Going Home & Coming Home.

Holidays Pt 1. NSW

Well after the flooding that occurred, a week or so later we had a window of opportunity to drive out of Birrindudu! So we took it as we had flights booked to head to NSW and catch up with my family.

We Jumped on a red eye and landed in Sydney where my dad picked us up and we drove North West to Monkerai. We spent the next few days in what I could only describe as a cocoon of love and peace.

My mum had gone and bought all of mine and Jordans favourite foods, the shower was even stocked with luxurious body washes and my face got a treat with good face creams.

They live high on a hill and there is no noise, the clouds float across the mountains and I took advantage of the quiet dirt road to walk with my sisters. Dinner each night was a fun affair as we all gathered around together to eat just as we did as kids.

They even put on a party for Della's 3rd Birthday, Pinata and all!

I spent time cuddling my niece Sienna Eve, I cherished every moment I held her.

Everyone took time off work or put time aside to spend as much time as they could with us.

It was a sad goodbye as we headed off to WA & to Jordans family.

Holidays Pt 2. WA

We landed in Perth and the girls ran into the arms of 'Sonny' Jordans mum, and for Della another birthday cake! Our whole time in WA the girls were surrounded by Jordans family and doted on, they especially loved their older cousins, Ruby so much so she cried when we had to leave them.

Here we explored playgrounds and beaches, Ruby jumped off a Jetty into Jordans arms and Della learnt the joy of kicking down sandcastles.

The highlight of this was watching Jordans brother get married, the week leading up to it we spent time drinking and eating and listening to stories from Jordan & Frasers childhood. Jordan stood beside him as best man and our girls walked down the aisle holding hands but forgetting to throw out the petals!

It was an evening so full of love, joy and laughter. It really was over too soon.

More tears were shed mostly by Ruby and I as we realised our holiday was well & truly at an end and we were saying goodbye to more family.

I barely took a photo for these few weeks in WA as I just enjoyed being in the moment.

Holidays Over - Coming Home.

When we left Birrindudu there was still water everywhere and isolated storms continued to fall after the initial flooding. The waters had receded in the Sturt on our driveway enough to allow us to drive out. I didn't think that we would return home to more water..

We landed in Darwin & stayed the night as initially we were due to have a managers conference but due to flooding it was cancelled and held via zoom instead.

We watched water levels rise and fall over bridges that were along our 700km trip home from Katherine and kept checking the radar for rain our eyes widened slightly each time more rain was recorded.

The night we got to Katherine from Darwin over 100mm was recorded in town.

We arranged our bags to take as little as we could into a helicopter and I got together some food supplies to take in with us.

We left early in the morning as a river was rising and we were hoping to cross it before it became impassable again. We crossed it as it lapt at the bridge deck and that was a small relief.

As we hit the gravel road beyond Kalkaringi headed due west we wondered what was ahead of us but we didn't expect the road to be totally underwater in spots a few kms long.

I'd love to tell you we got through without mishap but we did sink into some old wheel ruts and if we didn't have another vehicle travelling with us and recovery gear on hand I doubt we would have got out on our own.

We made it to Inverway Station driving through the rain to get there we hoped like hell it would go away so a helicopter could get to us and get us home - from here we are a mere 75kms from home but our driveway is completely inaccessible with the Sturt a few hundred metres wide and the road either side boggy there's no other way in but by helicopter right now - even the airstrip has water across it again.

Music to my ears I heard it land and up into the air we went.

The land beneath me shimmering with water, everything so vividly green and red, showers falling around us, clouds building in the distance and hundreds of birds enjoying this truly wet season. A band of brumbies with two foals took flight below us racing through country that was burnt to a crisp now a vibrant green.

It was a funny feeling coming home. Relief to be back, relief all the animals are ok.

Anxiety at the amount of water everywhere, no idea when we will be able to get in or out to get supplies, a helicopter is all that can land. More rain is due in the next few days and I genuinely hope it's not enough to bring the water up anymore.

I sent the images I took to main roads, the fella said he'd never seen this much water on the Buntine Highway in 20 years! My concerns about trucks and supplies are valid.

Home is where the heart is. I called this 'going home & coming home' because of this reason. Whenever you go to your family it feels like going home. For us coming home is where our little family is. This particular trip has made me realise how much I have truly missed our families and all that comes with that.

It's made me realise how much Jordan and I have come through on our own working and having a family so remotely and so isolated from those that love us and could have helped us.

I've learnt my girls are social and kind but have stubborn streaks and sometimes tempers to boot.

To our families, we love you and miss you.

To the rain gods - may you please send the rain some where it's needed, we are saturated!

G

xx