Glowing Grey

We decided to join an off-road club 3 years ago. As a result we’ve met some wonderful people and been on a few epic adventures including the Simpson Desert in 2022 and the Victorian High Country in 2023. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting outdoors, taking the roads less travelled and ending the day with a good laugh around a campfire.

The club had a trip planned for the weekend at Janowen 4WD Park in the lovely town of Goomburra, nestled in the mountains of the Scenic Rim. There was only one downside, rain was scheduled for Saturday and if you’re going out to specifically drive the endless tracks, rain is not ideal.

We weren’t originally listed to go but noticed Andrew had a rostered day off on the Monday. This means we could enjoy some extra time away as we are both in desperate need of some downtime. This year has been rough to say the least and we have only managed to squeeze in one weekend so far this year. So despite the forecast, we packed up the van and headed out after work on Friday.

It was dark by the time we arrived, and cold. The encroaching clouds had thankfully stayed in the rearview mirror on the drive up. Set up takes no time at all. Over the years we’ve got our setup routine down pat, each of us having our dedicated ’chores’. So in less than 30mins, we were ready to sit around the waiting fire to relax and laugh with others until the cold set in and I was ready for bed.

The best thing about camping is the slow wake up to the sound of early morning birdsong. Magpies are my favourite. And of course the beautiful sounds of the birds is usually accompanied by the dulcet tones of Asha snoring. She loves camping, nearly more than walks, and camping with walks is the ultimate adventure for her. Off leash where possible and free.

I strained my back a few days earlier and if you have done this yourself, you know that reclining leisurely in bed reading my book (what I wanted to do) just wasn’t going to happen, so we all got up and went for a morning walk to stretch our muscles. Janowen has opened up another section of land for camping and it follows the creek along the back of their property. It’s so peaceful and quiet, away from the often noisy camping section in the 4WD park.

Andrew and I developed a hobby of sorts when we were previously travelling by trying to identify both the birdlife and trees along the way. We are still very much the novices but thankfully the only birdlife here was easily identifiable. Magpies and butcher birds are my favourite. Their morning songs keep me in bed listening way after I should be up and getting ready for the day. There were also ducks, kookaburras, crows, willy wagtails and even noisy miners whose annoying whining doesn’t sound as bad when you are out in nature.

As I said, Asha loves her morning walks. She always stays close, separation anxiety has some benefits, but loves the freedom to run and sniff and trot along at her own pace. If she’s lucky, unlucky for us, she gets to partake in her favourite thing of all time, kangaroo chasing. We normally keep an eye out for them along the way but Andrew and I were talking and didn’t notice one in the bushes along the path. Asha noticed. And she was off. The kangaroo bounded gracefully through the long grass with Asha in hot pursuit, bounding clumsily through the grass after it. We let her go for two reasons, one she’s not listening and two, she’ll never catch it. So in less than 30 seconds she comes back with her face covered in self satisfaction and her coat covered in cobblers pegs. Her smile indicating it was the best start to the day ever.

The rain descended though after lunch but the group got in a drive in the morning. Asha and I stayed behind because I didn’t relish sitting in the car bouncing through rough tracks with a sore back, so we went for more walks (without kangaroos thankfully), read my book, took some photos and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. It rained for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. I liked it and snuggled under a blanket and read my book – Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty if you’re interested.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny though very cold, a peaceful day of relaxing again and enjoying being outside and in nature. There is something soul enriching about being away from the city, so much so that I’ve dreamed of having a property out here somewhere but that dream isn’t practical at this time in our life. So for now, I will just enjoy visiting as often as possible.

Pizza, campfire and a glass or two of wine was how we spent Sunday afternoon and evening. We used up the last of the wood, tidied up and had an early night . It was colder than the day before and expected to be cooler again in the morning. I don’t enjoy the cold but the fire and a mound of blankets helps a lot.

The best part of getting away for the weekend is the mini break from the realities and responsibilities of life. A couple of days to just relax and unwind, enjoy the company of friends, no plans and better still, no phone reception. Sometimes it feels like a lot of work for only a couple of days but the benefits always seem to outweigh the prep time. The best thing is we are coming back out again next weekend and the van is already mostly packed.

Until next time,

Comments are always welcome. How do you like spending weekends away? Does your dog love to go with you? Thank you for reading.