Stretching time

Our time on the road is speeding by.  In just 2 weeks, we’ve passed through vast stretches of barren countryside, weathered epic thunderstorms, trekked luscious bushland in the middle of drought-stricken Queensland, and adored infinite coastal views. Looking back, the start of our trip feels so long ago.

We’re currently nestled in Yeppoon on the Central Queensland Coast, and what a sweet little surprise it’s been. The centrepiece is a large ‘Lagoon’ complete with infinity pool, and an intricate water play park known as ‘Kraken’, (both free to the public!). Utterly gorgeous, neither would be out of place in a 5 Star Resort. Today we did what any good free-loading camping family would do, and spent the day enjoying these free delights! The weather Gods also blessed us with sunshine and a perfect 30 degree day. This came just in time, as heavy storms had followed us up the Coast and inland, leaving our poor camper trailer a little muddy and damp!

Before arriving at Yeppoon, we beat the thunderstorms to explore Carnarvon Gorge. I couldn’t believe how this area held its own ‘microclimate’, providing rain and natural abundance to its inhabitants. And after a 300km drive full of lifeless earth and hungry cattle, the contrast to its luscious bushland appeared even more stark. On Day 2, we left Takarakka Camp ground to walk as far as we could on the tracks. How would the kids manage the distance? Would the weather hold out? In the end we covered 14km, which surprised both Mr M and myself. I’ll admit – I was struggling by the last leg. But I never complained (I couldn’t, unless I wanted to appear less tough than a 7-year-old!).

After the Gorge was a stop off at Mt Hay Gemstone Tourist Park where the kids and (and I!) dug for ‘Thunder Eggs’. These are volcanic rocks encasing a ‘gem’ which youcut them open to reveal what treasures (mostly quartz and jasper) lie inside. The kids loved the ‘egg hunt’ and seeing their ‘eggs’ being cut open.

After so much activity, it’s been nice to stop somewhere without too much to do for a few days. Stopping has also given me time to process all my experiences, and really ‘get into the skin’ of this place.

It’s a bit the same with daily life. We get ‘so busy’ doing the same thing day after day, that time flashes past us. We don’t stop, and drive through stretches of life on autopilot. Time seems to get faster and faster with every year. We also stop paying attention. When I’m not trying to ‘hurry him up’, I’m in wonder at how much my 7 year old pays attention to certain things. To him, so much is new and interesting.  Too often, I’m guilty of pulling him out of this state of wonder so I can meet my own deadlines. Sadly, I’ve discovered it’s a habit I’ve developed – even with no deadlines to meet!

While it’s not easy to see the world through curious eyes as we get older, I believe that both ‘seeing new things’ and ‘seeing things anew’ can help stretch time in our otherwise busy lives. If we must fill our days, why not fill them with small moments of paying attention? Like taking an extra minute to enjoy the aroma of our coffee? Or looking out the windows on our bus ride (instead of at our phone)?  Or taking a minute to listen to the sounds of the birds as we wake? I’ll be conscious of this as we go from place to place, and who knows what extra time it might give me?