Travel. It has to be number one on my list of things I
like to do. If only I had a bottomless pit of money to go with my passport. I’d
be off.
Where did this restlessness and curiosity come from ?
In my recent history, I guess you could say I come from travellers.
Not travellers like gypsies – but that could be an interesting twist in the
tree – travellers like migrants.
Less than 200 years ago, my ancestors took opportunities
offered to them by the British government to set sail for the other side of the
planet, to a place they had never seen. A place I imagine many of them had
never heard of. For what ? To be pioneers in a new land, where everyone was equal,
where class wasn’t as limiting – to be British in another land; building the
Commonwealth.
What a giant step they all took. Most of them came from
families who had lived in the same hamlets and parishes for generations. They
came from different backgrounds; glovers, sailmakers, frame knitters,
agricultural labourers, millers, bakers, military, domestic service, farmers and
landowners. There must have been other factors, not just the lure of new
opportunity.
This migratory, adventure seeking behaviour has found it’s
way in to my DNA. My most recent ancestor to leave England was my grandmother
in 1929. Her family were travellers too. One grandfather and his brother left
the rural agricultural life and joined the railways as they were exploding across
Britain and offering opportunities of employments and travel to not just the upper and middle
classes. Her other grandfather left the a similar rural life and moved north finding
employment as a jaunting car driver or car man. A career path followed by his
youngest son who was a coachman and taxi driver as the automobile industry was just
beginning.
In New Zealand, too, automobiles were becoming popular
and many holidays were taken exploring the countryside, by my great grandparents, grandparents and parents.
When we were little, our holidays too involved cars and
travel; to the beach, the lake, three trips to South Island for the summer holidays
covering every corner, others to the east Cape, Northland, Coromandel and Taranaki.
Don’t leave the country until you have seen it all !
Even in the 1960’s there was international travel; my
grandparents travelled to Australia to visit, my aunt too with a friend from
work, my other grandmother took cruises to the islands and around the world.
In the 1970’s my grandmother and her sister travelled
back to England, plus a bit of Europe. Mum and Dad travelled to Australia and on
their second trip took us along too. Then they were off to the UK and Europe,
reconnecting with family and exploring. Crazy Kiwis driving all that way in ONE
day !
Australia, Fiji, England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, USA….plenty
more places I have left to see or revisit.
Is all of this why a love of a road trip has manifested
itself in me ? I was never much interested in driving when I was young – but now,
I love it.
Jump in the car at any opportunity, go exploring, discover
where you live, what’s just down the road, find the interesting places, not
always the popular crowded places. See your country like a tourist does.
Sometimes just drive for three or four hours to visit people or have lunch in a
different city.
Because you can.
And why not ?
No comments:
Post a Comment