Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: TRAVELER (01/28/16)
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TITLE: MY TRAVELS | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dorothy MOFFITT
01/31/16 -
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Wikipedia says a traveller is one who travels, especially to distant lands. So I believe I qualify as a traveller. I learned early to be a traveller when I was taken in a T model ford car from my birth place to my sheep farm home in the bush. At five years old I spent six months living with my grandparents in a country town and attended pre school. At this time my father exchanged the car for a Bean truck, which had neither doors or side windows, or seat belts. My sisters and I travelled in the back on old car seats.
At seven was my first real journey by bus and steam train with my mother and grandfather
to the big city with lifts and trams; and further to country cities to visit grandfather's mother and siblings.
My first flight to the city was in a small three seater plane with my cousin the pilot in an open cockpit behind. This started my love of flying at age ten. Later in life I was able to fly in a little fertiliser spreading plane to show the pilot where to drop his load on our farm.
At thirteen I left my bush home for life in Melbourne another big city, for high school for three years. I travelled to and from home on the NSW border by bus, car and steam train, a scary travel often with strangers. I was told to sit in a ladies carriage. Later in wartime the carriages would be filled with soldiers on their way to war. I am now living in a retirement hostel with one of those girls with whom I travelled, reunited after many years.
While at school I met a group of young women who loved the Lord and introduced me to their personal Saviour. I took Jesus into my life and he took away my fears. He has led me through my long life.
My working days in Sydney city offices took me home on my next plane trips on holidays in a seven seater plane, which bumped about the sky and often made passengers airsick.
My first push bike enabled me to move around the suburbs and on camping trips in the bush. I was able to stay in many situations where I could have been fearful.
When I married a dairy farmer I learned to drive. My husband would have been content to stay in the same area all his lifetime, but I introduced him to travel on our honeymoon to my favourite places. We bought a two toned Holden sedan. Later we had station wagons and camper vans to travel around the country. In between milking his cows my husband ran a Christian bookstall at eight country agricultural shows, After he lost his licence I drove for one year until sidelined by health problems.
On retiring we bought a motor home and travelled all around Australia with its widely different ecosystems and climates. Australia consists of rain forests in the North East through sandy deserts in the centre, to tall timber forests in the South West. It has unique wild flowers and animals.
I travelled to Tasmania twice, first time on a bus tour flying over Bass Strait. The second time we took our camper van on the ferry Spirit of Tasmania. This is the closest I have been to a cruise; along with the English Channel Crossing and Cook Strait between the two islands of New Zealand. Tasmania is a mixture of English colonial settlement and untamed bush. Recently bush fires are denuding this unique landscape.
With retirement and a gift of money, we were able to travel overseas in huge passenger planes to Canada for a grandson's wedding, New Zealand, Britain and Europe for coach tours; learning more of our wider world. Travel really educates, learning how others live in different environments,
People in Bible times mostly travelled on foot, or camel, or donkey according to their means.
These were perilous journeys with bad men and wild animals to meet on their way. They had to trust in God to protect and guide them. We in less perilous journeys still need God's guidance and protection. God has guided me and enabled me to find my way in strange countries where I did not know the language.
My travelling days are over except for short bus trips, but I can enjoy remembering my travelling days through photos, videos and diaries.
748 words.
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