Today is Australia Day and for me it’s a day to celebrate everything good about this country and how lucky we are to live here. A day to respect our indigenous people and the generations that have been before us and to look forward to where we are going. To me Australia Day is being glad that I was born in this country and proud of its people – indigenous, multi-generational Aussies, people who have immigrated here and those that found their way here as refugees but are grateful and happy to be here and are making this a better country. You only have to read about the nominees and winners of the Australia Day awards to be very confident and proud of the wealth of talent, knowledge and heart our country has. https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/

I am thankful for the customs and food that have been introduced to this country thanks to people who have come from other lands around the world. All of which has made a rich tapestry of humanity.

I am in awe of the depth of connection our indigenous people have to country and the knowledge they have of the land, the weather, the seasons, the animals, the plants and more. There is so much to learn from their culture. If you’ve never actually spent time looking into Australia’s indigenous culture, visiting the lands, experiencing the art and stories, you don’t know what you are missing.

Having travelled a fair bit in this vast country by road and camped and caravanned in some remote and isolated parts it gives you an appreciation for what we have, the huge, clear skies and blankets of stars above, an abundance of wild animals in some pretty inhospitable country.

The red centre to me does especially feel like the heart of the country, it has an aura, a presence you feel when you visit Uluru, or any of the gorges in the area, especially if you are lucky enough to soak it all in, in peace and quiet without crowds.It’s a time to celebrate the beauty of the nature that surrounds us, the clean beaches, the wide open spaces and the helpful, hardworking and friendly people that make living and travelling in this country a joy. It’s also a time to commit to keeping this country beautiful by preserving the natural landscapes, oceans and reefs for generations to come.

Byron Bay

Hopefully going forward we will keep living in harmony with mutual respect for all cultures that have a common goal of caring for this big brown beautiful land.

Cheers and Happy Australia Day!

Glenys