Haven't done a blog for a few days cause since we left Swan Hill we headed for a huge seven hour drive, arriving at our free camp spot, Long Point, in the Coorong National Park. It was very disappointing when we arrived and a big let down. It was highly regarded in our bible, Camps 6 book, with them giving a tick of approval. But when we arrived it was cold, very windy and smelt like pelican s*** everywhere. There were no real spots where the girls could swim if the weather was better. It did have a cool pier and heaps of pelicans around but the scenery overall was a huge let down. You can see why they filmed 'Storm Boy' here though, haven't seen so many wild pelicans before in my life, their everywhere! So we decided the next morning we would head off to Purnong.
It was a short three hour drive to our next free camp spot on the south side of the Murray River near Purnong. We found out about this place from our travelling mates, he Cronans, so we knew it was better than the last spot. The weather also was warmer inland so was good to get away from the wind. Unfortunately the scenery wasn't enough to improve Marty and my mood towards one another. Things were obviously still tense between us, not much talking much and when we did it was snappy words.
Luckily there was plenty to do for us so we didn't have to talk too much! Not fun for the girls to be around but they were amused not to notice too much. We were camped literally on the river banks and it was such a great view. It's the best I've seen the Murray river look on our travels. The cliffs where steep and a glorious rich red/copper color and the river was so wide with the water level high. Luckily for us we got to utilise the river as it was so hot with late 30's temperatures. There was a huge gum tree just up from our camp that had a Tarzan rope off it which kept the girls entertained whilst l cooled off in the water. Marty even had a crack and did a huge Tarzan swing onto the river. l chickened out.... We haven't really needed life jackets on this trip, but after swimming in the river, and l suppose now we have a kayak, l think we will be investing in some soon. The girls were really good with swimming with their noodles at all times, and they didn't venture out too far. We also spent our time fishing, which Marty only caught a couple of filthy carps. Again, it past the time and kept the girls amused. The one thing though that the girls loved was catching shrimp with the nets. They checked them so often that it annoyed Marty a little to say the least. Boo and Meg would sit and play with the shrimp and little fish they netted in the buckets for hours, so cute to watch! The river was also a hype of activity with so many people skiing and zooming past on their speed boats. Girls were so jealous, took a little to explain that they couldn't ask them to buy a ticket for a ride, that the boats were theirs! Lol.
One night as we were sitting in silence outside after the girls just went to bed we saw a majestic paddle steamer going past. It looked so amazing with all its lights on as the sun was setting. It was called the Murray Princess and you could see why. It was so grand and beautiful as it floated down, giving us a toot on its whistle to greet us as it passed by. The girls came out and all they could say was "Wow!".
Our time at Purnong was mixed with memories of good and bad times. After seeing my mates that had transformed themselves into these fit looking women, l found myself motivated to make 2013 the year for me to get fit. So after some research and downloading many apps l started my challenge of learning how to run. Sounds so funny when you see it written, but yes, l have never been able to run! So l found this app called 'Couch to five K' (C25K) which over a ten week period gradually increases your running time from walking to eventually (and hopefully) getting you to run 5kms. Fingers crossed l can keep momentum up and l can do it, bit scared really... Oh we'll what's the worst that can happen, l can't run and l will just have to walk! Lol. I've also downloaded some ab and circuit workouts that l will be hopefully mixing things up so as not to get bored with doing the same thing. So one morning in Purnong l headed off on my first week of C25K with the support of Meg who rode by my side..... It was such a cool area to start this exercise, the houses by the river were so nice. Very surprised at how many there were really, reckon they are holiday houses. So anyway, will keep you all posted of my success! Positive thinking right?
Marty and l, like l said, weren't talking much. He spent a lot of the time on his own fixing things up with the caravan and fishing. I spent time reading and swimming with the girls. All this silence and occasional words which were spat between us eventually came to an eruption where things went out of control. Wasn't a great 24 hours and sadly the girls witnesses it all. Felt like Cairns all over again which saddened me that we hadn't changed at all in the 18 months of travel. That's what this trip was meant to be about, amongst other things, but as a family to grow closer and for Marty and l to find our love for one another again. We had found it, but obviously our hard times in the Territory had taken its toll. So on, what would be our last night at Purnong, our girls witnessed our eruption. There were course words fuelled with anger going back and forth with no real resolutions coming out from them. I was over his snappy and fiery behaviour and he was over my extensive fowl language and the person l become when l drank touch wine. At the end of the night we were no closer to finding answers and Marty had laid it down that he didn't want to travel anymore. I, on the other hand, couldn't think of anything worse than stopping this life we had become accustomed too over the last year and a half. We went back and forth and around in circles for hours! So it looked like we were going to be going our separate ways unless we could sort this out. This travelling thing isn't always rosie, l know this, but it shouldn't be filled with hard times all the time as it had been over the last few months. I don't reckon non-travelling families would understand as they only see their family members for short periods during their day to day life. You have to be around each other twenty-four seven and have to get to know one another all over again. It's sometimes hard, the kids are around all the time, there's no alone time. There's no privacy to sort things out so its only natural that things would build and escalate if no resolutions are made. This night would go down as a massive disappointment on this trip, but it also led to change.....it just took our kids to pull us out of the hole!
The following morning we awoke in silence and the girls were inside doing, what l thought, was some drawing. Next minute Boo came out and gave us both a folded piece of paper that looked like a card. I opened it to read, "Dear mum and dad, please don't split up". Love Charlotte and Meg. I immediately broke down crying and in unspoken words Marty and l started to act our age. A compromise had been made. We would start acting like we did love one another, treat one another with the respect we both deserved, and if after a month things were no different, then we would stop in Adelaide and work seek some professional advice. How could we teach our girls to grow up if we couldn't do the same?
So with the feud finally over, Marty and l gradually started talking more and more over the day, taking baby steps. On this same day, it ended up being 43oC and the girls and l went for a swim when we saw, not one snake, but two swimming across the river heading our way. I was so frantic to get the girls out of the water, l so hate snakes! With that, there was going to be no more swimming and with the heat, we decided to pack up and head off to a new camp spot in Mannum. Here's hoping its a better spot with less nasty wildlife!
Our three nights at Purnong were just what we needed. We needed to be somewhere were we could sort our crap out between us without the distraction of others around us or where people would hear us. So it is that we leave here in a more positive note than when we arrived. Another really good thing we have found out is that we love this van. The girls are settling better at night in their own beds and loving their private space. It's also really cool that when we travel we can just stop and open the door and grab lunch, rather than having to pack a full days worth of food in the car. It's also giving us more opportunity to freedom and spontaneity in that we can pack up at any time of the day and get going on the road. There is no way we would have packed up in the heat of 43oC day in the early arvo with the Jayco, even if we were seeing snakes everywhere....lol!

Bell Xxx