Last night was quite surreal going to sleep in the middle of nowhere with the wind and rain whipping around the shearer’s quarters we were staying in. While it was wild and wooly outside, we were snug and warm tucked up in bed listening to the weather rage outside.
We had briefly considered heading north out of Mount Ive towards Glendambo and across to Roxby Downs to catch up with a friend who is working up there. But the overnight weather had us reconsidering, especially when we had heard during conversations at the bar that the road from Kingoonya to Glendambo has been closed twice in the last week due to road conditions.
So we headed back towards Port Augusta, and as was expected might happen, our friend is back in Adelaide until the weekend for a funeral, so our change of plans became necessary anyway and tonight we have headed towards the bottom of the Flinders Ranges and are in Quorn.
This town has great pubs, beautiful historic buildings and is a town which has served as a backdrop for movies such as Wolf Creek, Gallipoli, The Shiralee, The Sundowners, The Lighthorsemen, Sunday Too Far Away, The Last Ride and Robbery Under Arms.
This is a town with character and personality, and they also have a wonderful slideshow on the silos in town after dark every night which show the surrounding countryside - my first three photos below don’t do the silo presentation any justice but look at them with a consideration to how big the silos are.
Even in the drizzly rain this afternoon, the countryside was beautiful with plenty of wildflowers. We did a few trips out to conservation parks this afternoon after we got into town and where evidence of the rain which has fallen was very evident in the muddy roads that I got to drive on this afternoon - driving carefully and very slow and still I got a nice slide up on several occasions. It’s usually Pete behind the wheel on these types of roads but I held it together and managed extremely well - much to his surprise.
We have three more nights before we head home (and I really, really don’t want to go home, I so want to keep going) Tonight we’re in Quorn and then two nights in Riverton. I’ve booked because we’ve found as we get closer to Adelaide and especially in the Clare Valley that everything is fully booked out. It seems Covid has gotten everyone eager for a break, and close to home because that’s the only option for so many at the moment.
Covid has not only limited our freedom and need for connection, but has seriously upset the balance of our core human needs - after food and shelter that is - and even they’ve been affected.
I think back to the first few days last week when we set off on our road trip and I was enchanted by the colours and the sights and sounds around me. That’s why travelling is essential for so many of us, it provides that human need for variety and challenge.
Travelling provides the need for variety for me, it’s like tapping into my own sensory magic - everything seems brighter and more colourful. New sights and sounds surround me and everything is unknown and fresh. It’s also because I’m like a sponge soaking up knowledge and experiences. It sparks the creative side of me - inspires me and makes me want to write and paint and create.
It brings to mind that saying that ‘a change is as good as a holiday‘ - it’s about bringing new things and variety into our lives, otherwise we get stuck literally and figuratively in our ways of doing things. Change is always healthy - it’s just how we perceive it and how we find the positives in it - because even the worst changes have learning and room for personal growth in them.
Do you know someone who loves travelling, changes jobs regularly or who is always looking for new challenges - you’ll find their need for variety is a core driver in their lives and it strongly affects the choices they make. Combine that with a partner who is the opposite and likes their security and consistency and you’ll find where the fun begins in relationships and how finding that balance is all important.
So tell me, which ones are your stronger driving needs - security and certainty, or variety and challenge?
Keep smiling, Fi 🌻