Leaving Sydney Behind

I left Sydney almost a month ago, flying over to the west coast to the most isolated capital in the world, the City of Perth. We flew for 4 hours, always keeping within observation distance of the country below us. I looked down and watched the Nullabul Plains, a 2500 km distance that I almost drove across. Watching it from above I realized it did live up to its name, Nullabul, Latin for no trees. I imagined myself cruising along the highway, endless nothingness ahead. The plane landed and I was soon in a city the size of Dallas, Texas.  I had no plan except that I wanted to head up on the west coast of Australia, see the “real Australia.” Places that lend themselves to the imagination as what reality should look like. I expected to find Australian men with wide brimmed hats and a drawn out Australian accent. I was after a slower pace of life, a respite from my 6 months of working in Sydney.

I didn’t have much of a plan except to try and locate a ride north from Perth.  I posted an ad online and figured I would have time to explore the city for a week.  I was having a late dinner on my third night in Perth when my phone rang. “Hello, I saw your ad, would you be able to leave in the morning?” the thickly accented voice said.  We agreed to meet up for drinks and decide then. Alessandro and Janina walked into the pub that night, looking around for me. I figured it was too early for me to leave the next morning, but as soon as I met them I said yes.

We were complete strangers, Alessandro the 30 year old Italian lifeguard that had been traveling Australia for 2 years, Janina, the 29 year old German girl that quick her job in Germany to figure things out, Julia the 19 year old German girl that just wants to party, and me.  We headed north through 4WD only tracks, hugging the coastline, driving on the beach at times.  We visited places that were not destinations, but forgotten places only locals knew about on the map.  We drove through ethereal sand dunes in Lancelin, the pinnacle outcrops of Nambung National Park, then to the other country in Australia, Hutt River Provence. We met Prince Leonard, a man that successfully succeeded from the commonwealth in the 1971 and remains very proud of that fact. We heard about expected a tourist trap, but it was getting late and we needed somewhere to camp.

We met Prince Leonard, sovereign of Hutt River Provence. Eccentric, worldly and captivating, the man is presence to behold.  His natural charm made his royal presence a reality.  He met with us when we arrived, showing us where we could camp, just behind his house and in the morning walked around the grounds with us engaging us our surroundings. An elderly gentleman of about 80 years old, his emphysema was the only thing that cut into his speech. As we left his kingdom later that day I played Tom Petty’s Its Good to be King in tribute.

Our trip continued through amazing national parks, gorges, ancient rock formations and coral reefs.  We woke up with the sun and swam with technicolored fish day after day. We drove through the Pilbarra, becoming one with the swarms of black flies that constantly hounded us. The red earth extended all around us and the constant hum of the engine became our soundtrack. We were dirty, cranky and after spending 24 hours a day with each other for 24 days, we parted. We may or may not see each other again, but for the one month we were part of each other’s memories, that will last a lifetime.