In the moment - March 18

By Holly Hoffbauer '19

I’d just like to say this trip has been amazing!!!!!!! Yes, that deserves seven exclamation points. As we come to the halfway point in our trip words cannot describe all that I have learned and experienced in such a short time.

Today we all rose at 6 a.m. to pack up out tents and get ready for the drive to Karijini National Park. We said our goodbyes to the small town of Newman and welcomed the new adventures we were about to embark on during our last week in Australia. The three-hour car ride went by surprisingly fast. We couldn’t connect to the radio so we made our own music by singing as many songs as we could come up with. We entered the Park around noon and stopped for a little hike to a gorge with one of the most stunning views I have ever seen. The red rock was a beautiful contrast to the misty turquoise water that cascaded down the smooth rocks into a large pool that took my breath away. It was hard not to break into a dead run down the metal stairs that led down into the gorge. We all settled for a fast walk down the embankment and jumped into the water as soon as we could.

As I walked around and explored some more I noticed a trail sign that read, “Fern Pool – Jabura”. It said that the trail led to a sacred aboriginal pool that if visited, you must be respectful and enter the water quietly using a ladder. It sounded like something worth seeing so I got Mrs. Jim, Mrs. D, and William to join me. The trail took us to a large, deep pool with two small waterfalls. Mrs. Jim and I silently got in and swam under the waterfalls. Behind them was a small cave we climbed into and took in this special moment. I could now understand what made this place so sacred to the aboriginals. This experience that was mine, and mine alone, will be something I will hold on to and remember forever.

We left the gorge, but not the memories, around 2pm and drove another hour to our Eco Cabins. During the ride, we told endless puns and learned new Aussie songs until we had arrived. The rest of the evening was very relaxed as we unpacked, took showers, and made dinner. We quickly learned the desert is very much alive with spiders, moths, flys, grasshoppers, mosquitos, lizards, frogs, and snakes. It is altogether fascinating, but I think everyone would agree we are all a little bit out of our comfort zones here in the Outback. Nonetheless, during our end of day meeting I could not help but feel a connection to the Aboriginals that walk these lands and have looked up and admired the brilliantly lit stars just as I was doing in that moment. As the night came to an end and a shooting star flew a crossed the sky, I thought about where I come from, and I couldn’t help but feel I come from this moment and this place.