Have the time of your (teenager’s) life on Moreton Island!
November 17, 2021
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I wake up as the smell of petrol fills the car. We stop while it is still dark, while the air is crisp for a break and fill the tank. Then, getting out of the car to stretch our legs, everyone is ready for ma’s ham, cheese and mayo rolls and warm Rooibos tea for our kiddy’s flasks. There was excitement in the air when we left home in the early morning hours that were still with us even though we were tired of spending hours sitting in the car.
We were on a road trip.
Some of my best memories are driving to our holiday destination as a child. Stopping at service stations at the freeway side, sometimes getting dressed and brushing our teeth because we left home early that morning. The memories I can make with the special people in my life are what makes me want to hit the road with our favourite tunes in the background. These memories and experiences are why we surrender to our Wanderlust time and again. The thrill of a road trip makes me want to load the family in the car and get lost.
This is what I love about road tripping. It draws me to take the open road to anywhere, as much as I can.
So what is a road trip exactly?
It is definitely not just a long car ride to a destination. When you don’t rush and stop to see and try new and exciting things and, in the process, we get to know ourselves and our fellow travellers in the car’s limited space, so much better. You get to know the people in the car with you differently with long hours of authentic communication and not doing much else.
We might have a destination, or we might not. We are on the road to enjoy the scenery first.
The destination, for now, comes second because the vacation starts the moment everyone is in the car, and everyone falls into an accepting silence and settle info for the long ride.
The music is essential in our car, the perfect time to go back to the old-time favourites and teach the kids “real music” from when we grew up.
The places we pass and stop at becomes part of the journey and makes excellent memories we talk about years to come.
The remote campsite where we stopped over and made a campfire, the pub where we had a beer and that first outback festival we will never forget.
The Ned Kelly Museums is our chance to teach our kids something about history. Homemade zucchini slices at the little cafe prompt us to appreciate the honest country hospitality or tasty homemade Aussie hamburgers or Mrs Mac’s pies; we eat what is offered.
Even the bad experiences become good memories, like the flat car battery or getting bogged in the mud for days after a hefty rainfall.
The souvenirs from a road trip become conversation starters. Coasters from the pubs we visited and menus from takeaway places become part of our holiday albums.
The direction or length of our road trips is often spontaneous, and that is when we make the best stories. We learn to accept the unchangeable and make decisions on the spot. Besides, our modern lives are busy and hitting the road encourages us to stop, breathe, and enjoy life.
Overall, it may be said that road trips are when we leave our busy schedules at home and embrace the unknown to hit the road and discover the world around us.
So, where do you want to go on your next road trip?
Our next road trip is to the beach! Hello Sunshine Coast.
Get in the car and go!
