Camping trip and hiking in Southern Highlands

I celebrated my 43rd birthday by going on a camping weekend to The Southern Highlands.  Juni, a lovely, friendly girl from Indonesia kept me company on the drive.  The camp site was situated on a beautiful, tranquil river in the midst of nature, 45 km's away from civilisation.  We went on two hikes and on Sunday, visited a nearby tulip festival to enjoy a riot of colour.  A great weekend.

Hiking

Camping

 

Tulip festival

Birthday cake

Event highlights (2013)

Creating

• Wisdom Trove
• My Compass
• Reflections

Photography

• Exhibitions (Press, Antarctica, Wildlife)
• Photography trip to Hawkesbury
• Sculptures by Sea
• Presentation to camera club
• Zombie walk

Meet Up

• Meet up walks at ocean (Manly, Watson's Bay, Botany Bay)
• Hawkesbury hikes
• Jervis Bay weekend
• Southern Highlands weekend

Spiritual

• Intimacy Group (Abe)
• Eckhart at Jilly's
• Geraldine
• Buddhist group (incl anxiety workshop)
• Nic's Group
• Pathways to Intimacy

Dani

• Dubbo & Mudgee
• Hunter Valley
• Port Stephens paddling race
• Restaurants with (Spanish, Thai, Nepal, Radio Cairo, Spanish)
• Student Art at National Gallery
• Anniversary 
• Clothes and DVD shopping 
• Dragon Boat Racing 
• Paddling on harbour and trying Honu
• Sailing 

Social

• Tennis with Brendan & Frank
• Drinks and swimming with Helen
• Dinners with Roger, Andreas

Spiritual Moments (2013)

Epiphany

• Spiritual epiphany under tree. My purpose is to be a calm, loving, open space for the Consciousness I Am to flow into the world.
• Nothing real can be threatened

Release

• Spiritual releases and wonder at being alive 
• Crying deeply to beautiful music

Being

• Power of meditation (yawn, stretch, cry) to blits agitation
• Lie on floor and Be
• Daily mindful walking
• Music ( i-tunes lite, spiritual music, Spotify)

Peace

• Equanimity and peace of mind and presence during my Xmas trip
• Deep stillness on some walks

Love

• Love experiences so strong I wouldn't exchange for anything (won lottery)
• Deep spiritual wonder, LOVE, crying, release
• Love for God (car in Kiribili & Hazelbank)
• Wishing Dani well
• Compassion (press exhibit, homeless man, Carl, Chris's guy)

Release

• A tsunami of grief released to music
• Ability to feel and cry, especially to music and on walks.
• Power of music to make me feel (sad violin)

Wonder

• Wonder at night in Waverton
• Wonder of frog chorus
• Wonder at the Bush Turkey on walk
• Crying in the rain with the crickets
• Wonder on way up Brennan Park steps

Peace

• The peace of being (having yawned, stretched, cried)
• Driving when the mind is still (Blue Mountains, Newcastle)
• Deep peace in May (Hawkesbury camera outing etc.)
• By river in camp site (Southern Highlands)
• Mindful walks around Waverton

When you're a truck driver, you know you're having a bad day when ...

Hiding under the mattress

From Sculptures by The Sea 2013

Midweek City Hike

Mystical experience: Boundless love

 "It felt as if the whole universe was pulsating with limitless love. It felt as if I was dissolving into this love and becoming one with the universe. It felt as if the world had become a wonderland. It felt like I’d been given the most amazing surprise. And yet it also felt as if I’d remembered something I’d always secretly known."  Tim Freke

During 2013 and 2014, I was regularly transported into an experience of boundless, sublime love. If often happened while I was mindfully listening to beautiful music. Suddenly I would find myself suffused with love. Love for God. Love for Life. Love for the world. Love for everyone and everything.  Sometimes the love would feel so vast that I feared I wouldn't be able to contain it and my heart would burst into a million pieces. Other times it would feel infinitely peaceful yet unfathomably deep.  Usually it would be accompanied by an almost orgasmic emotional release and beautiful crying.  

I had never experienced love life this before and after a life time of numbing my emotions, it felt like the most priceless thing I had ever experienced.  It felt like I had won the lottery.  The love literally transformed me.  It was indescribably healing.  It felt like the presence of God.  It opened my eyes to the exquisite benevolence of the universe and the fact that underneath it all, All is Well.  It created the intense desire in me to surrender to Life and do Life's will. 

Cremorne Point walk with Neri

Little Wobby to Woy Woy Walk

A 13 km hike with great water views.  We got there by ferry after a lovely coffee at the Hawkesbury Marina.  We got lost half way through on the ridge and had to double back but it didn't spoil the hike.

This jelly fish was pretty amazing with its well marked cross.

Wondabyne Station to Woy Woy Station via Kariong Brook Falls and Mt Wondabyne

A great 17 km hike with beautiful views and great people.  I particularly enjoyed reminiscing about South Africa with  Chrisèl, a lovely fellow South African.

Spring was in full bloom

 

A duck with cute duckling came into the pub looking for food.

Thank you's to Nic

23 Oct 13

Hi Nic

I've been reflecting a lot on points that came up last night and the more I do, the more I realise I'll never think of approval or rejection in the same way again.  It's just the breakthrough I needed in an area I've struggled with as long as I can remember. Thanks for making yourself available in the way you do for wisdom to reveal itself at just the right time.  I'm deeply grateful.

Cheers,
G


4 Sep 13

Hi Nic

Thanks for last night.  There were lots of insights that resonated deeply and I've been trying that meditation technique some more and it's really, really great.

Cheers,
G


11 Sep 13

Hi Nic

Thanks for the wonderful introduction to reincarnation and karma last night. Thanks for all the wisdom and insight that flows through you.  It's a great blessing.


4 Jul 15

Hi Nic

I've been thinking of you guys a lot and hoping you're well.  I'm sure little G is growing so fast!  And is adorable as ever.  I hope your work away went / is going ok.

Life on my side is good. I was in South Africa for 10 weeks and got back a month ago, settling back into Sydney life.   So many of the things I learned from our sessions together are now becoming so part of life that I just can't comprehend being without it.  I feel very, very blessed.

If you are back, it would be wonderful to catch up sometime. No pressure to start the group up again if family commitments are strong as I'm sure they are, but if you feel called to do it again, on a weekly or monthly or quarterly or ad hoc basis, wild horses won't keep me away.

Give my love to Allesandra

Cheers,
G

Jerusalem Bay Track - Walk from Cowan Station to Hawkesbury River Station

A great 16 km hike.  I got to carry two packs as one of the girls had a wobbly going up the hill in the heat and she couldn't carry her backpack anymore.  Quite the hero I was...

Collaroy to Manly walk

A lovely walk through some of Sydney's most beautiful beaches.