Our good friends, the Millers, are departing our country today. They managed to inspire, educate and encourage us to do something a little different.

Down some metal steps and down to the river. There is a large rock that is a landing before stepping into the river, sand is on the river bed. Not too far from the steps there are smooth rocks below the surface. The water is clear, you can see the bottom even though you cannot determine the depth.

Cairns was our coastal destination for a few day of no-travel. We had planned to setup in one spot and enjoy a leisurely swim and take it easy for a few days. It started off bad.

We moved the kids forward a long way in the past few days. We departed Alice Springs four days ago. We pushed hard and we are now in Townsville. The heavy road is catching up with us and my Adventure Goggles are making me see the bad things.

The wind is blowing from the south, hard. Slowing our already slow travels down. It blows the van sideways, the hot breeze barely cooling the engine.

How do we move on from the things that we believe have scarred us? When I thought of road trips I was always scared of the undertaking and worried about how it happened last time. It is time to forget and move on.

Today we stopped at Uluru, Australia's very own big rock. It was a magnificent sight, at first popping out above the horizon over the trees and then towering high above us. It was unexpected after our long journey to get here.

We are in Marla. A town where we would have stopped to get petrol. A town bypassed by the Stuart Highway. A town that we would not have remembered on long travels, except maybe by a receipt found from my wallet when I was cleaning it out in three months.

"I have always wanted to do this, even though I never knew it." one of the boys said as he walked down into the old mining tunnels to where we were staying for the night.

The past few days we have been enjoying keeping a tent up for more than a single night, while enjoying a camp ground in the Barossa Valley. Here we met new friends and saw many vineyards that give the region it's name.

The first day on the road. A road trip with friends who asked us 13 days ago if we would join them.