Re: Re-introduction

Posted by Marcia on Aug 22, 2015; 6:30am
URL: http://sundownersadventures.385.s1.nabble.com/Re-introduction-tp4493265p5707131.html

Just reading about your story and Vicar's story.
It's amazing how we found ourselves moving from country to country and state to state without feeling any fear of doing so.  I think that back in the 70's and mid 80's the world was as relative safer place and I found jobs were easier to get in most cities in Australia.

Glad that you are writing a book Adrian as I also have been just writing a short booklet about my life and my families life......to hand it down eh and hope someone reads it.

I've also done a huge "travel" scrapbook on all the places that I've been.
I left Sydney 1974 with the then current boyfriend and got Greyhound bus to Darwin..took 4 days via Brisbane.
When we left Mt Isa (or somewhere) the air conditioning broke down, so we had to smash the rear window and a few of the side windows so that we could breathe.  We left Sydney in the July, so it was pretty cold, and then we had this happen while heading towards Darwin and it was so hot.  We got there OK and Darwin was a funny place then as women weren't allowed to stay in the "backpacker" digs..(men only).

However, this was in the July, which was just 5 months before cyclone Tracy hit..so we were lucky eh.
We eventually flew on a Focker Friendship to Baucau in Timor (then Portuguese Timor).  We slept on the beach and on concrete and hitch hiked down through to Kupang.  Got on a barge in Dili to Batugade (which was a Portugese army camp) and stayed there on the concrete floor of a big open shed with about 16 of us.
All sorts of issues occurred along the way, but eventually flew to Bali.  Bali was good then...3 of us rode a bike around the place....all good but had a few mishaps .
Eventually, we hitch hiked up through Indonesia, via Singapore, Malaya and Thailand and all over the place and eventually flew via Egypt Air to England where we stayed for about 2 yrs.
Came back to Sydney and flatted for a few years and then bought a house in Balgowlah Nth.
After being together for about 7 yrs, we split up and I bought out my share of the house and eventually met my future husband (good idea at the time).  So we both took up residence in my house and had 3 children then we divorced sold the house and the same old story....I'm now living in good old Brisbane and it's not bad here although I miss the Northern Beaches and always will.
I was brought up all around the Sydney suburbs and spent 11 yrs in the Blue Mountains.  I still have many friends there and in Sydney.
People's lives are rather interesting and mine seems rather dull compared to the stories that I have read, especially your story and Vicar's.

Whilst living & in England during 1974/5..my friend and I booked a NAT tour Oct 1975 to North Africa via France. I have to thank Simon Arms for sending me the photos of some of the places where we went and showing the NAT bus in Meski.  Not many photos of New Zealand and Australian Tours (nicknamed Never Again Tours).
Look after yourselves and perhaps you may read this one day.