Yesterday we headed inland, southwest, to Berrima in the Southern Highlands, to visit the Bendooley vineyard and the sandstone bookshop/restaurant/wine tasting bar, owned by the Berkalow family. They are the equivalent to the Waterstones in Britain.

I know in my head that Australia is a big empty country and that the coastal capital cities of the states that constitute the Federation of Australia (formed in 1901) are where most Aussies live, but when your eyes see the vastness first hand, it knocks the breath out of your lungs. We headed out on Picton Road to the Old Hume Highway. Mile after mile of un-populated bush land, filled with gnarled, peeling eucalyptus trees and dense, green vegetation. The earth almost rust red (the iron content).

It reminded me of Shaun’s days in the Scouts. He spent many weekends in the Aussie bush: camping, abseiling, trekking, climbing and descending into black holes in the earth. He could give Bear Grylls a run for his money – seriously! He went through cubs as a boy, then scouts and then Venturers– aged 14 to 17 – completing the Queen’s Scout Award over that period.

The Award is reputed to be more taxing that the Gold Duke of Edinburgh. And in the 70s, there were no mobile phones, no GPS, to get you out of a tough spot if you got lost or had an accident in the bush. You just have to find a way out – use your wits.  Plus in the Aussie bush, there are deadly spiders and snakes. It was a proud day when the family went to Government House, down by the Opera House, to watch the governor present the Award to Shaun.

Shaun told me about the first, incredible, unaccompanied trek he did, aged 15, with his two Venturer mates, Mark Houghton (father was Skip of the Scouts) and Dave Cantlon. Bill Stevens, the leader, literally drove them into the Kanangra-Boyd National Park, SW of Sydney and left them there. They had provisions and tents in back packs. Each boy was to act as guide for one of the three days and had a topographical map of the section he was responsible for – so a map and a compass was all they had to trek for miles. At the end of day 3 they were to report to the police station in the park and then catch a train home.

The first night it poured with rain and they got soaked. The first day they had to scale sheer cliffs as they were slightly off the path. If they had fallen, they would have pegged it. The second day they were in thick vegetation with no tracks. It came to day 3. Mark had bought the wrong map. It was a large scale map of the whole area, so the terrain was impossible to read. They had to climb a waterfall and if they had fallen that time, they would have pegged it again. Somehow they managed to go the right way and when they could barely walk at 10pm, they found a couple parked randomly in a car and they drove them to the police station. The later found out the last day should have been a two day walk. When the policeman saw them, he casually said, “I was wondering what had happened to you boys.” Did he think to send out a search party???

Shaun lived for adrenaline, whether scouting or otherwise. He surfed; scuba dived and got up to a lot of mischief as a boy and young teenager. He was a scientific geek too. I will tell you more about that tomorrow. 

My brother Shaun is the smartest (he came first in his Masters of Theology in Australia at the age of 28), the bravest, most practical, Aussie bloke I know. And a blonde Tom Cruise in looks and mannerisms!!!

Today, yes, we are going to swim in the surf again. I love it. My favourite thing to do! It never gets boring! The weather has been stable and between 21 to 25 degrees. It’s autumn.