This is a conversation that roars in my head so so often.
(See “Home” below written in 2016.)
But I notice, I only raise with very very selective friends.
Fearful of the backlash. 🤐
It seems to me we live now in a world where the fear of ‘saying something someone may not like’ means we say nothing, about anything that isn’t mundane and ‘safe’
Long gone are the days of my youth in South Africa where politics
(and the other taboos of sex and religion🤣) was a constant topic.
A debate round dinner tables, in the street, everywhere.
We talked, shouted, railed,
but we also listened.
I remember clearly Desmond Tutu talking, cajoling and shouting out for us to hear, reminding us;
Share the Joy- Desmond Tutu : admired and loved by many
to remain silent in the face of injustice is to take the side of the oppressors
(See “Cry My Beloved Country” below)
Hiding behind ‘what if I offend’ is to compromise who I am and makes me feel like a sheep being led to the proverbial. 😏
So I Lean on the courage of a remarkable woman, Claire Thomas,
whom I am lucky enough to call a friend; and share one of her posts.
It is long; it will take commitment and time to absorb,
perhaps shared with a coffee or stronger.
It may challenge a perspective, or not.
That’s okay.
It may open a conversation.
That’s great.
It may highlight how we condemn and condone.
That’s good.
It may make your eyes glaze as you pass by it.
That’s sad.
Regardless, I am sharing.
Acknowledging that my bravery is only partly mine,
I ride on Claire’s shoulders
(I was going to post this to a global privacy setting,
For those who don’t ‘have the bug’ this blog may be a bore. I know most of my friends think I am a little crazy and there is no doubt that my father would have something to say about the absurdity of a 60+ woman starting to ride horses when it hasn’t been part of her life up to now.
But then of course, one of the marks of a madman (or woman) is that they march to their own drum and don’t ‘toe the line’. So here I am, riding, more or less efficiently and thoroughly enjoying every moment.
It was AMAZING – so to my non riding friends who think I am crazy, I apologise, but blog I must and to my crazy friends, well you will get the madness 🙂 🙂 🙂
16 of us met up in Mansfield for dinner the evening before our Big Ride. 5 of us ‘were single’ and knew no one prior to that dinner, the others were couples/friends. Again riding brought together people from all corners of our country, our neighbours (New Zealand) and across the Pacific, from the USA. By the end of day 1, we were one big happy family gathered around a huge fire, sharing stories, drinks, laughter, memories, food and the marvel of our surrounds.
Getting to know one another….
Around our amazing hearth
with its amazing hot water system
which kept us all happy
and mesmerised
While our 5 Star chefs prepared the MOST
most AMAZING food
With a little help from friends
and a welcome board each day to remind us ‘where we were’
Strangers were….
now friends…..
sharing and making….
new memories
For 6 days we traversed the High Country as it is generally known. From Mount Stirling, Craig’s Hut, Lovicks Hut, Mt Mandala, miles and miles and miles.
This country is stunning, the gum trees like ghosts with so many stories to tell, curled and misshapen from heavy snow, miles and miles of rolling hills as far as the eye can see where almost no man has been, reminding me of British Columbia, steep edges with the Howqua river below. The Low Country with forests, koalas, birds, insects, flowers and so many river crossings we lost count.
Hells Pass
There is no doubt that It’s all about …. (yup, you got it – a link 🙂 )the horse and once again I won the jackpot with Audrey. Yup, as in Hepburn, although she was neither slim, nor elegant but very large and quite heavy. But a lady nonetheless with an appetite that defies description – she tried to eat at every opportunity and for a day or so it was a battle of wills between her and I as to who was going to get their way. We compromised a great deal!!!!
But these horses are remarkable, faithful, strong, willing and so so kind. All of us were constantly grateful for their stamina and sure-footedness as we climbed up and down the MOST awesome hills (some would say mountains!) – and while it is difficult to take photographs and ride at the same time, we do have some and I will let them ‘do the talking’.
We wandered through the terrain used for the film “The Man from Snowy River” based on a poem by Banjo Patterson and relived a moment or two.
With a kiss at the ‘kissing tree’ as we called it, where Craig and Jessie from the movie are believed to have ‘spent time together’.
This kiss marked 44 years of marriage – a celebration worth most definitely a kiss!
And as each day took us up to the top of the world, or down to a beautiful valley, we drew closer through our shared experience and gratitude to the Hidden Trails crew who worked tirelessly to make this one of the most remarkable weeks of our lives.
Whether it was the amazing food, or the incredible work involved in caring for our horses, feeding, shoeing, washing, saddling, unsaddling, corralling, the transferring of our camps, the attention when one of us didn’t feel well, and most importantly, keeping our drinks colds!!!!! It was a trip of a lifetime.
Heights and edges
the likes of which
I don’t want to do
…too often
Spectacular as it was
The real Man from Snowy River image
Hells Pass
As wobbly as this photo looks – so we sometimes felt riding up to this point 🙂
And of course for every up, there is a down – debates constantly about which is more challenging!!!!!
It was Something to conquer
and both riders and horses
were grateful to be back ‘home’
scattered as we were in our swags under a sky alive with a million stars
Having been well cared for; fed. watered and doctored.
There were days of glorious views, river crossings, trees so tall I felt I was in a cathedral of some kind, birds calling, skies so blue and fresh, faint sounds of riders behind or front, the glorious silence of riding companionably, along with your thoughts, the creaking of the saddle and sound of their feet on the ground somehow at one with the earth. Old huts, with stories to each, a koala in a tree. Hidden trails indeed.
and in case you have not had enough : some more images and even a stunning video thanks to Rachel Meek of our epic climb to Mt Magdala!!!
And thanks to all my now friends, from this amazing adventure for your wonderful photographs.
This is an amazing city, that on an ordinary Friday I can stroll down Southbank for a quiet coffee and ‘me’ time, then attend a morning concert (Different Perspective)
and immediately thereafter go to the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria), recognised as a world class gallery filled with stunning works. To say nothing about the wonderful water wall which is an attraction in itself
On this occasion Jackie and I went to browse the Triennial exhibition.
Which was an adventure into a fantasy land that had us lost and amused and bemused for several hours
until the lure of a late lunch (very late) was too strong to resist.
So we ambled down to the river and sat and munched and marvelled at our
magical Melbourne.
Crazy, Bizarre, Appealing, Enchanting:
Yayoi Kusama – not sure why, but we had fun
Dutch are collective, We Make Carpets
was AMAZING, pool noodles, washing sponges, felt strips
Random, crazy, quirky,
Hahan (I think) Javanese
We loved this giant carpet,
with mirrored ceiling
and people enjoying ‘the countryside’
Alexandra Kehayoglou (Argentina based)
Bizarre,
Someone buys them,
Works of art in their own way
Guo Pei (Chinese Born)
Intriguing – Ron Mueck
And one of the best parts:
Everywhere people engaged, absorbed, participating.
Bizarre,
Brave New World of Blogging 