The pathway North

A Heysen Trail story

I woke up in a much more positive frame of mind today. Wandering about supply shopping in the eerie stillness of the lockdown had illuminated a shocking disparity between my situation and that of others, in the form of homelessness.

Whether it be the lack of camoflauge on the street; the need for people to be on the move in order to avoid police attention; or just a general malaise of foreboding amongst friends, homelessness in the city during a lockdown seems (to me at least) to be far more conspicuous than usual.

Which is immeasureably sad to say the least. Here I am thinking I’m doing it tough because I’m on holidays and have to stay in my hotel room for an extra week…Come on Mel. Get a grip. It’s not all as black and white as that I know. But the despair and sense of shame I felt in witnessing SO many people who are doing it tough, has been enough to knock me out of my reverie a little. To stop feeling so despondent and sorry for myself. And to try and embrace my situation a little. Here we go.

For my 90 minute walk today I decided to go North. The plan was to walk my allocated 2.5km, take a photo, and then meander back using the remainder of my alloted time.

The air was chilly and the wind was brisk. Wood smoke stunk beautifully in the air. Th grey skies cast a foreboding shadow over streets already stressed with a hint of fear. Fellow walkers passed, masks on, eyes down, wide bearth.

At the 2.5km mark I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at a small park with grass the colour of crayons and trees brightly burnished.

At another park, groups of horses all rugged up for the winter grazed slowly and contentedly in paddocks of yellow gold. I had not expected to find such a serene scene so close to the city, and I languished there watching them go about their business for a while.

I really enjoyed my foray to the north. The churches, the green spaces, the farm animals, the bridges. It was a pleasure to be outside.