If you have been following our tour for a while now you will certainly agree that it has had everything the world could throw at us. All the hardships and despair one would expect to encounter on such a long journey, coupled with all the great times and exciting adventures we hoped to experience while exploring our vast country.
Some of these events have only had short-term effects, while others have left lasting impressions. Some have cut holes into our hearts, while others have helped filled the void. Some have been anticipated, and some have struck the tour suddenly from around a blind corner. The last week has had it all. The good, the bad, the ugly.... and the amazing.
Today was one such day where everything just seemed to go as planned, and the unexpected (on this occasion!) was welcomed with open arms. We were really looking forward to meeting our friends at Origin, many of whom we have been in regular contact with through email all year but had never actually met in person. It’s always good to put faces to the names you know so well in cyberspace. We were lucky enough to have a similar meeting down in Adelaide when we caught up with the team at Carbon Planet to let them know how the tour was progressing, and the impact we felt it was having on moving people towards a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
The presentation and morning tea down at Oxley’s on the River went really well, and we were interested to hear from the team at Origin some of the new public programs and internal activities they have been undertaking to assist and encourage individuals to take some environmental initiatives. Building a sustainable future surely requires a group effort, and the corporate responsibility being shown by the large companies such as Origin and Toyota is setting a great example for other corporations to follow suit.
The big, unexpected, and highly welcome surprise came just after morning tea. Fiona from Origin took us by the hand and said, “Come on, let’s go shopping!!” At first I didn’t know what to say, but with the knowledge that our bank balance had just moved from three digits to two, my instincts took over and I obediently followed! Fiona took us to the nearest supermarket, grabbed TWO trolleys and told us to fill them. We followed her orders with great zest.
Talk about feast or famine. One day we are deciding how to ration our last few packets of noodles, and the next we are trying to figure out how to fit all of our food in the support car. Origin gave us the equivalent of 17 IGA donations (that we have worked so hard for!) in just one huge shop. As if this wasn’t enough, Fiona then shouted us lunch at a great cafe down the road that the MyPOWER budget hasn’t been able to support since we left. The way to MyPOWER’s heart is through their stomach. I’m guessing our friends at Origin sensed this! We left Brisbane with full tummies and a car full of food. It will probably get us back to Sydney... things are looking up!
A massive thanks to the Team at Origin and Tommy’s relatives, Paul and Barbara, for looking after us so much during our stay in Brisbane. It gave us a great chance to regroup after a heavy week on the road and prepare for what really is the home stretch to Sydney.
Quote of the Day:
“Tough times are there so you can have a good time later on – and really appreciate it!” – Anonymous
Matt
matt@mypower.org.au