating creatures. I don't think the kangaroos would have much of a chance.
Oh yeah, fastest land animal and we were fortunate to see some of their hunts. Kangaroos would have no chance.
We have a Cheetah rehabilitation center right here and I have posted about the place. Maybe in Spring we will go and visit again.
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Lovely. Should be exhausting?
Best thing to do. To get away from daily human noise and listen to natures.
There's so much noise in society these days it's often difficult for people to hear nature speaking to them, and harder for them to connect with themselves. This is why we love getting away like yesterday. It allows us to distance ourselves from it.
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate you coming back to my blog and taking the time to reply.
Interesting you mention this.
Since last 3 months, I am eliminating all the noise. Thanks to the lockdown, I get to disconnect from most. And, of course, eliminate noise from within too.
My idea is to simply accept silence. The sound of it rings true. Helps me move in the right direction. Maybe it is just me but my intuition is stronger when I surrender to the nature.
In fact, in the old books of Hinduism, a human is often treated as a tree. He must have depth (roots) and growth (like branches). As both happens, the nature supports this depth and the growth.
Hence we are aligned when we are with the nature. It offers us a support in the form of soil, grass, land, etc. And it offers us growth (sky, cloud, etc).
We are sandwiched between the both consuming both!
People fill their time (and minds) with so much superfluous information, feeding it to themselves view the news service, social media and from the social and friends group. We tend to be really good at switching that all off though, blocking it out. I think it allows Faith and I a better clarity of thought and a more satisfying life.
I turned the news services off years ago, don't read newspapers either. I don't have social media (just hive) and work hard at staying away from negative people and situations. I am better off for it. No, I'm not uniformed...Just more informed about the things that matter.
Love this. And last line is the brutal truth.
I am known for keeping it real and saying it how it is, in respect to my own life certainly, and in other matters too.
!ENGAGE 20
ENGAGEtokens.A very good choice to go in nature and just enjoy. No mundane conversations, just sitting and relaxing. So hard to imagine that all of that area used to be under water....Fascinating. Having a place so vast like this, where there won't be crowds of people is indeed a privilege. I really think it helps much more to not be surrounded by a bunch of people and to gain some time for your inner self. I always try to connect with nature too in the week-ends. There is something about us humans and nature that makes it almost therapeutic to be there when we feel our mind and soul need rest. Lovely pictures!
The Flinders Ranges in South Australia are old. There's a gorge area that dates back 850,000 years call Brachina Gorge. We camp there sometimes although it's public so they may be others around.
That's deep in the Flinders Ranges though, some six hours from here are 110kph all the way. Not a day trip.
I know so many people who don't like camping and getting into the outdoors like Faith and I do and some would say they could stand to do so, however I think they don't know what they are missing.
Outdoors is awesome once you get the taste of it
Wonderful that you got away and enjoyed your day, the exercise is very good to help with the stress of the past week.
Wishing you a wonderful week.
It's been a good weekend and yesterday's activity was followed by a more relaxed day to recover today. It's a public holiday. The week starts tomorrow though, the working week. Have a good one yourself.
Thank you, perfect enjoy your holiday today.
What about the selfie with your big smile? You promised me a smile uncle G.
For real though, hiking has a way of clearing your head. I've done it three times in my life; twice alone and once with a group. In every occasion, I experienced a certain calmness and detachment from my problems that only alcohol gives me.
Overall, I'm glad you had a nice Sunday and you were able to enjoy Sunday with your other half.
Hiked three times in your life? I've hiked three times in the last two weeks! Lol. I love it and do it a lot.
You're right though, there's something cathartic about placing one foot in front of the other repeatedly, about going from one place to another for the enjoyment of it rather than because one has to. Of course, it's always good to be away from other people. These are the reasons we love it.
It's a nice way to burn the hours and get away from everything. I'd like to do it more often but it's not that easy for me now.
Are you still in restrictions because of the virus? How long will that go for?
Yup restrictions still in place and we don't know yet. The supreme leader of Nigeria will address his peasants from Mount Olympus later this evening to tell us if we're going to continue lockdown or not.
Yeah, I'm sure whatever happens it will be most-suited to those in power, and set to gain the most. Good luck.
Thanks Uncle G. I'll keep.my fingers crossed for some "good" news.
There is nothing nicer than getting out of the house for the day wherever your destination maybe. So good for the soul to breathe in the fresh air and spend time with the person you love. And wise advice not to waste life, it goes far too quickly and cannot be stored away.
Yes, life has a way of passing us by whether we like it or not. I guess I'm of the mind to catch some as it goes by, engage with it and wring its neck a little, before letting it go past. That way lies the ability to be able to look back with few regrets and on a past full of amazing memories. It also allows me to know what works and doesn't so I can make the appropriate changes for the future, to make it better.
Thanks for your comment and I hope you managed to find something engaging of your own over the weekend.
Thank you @galenkp, i always find something to do out in nature or at home. I so totally agree with your attitude to life. It needs to be lived, loved, enjoyed and celebrated creating wonderful memories with no regrets.
That was really nice. You wrote so much description into this post, I could taste it. We didn't do such exciting things, but we did get what might be some good news. I'll share it in a post soon. Thanks for inviting us all along on your trip, it was nice.
P.S. Btw, tomato and cheese sandwich sounds just like Audie. When she lived in Georgia, the Burger King near her place had to put in a new button for a whopper with no meat. Just the vegetables between the two pieces of bread. LOL. :)
Haha, yeah living with a vegetarian can be a challenge at times but after 33 years of it I'm accustomed to it. I don't mind the old tomato and cheese toasty myself sometimes.
I'll look out for that post, it's good to hear you had some positive news come through.
Looks you had a great day. Did you also bring some wine?
It was a nice day. No, my wife isn't a drinker and I'm not keep on a whole bottle myself. When we go camping I always have something on hand. Whisky, wine and sometimes port but I'm only an occasional drinker and am not a fan of drinking by myself.
Well, the day and the place deserved a toast, maybe you can find some non-alcoholic wine for another occasion.
We toasted with water, in those collapsible silicone hiking cups...I think that counts right?
That counts!
Such a lovely read, and sounds like you both had a wonderful time! Being with nature does wonders for the soul, something I enjoy also. Thanks for sharing! 😊
Hi Lauren,
Yeah it was a pretty sweet sort of day...A decent drive, some off-roading, hiking, fire, food...Can't beat it. I love just getting back to the basics as life can feel, and be, too complicated these days. Doing what we did yesterday reminds me of how small we are in the grand scheme of things, and what is truly important.
Thank you for your comment. If my memory serves correctly, I believe this is the first time you've commented on my posts so thank you! :)
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.Wow, sounds so appeasing to my mind.
BTW, I got to know about your account from engagement league and a couple of other profiles who post data about daily comments.
I am amazed to see that you are so consistent in your daily engagement.
Then I looked into your profile and you have been posting daily for so long.
I think more than a year.
Such a commendable effort. I wish to do something like that too.
Anyways, I will be a regular reader of your posts now.
Good life.
Hi there,
I have been on the blockchain for over 1000 days (steem before hive) and have posted 1.6 times per day for every single day I have been around...That's since June 13 2017.
For me I made the shift from making money the reward and made it about enjoyment. When I stop enjoying it I will stop, but if I enjoy it I'll post with better quality and consistency...And then the financial reward will come. That's my thought on it anyway.
I have removed myself from the engagement league for a few weeks which will allow others to make it up the top if they engage enough. I'll be back though. The thing is that I won't stop engaging. You see, I don't engage because I want to win the engagement league, I engage as it will help me build my account, make and keep relationships and help me have more enjoyment.
I hope this makes sense.
I'm glad you'll be taking a look at my posts and hope you will make a comment or two here and there. It would make me happy to hear from you.
!ENGAGE 25
Nice mindset to grow.
For sure I will be commenting on your future posts.
I am already enjoying your past posts, related to firearms.
You are just fascinated by them or you were in army or something?
Can you share your intro post, if you can?
My intro post went live on the 13th June 2017...It would take ages to dig it up. I think by going through some of my recent posts you'll get a reasonable idea of what I'm all about...On hive anyway. In real life I'm so much more than I post here.
I've been shooting for almost 30 years so, a long time. It's not all i do though, I have many other hobbies. I'm not a one-dimensional person.
I look forward to interacting with you.
Ahh, cool....you sound like a really interesting person, just like @sidwrites ( thought he is not into shooting, he is always into some new interesting stuff and crazy ideas).
Yepp, you will be seeing me more on your profile.
Have a good day.
BTW, found your post, didn't take much, just one google search.
https://steemit.com/australia/@galenkp/my-introduction-a-chink-in-my-armour-for-a-glimpse-within
My brother lives in Adelaide too.
There you go! You didn't need me to do it after all. Saved me the time. What does your brother do in Adelaide?
Ahh, I thought a lot of people made their re-intros on hive, so you could have done that too and had a link to it.
Anyways, my brother is chartered accountant, though he is on study visa there as of now.
ENGAGEtokens.That sounds like the perfect day to me, so glad you went, good for you.
Everyone needs to decompress.
@thebigsweed and I are now visiting our children and grands, everyone has kept their circles tight, we, well mostly me, were really becoming stressed out and just sad. So, our family made the decision to be as safe as possible, but start livin' life again.
My heart is light again.
It's good to hear you are starting to feel better.
Thanks 🙏
What a great landscape, @galenkp!
It is a nice little spot. Thanks for taking a look.
Hello dear friend @galenkp Good evening
What a magnificent experience, to be able to be sitting in that majestic postcard for lunch sandwich toasted wood-fired bread, not to mention the unmistakable flavor of wood-burning cooking, in the middle of nowhere, just listening to the water running from the stream.
Wise decision not to talk about anything that could ruin the beautiful occasion
Confidence is everything, being able to obtain the freedom to visit the house without the owners present, is something without price.
I admire the passion you have and how you live it passionately.
Over here nothing special, working and doing what I'm most passionate about. Sharing my day with the family That's what life is about, feeling good and living passionately
I wish you a great week
I hope you've had a good start to the week.
Sounds like you had a fun time!
It's always a good day out there away from the city.
Ours was a tropical storm rain day. (Almost 10 inches / 25 cm fell on Sat/Sun.) Watching the pond fill up, doing very little. A much needed reset day.
There's nothing wrong with rest days. If we feel we may need them, then we do. That's a bit of rain...You'll be able to water ski on that pond soon.
I was thinking Skinny Dippin...
Ask Yourself...
What would Grouchy do?
LoL
That'll work. As long as the weather is warm, and there's no shrinkage.
My Sunday consisted of lounging about at home, so it's far more mundane than yours. Certainly, it's got a lot less wonderment to it as well compared to that beautiful mountain range you've got there. A good view to enjoy some toasted sandwiches over a campfire, I think. Getting the chance to use that big ol' V8 is pretty neat, too! I now learn that you've got a name for the Land Cruiser, the Big Dog ... Suiting :-D
The big dog gets me around nicely, and fortunately we have some amazing spots to go. We are very lucky.