Yesterday I went with my very fit Swabian uncle to walk up a hillside which used to be part of the rural fields and woodlands that circled Melbourne. I was shown the spot earlier this year but didn't get to fully explore.
The views are amazing! But what I saw really brought home to me just how messed up our country truly is.
Urban sprawl in Melbourne is taking over vast tracts of arable land and habitat and the size of the houses being constructed astounds me. Who is living in all these enormous houses that are taking over our landscape? What is their connection to the land? How are they using the space they now inhabit and the resources they have commanded? After talking to builder friends here it seems that most of these enormous houses are completely excessive. I have heard too many stories of middle aged people buying big houses simply because they have the money to afford a bigger house in a new estate.
Sprawling mansions a celebration of wealth and excess but sadly empty by other accounts
In Australia there are about 116,000 homeless people. Housing is unaffordable for so many people yet there are so many large houses with more rooms than people could possibly need. People are living out in these suburbs barricaded in their mansions, I imagine owning such imposing real estate has not reduced the lonely and disconnection that modern life seems to impose on the population. Most likely they are just as lost searching for meaning as the homeless and stateless people they could be helping. They could probably use some company but why dont they share?
I like to travel.... I know why and it's partly escapism and possibly a collection of other factors like a spirit of adventure, the desire to see new things the desire to put space between me and my responsibilities, stuff like that which makes me want to 'Hit The Road'! I had intended to spend my life drifting around, exploring the world meeting people, learning things and identified strongly with Samuel L Jackson's line in Pulp Fiction.
Jules: "Basically I'm just gonna walk the earth." Vincent: "Whatcha mean 'walk the earth'?" Jules: "You know, like Caine in Kung Fu - walk from place to place, meet people... More »
Jules: "Basically I'm just gonna walk the earth." Vincent: "Whatcha mean 'walk the earth'?" Jules: "You know, like Caine in Kung Fu - walk from place to place, meet people, get in adventures. "
(OK I'd just like to acknowledge the fact that Caine had a lot of adventures that I wouldn't like to experience... However I tended to like the romantic notion of wandering, as if on a kind of spiritual journey in the way alluded to by Jules... Which on the flip side could be considered to be a form of punishment, like it was for Abel's brother)
I have come to realize that I have gone from being a person who would take off every weekend on some adventure or another to becoming a Dad and effectively confined to quarters for most of the time. Or having to plan adventures in advance, of course there are now an infinite number of conditions that apply to any proposed travel which generally results in most travel taking place between our place and the local playground!
There are occasionally opportunities to do something unusual but they are few and far between. Lately I have once again fallen into another funk! A chronic Back ache has been distracting all mental concentration... I've been a bit despondent about work and feeling a strong desire to do something radical and stupid... Like sell all our stuff, buy a Yacht and sail off into the sunset! (My wife has dutifully reminded me that I don't know how to sail!)
Last week I discussed cycling around the harbour with some friends but they really didn't seem too enthusiastic. So Yesterday I decided I would take a day of my annual leave and peddle off on my own!
Fan-bloody-tastic! I packed some gear last night, made some sandwiches, pumped the tires on the trusty Shogun then set my alarm for 5:30 and went to bed early. Somehow I managed to wake at 5:00am and was out the door by 5:30 with the first light of dawn illuminating the path before me.
The sunrise was beautiful at Coolalinga. By 7:00am I was at Noonamah where I saw a friend who was waiting for the school bus, he seemed a bit nonplussed, must have been bummed out about having to go to school.. I know just how that feels! Leaving Noonamah I was starting to feel the twinge in my knees but refused to let it bother me! By the time I'd reached Tumbling Waters which is the half way mark I was really starting to feel the strain of the ride. I stopped for a brief look out over the Blackmore river gulped a heap of water and scoffed a couple of peanut butter and honey sandwiches then pressed on.
(At the Blackmore river Bridge)
(Looking out over the Blackmore River)
The second 60 km of this ride always wears me down. It's a combination of fatigue from having already ridden for a couple of hours straight and the rising heat of day. By the time I'd reached Belyuen just 10km from the Mandorah Pier, I'd drunk all my water and was struggling to keep my legs pumping. 10 more grueling kilometers in the heat and I finally made it to Wagait Beach shop. I skulled half a 1.25 litre bottle of Soda water then pushed hard to get to the Pier just in time to catch the 11:20am Ferry!
(A view of the Mandorah Pier from my reclining position on the Sea Cat)
I made it! Exhausted I crashed out on the boats engine covers in absolute bliss! Sam brought the boy down to meet me and see the boats... I would have ridden the rest of the way home but I was so fagged I gratefully pulled the wheels off and slumped into the passenger seat. On the way home we stopped at a public Rally against poverty where there was a free sausage sizzle and cool drinks. What a great way to purge a restless spirit!
