Friends without fences

I reckon if you sit still long enough in one place on the Stuart Highway (the road up the centre of Australia from south to north) the whole of the Grey Army (retired people travelling Australia) go past sooner or later.



Australian entertainment complete with didgeridoo, guitar and mouth organ

This  belief was  reinforced for me when, whilst  sitting having dinner last night sharing one of the fantastic staff specials here at the caravan park and listening to the live music, we  were delighted to be greeted by a couple we haven’t seen for over two years.  These two were regulars here at the park and we have met them in other places on our travels. The rest of the evening was passed catching up with each other’s lives, and planning when we might meet next.

Further around in the quiet dining area was a table of five couples we know both by name and their caravan and car set ups, and whom have become part of our travel family.

Mataranka Hot Springs where the problems of the world
are solved and friends for life made.

 

City life has changed. When I was a child we knew all the names of the children in the street, knew their parents by name and were welcomed most of the time into each other’s houses.

I am quite ashamed to confess that during the two years we were in our last house the only time I interacted with our neighbours, other than a friendly wave as I drove out each morning, was when they were packing up their camper to go on holidays. We agreed to do the neighbourly thing and keep an eye on the place.  Even sadder than this was that I didn’t know my neighbour’s names. Although we did know the name of the two dogs. This important piece of information was gleaned from the “Be quiet *****,” that was uttered late at night and early in the morning.

At this stage our social life was much more likely to consist of formal dinners out, and large gatherings of friends and family from other places in town than a friendly chat over the fence or a block barbecue. On our street people lived inside their fences and did everything possible not to be overlooked by the neighbours.

Later that year we moved with the caravan into a city caravan park. The idea was to iron out any issues before we embarked on our changed life.

What a contrast!  The van wasn’t even properly in our spot before there were people over perusing our rig, discussing the proper way to anchor the annex against strong winds and checking out K’s wind generator.  K really prefers to set up witout spectators so his usually ready smile was a bit  strained after an hour or so, and I had exhausted our supply of bought biscuits by then but we had made friends.

Later that day we explored the park and to our delight found old neighbours who had been next door to us in Darwin the July before.

Sunset on Mindil beach Darwin, with friends

So I wonder why it is so easy to make friends on the road. Does it have something to do with fences, both literal and figurative I wonder.

 

 

Cheers Sue

 

A Ferg on the Move.