There’s always something special, something tranquil about a boardwalk. Sure, it saves thousands of feet trampling over pristine stretches of nature.
But what it does is give you the sense of effortlessly being a part of nature… Like walking in the clouds through the tops of giant trees. Feeling the pit of your stomach turn as you stare down a deep canyon. Or meandering around a cliff edge feeling the power of the ocean below.
But there was something else that stood out as we made away around the beach front boardwalk here in Albany, Western Australia.
It were the plaques that lined the length of the boardwalk. It’s not that these memorial plaques were anything unusual. But what stood out were the ages of those on the plaques who had passed away. From young to old, it was our age group that seemed to be the majority.
It was a sobering feeling. Reflecting as well on those close to us who had also suddenly left us.
Maybe, as I pondered these feelings, its been easy for us to convince ourselves 2020 has been a year to forget. But unlike the people on those plaques, we’ve still got something very special… the winning lottery ticket of life!
And there’s plenty of inspiring people proving that point. Like the Albany ukulele ladies in the video below. Or Bron’s 86 years young mother. She had a mission to fulfill. A bucket list task. At the start of our trip, she led us to the small outback town of Onslow. Armed with just two old black and white photos, she set about the town to retrace her steps to eventually find the house she lived in as a child 76 years ago. And the bomb site of the bombings she experienced during the World War Two Japanese air raids.
Or my mother of a similar era. A couple years back, within two hours of making a decision we were on our way to fly to Darwin. To then set off on a campervan trip reminiscing her past travels as we made our way across Australia to Perth.
Same when I was travelling overseas. Women in their 80’s I met backpacking around the world…. Now, why is it these adventurous people seem to be mainly women….??
But then again, there was 83 year old Young John, as I called this youthfully minded Japanese American. He’d take off for a few months each year to study Spanish in Guatemala.
Clearly, age is no limit!
There’s definitely one thing we can thank 2020 for. If it wasn’t for this year, there’s many of us who would not be experiencing so much of what there is to offer in our own backyard. As with Ricardo in the below video, who cycled a thousand kilometer bike track from Perth to Albany.
One of the highlights of Our Senior Aussie Gap Year, is this south western region of Australia. The stunningly beautiful coastlines of Esperance, to the vibrant city of Albany, WA’s 5th largest city of 30,000 people.
And with the state borders now open, there’s so much more to explore and experience.
It’s so great to have you part of our journey and to share this experience with you….