The freedom of having a car (at least for a while)

 

Ocean Freedom vs Shore Reality

People talk about the freedom of the open ocean, free to go anywhere, depending on the wind, the waves, the currents and the tides. This is true, we do experience this, but as soon as we go ashore our world shrinks dramatically. Whether we go ashore by dinghy or we are at a dock in a marina, our range suddenly becomes “anything within walking distance,” which, depending on the temperature and how many groceries we need, can be extremely negotiable.

One of the joys of renting a car is getting to search out waterfalls, it gives us great pleasure. 

The Practical Case for a Rental Car

Some places have decent public transportation and we can also call an Uber (or a Grab, SE Asia's version of Uber). However, nothing gives you quite the flexibility of having your own (rental) car. It’s astonishing how quickly all the land-based freedoms come flooding back.

Looking out over Florence Bay, watching sailboats go by, knowing that soon someone will be on land watching Rhapsody go by.

You can go where you want, when you want, and make as many ridiculous, half-planned stops as you want. You can stock up on provisions without calculating if your triceps are up to hauling six bags, two water jugs, and a mystery box of boat parts three-quarters of a mile down a sunbaked road. You can buy things in bulk, and simply throw them in the trunk of the car like normal humans. After years of trying to carry three days’ worth of groceries in one trip to avoid an extra dinghy ride, this feels luxurious.

Honor system self serve bananas. $2 Australian is about $1.30 USD They were delicious 

We have not owned a car for nine years now so it is interesting driving cars that have fancy features that we never had in our previous cars. Things that are standard in most cars now, that were not in 2016. We never owned a car with a rear view camera, or a car with lane keeping warning signals, smartphone integration and keyless entry and start. Most rental cars have these now, and each car comes with its own learning curve.

On the left is Walsh's Pyramid.  There is an annual 12k race to the top (and back down)

Right Side, Left Side, Wrong Door 

And then there’s the driving side of things — and by that I mean which side we’re supposed to be driving on. Over the past few years we’ve hopscotched between right-hand driving countries (USA, French Polynesia, Vanuatu) and left-hand ones (Fiji, Australia, Solomon Islands, Japan). The mental recalibration required each time is impressive. I’d love to say we’ve mastered it, but there have been numerous times when one of us will walk confidently to the driver’s side, opened the door, only to find a steering wheel was not present. That’s when you do that eye roll and laugh at yourself for forgetting which side you meant to get in.

Enjoying the sound of water cascading over the falls.

A Brief Return to Land Life

The funniest part is how quickly I forget all of this when we return to boat life. One minute I’m sitting in a car laughing at how strange and luxurious it feels, and the next I’m back in the dinghy, balancing grocery bags on my knees, thinking, “Why did we buy so many bags of chips?” That’s just how it goes. Our freedom expands and contracts with the tides, and sometimes with the rental car agency’s availability.

I love some of the local place names.

But for a while, we were land people again, with the ability to roam, explore, stock up, and marvel at how easy errands can be when they don’t involve outboards or dinghy docks.

Saw this young boy with the Oregon shirt. Stopped to talk to the family thinking there might be a connection,  but sadly, no, it was just a random shirt from the local department store.

In my next post, I’ll share some of the wildlife we’ve come across here in Australia — the birds, the harmless critters, and the ones that remind you why Australia has a reputation for things that bite, sting, kill and are generally best admired from a distance. 

It is difficult to see, but the stone creature actually stuck it's tongue out first.