campin in the bush

So many good things have happened recently, but how bout I start from the beginning, eh?

Well, last weekend, an amazing group of Aussie friends and I headed out to the bush to engage in a camping extravaganza, in full-on Australian fashion. After trudging through many hectic puddles in Jono's ute (truck), we finally made it to the campsite that Bushman Beckett, Ming, Isy, Jack, and Kurt had already set up for us. Our tent was up, the 4wd/kitchen station was ready for action, bonfire was rollin hot and heavy, and the waves were pounding on the beach below (but I guess only God is to credit for that one). It was remarkable, especially when we woke up and discovered what it all looked like in the daylight.

Plans for spearfishing and other water activities were ex-nayed due to the hectic wave action happening that Saturday (although the boys all still braved the ocean for a surf, of course). However, after a really lazy and long brekky/lunchie over the fire, we all ventured out to discover the sand and a little island just off the coast. It started raining while we were out, which made it all the better, and although it was cold out, a few sips of sweet white wine in the arvo was enough to keep us a bit warmer. We frisbeed our way down the shoreline, and when we got to the island, we rolled up our pantlegs and waded across to the rocks on the other side of the island. Poor Beckett lost his fancy cell phone in those waters. Luckily, it was in a waterproof case. So some sea creature will still be able to use the phone when they find it. Good.

So we made it across (without Ming drowning in the process), and bushwacked through some shrubbery till we got a rocky bit where we could see a dolphin popping its backside up out of the water, and crazy birds swooping into the water from the sky to catch their prey. It was truly terrific. And then on our way back to the campsite, we happened upon the loveliest Australian seal plopped on the sand. Lovely is a bit of an exaggeration though, I suppose, considering it was dead, on its back, with pools of blood gathering around its knarly teeth and the gaping hole in his stomach. Interesting and lovely, in a scientifically weird sorta way I guess.

That night, Beckett whipped out the most gourmet and delicious campfire-oven dinner as well. Chicken, some sorta red meat, and heaps of veg. Finish that off with a nice glass of red wine, bits of Toblerone chocolate, and a good chat by the fire... golden. In the morning we were in no hurry still, but slowly packed our things together, whilst blasting Hillsong worship (it was Sunday morning, after all) and then some screamo too of course. Personally, I was feelin the need for some country, but even in Australia, most people don't share my love for that genre. We washed dishes in the ocean with sand as our scrubbers, and I went on a nice long walk down the beach one last time. The sun was high and warm (considering the chill we had been feeling so much recently), I even stayed in my tank! Kurt showed us how he has mad handstanding skillz, which was majorly impressive, Beckett threw himself into a bush and Ming attempted to copy, but instead almost seriously injured himself on the metal wiring behind the bush. And then he tried it again and did the same thing, again. Jono's ute wouldn't work, but our inventive and handy men got it going after a while.

Yeah, so the whole trip was a refreshing adventure. Spent a lot of time just sitting on red rocks overlooking the vast ocean and breathing in the fresh, salty air. At times like that, I try to pray, but words can't even describe what I want to say, and songs are... well... let's just say I can't sing, so I get distracted by my own wretched voice. So I just sit. And breathe. And take photos. And hum to myself. And make designs with my feet in the sand, and with my fingers on the rock. And somewhere in all of that, I know that God hears my heart and the prayers that I'm lifting up to Him. Oh and I saw the most breathtaking sunrise on Sunday morning when I went for my walk. That big ball of gold fire lifted itself out of the ocean in such a majestic way, I was just.. breathless. God is so beautiful. I see it in the ocean, in campfires, in the amazing people that He has so wonderfully designed, whom He cherishes. And everything has His mark upon it.








"For what can be known about God is made plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20