Travelogue: Australia – Plans Made

How many times have I got to learn the lesson? NEVER MAKE PLANS! Perhaps I should have it tattooed onto the inside of my eye lids in fluorescent paint so that I can see it as I sleep.

The plan was that about this time I would be sitting on a plane to head off to Uluru. That would be ‘Ayers Rock’ to those of us not from here in Australia. – Much like the re… or would that be the ‘un-renaming’ of Mt. McKinley back in the states to its aboriginal name of ‘Denali.’ It is apparently now considered more proper to use the name that had been in place for time immemorial before the arrival of Europeans.

The plan, that I had had made for me was to fly this morning (Saturday) to Ayers Rock (the area) and stay there for the weekend. There was a sunset dinner party overlooking the mountain; there was a morning breakfast trail hike at sunrise. It all sounded lovely.

Unfortunately, there was a slight problem with the bookings and I had to get my passport into the office of the travel agent before they closed last night so I could actually purchase the bookings. This I failed to do as I was still in the office when they closed.

So instead, I have arranged for a car hire to come by the hotel. I’ll be renting a car for the weekend and heading off to do some sightseeing on my own. I’m really rather looking forward to it! Because, really, many of my biggest (fun and exciting) travel adventures in my years of business travel have been – at least some of those from which I have the best travel stories –.have come from these spur-or-the-moment changes in plan!

I’m really rather excited about striking out to see where the roads lead! This promises to be an adventure; if for no other reason than remembering how to drive on the left-hand side of the road! (It does involve skills I haven’t used since I lived in London.)

Wherever you are this morning I hope that your weekend promises fun, excitement, and adventure!

Don Bergquist – 24 March 2012 – Canberra, ACT, Australia