This story is a follow on from Checklist for a Campsite in which we didn’t find our campsite for the night.

Direct link to the saved Instagram live stream can be found here.

We backtracked through the forest as the wallabies scattered and the van swayed over the bumps in the dirt track.

It was mid afternoon as we pulled onto the main road then back down another track. Wider, but just as bumpy. The forest was dry as we passed through the gully and the squealing bugs that hung in the air.

Narrower tracks splintered off every which way but we followed the main one until we found ourselves at a sort of clearing where I parked up. The track degraded as it continued down to the creek. I investigated on foot and found that it wasn’t flowing, the water stagnant and dark.

But the area was charming and peaceful.

There we would stay for the night, amongst the clumps of cutting grass and old burnt out tree stumps, with the gully for a view and the swaying gums.

I brought Willow outside and she followed me down the track a while before perching herself on a tree stump. The sky was blue except for the wispy clouds that stuck in the summer air.

I say summer, but that’s not to be confused with a Northern summer. This is Tasmania and it wouldn’t be much more than 20c. But the sun warmed our backs and our bones as I admired the rock cliffs on the other side of the gully.

Willow found the fine track dust to her liking and rolled around in it as she covered her coat.

The dust gets right in there and as she raised her head up and shook, a cloud of it lifting up and blown away by the breeze. What remained was a silvery sheen which, after her evening bath, will leave her coat magnificently conditioned.

I noticed that the phone reception was pretty good so I decided to try something new. It was so peaceful there that I wanted to share the afternoon with everyone.

I started up an Instagram Live session and slowly people started joining. Willow shared some of the tricks she knows and I answered questions about life in the van.

Somehow, nearly 2 hours had passed with viewers from all over the world sharing our peaceful afternoon with us.

In case you missed it you can view it again here.

This was rather impromptu but a lot of fun nonetheless. I’m thinking we could schedule another one ahead of time so people have a chance to tune in and think of any questions they may have. Let me know what you think in the comments. Would you like to join us for an afternoon with Willow?

We wrapped up the livestream and I got my camera out. I followed Willow around as she found the perfect log to sit on. And there she was, looking straight ahead, tail out. I snapped away and as I looked down at the display I thought, that’s definitely one for the calendar next year.

We may have gone down a few wrong tracks to get there but it was worth it. Willow had enjoyed her afternoon – I could tell because she sits with her tail up, slow blinking at nothing in particular as she purrs away.

We were kilometres from anyone and the air was still, except for the occasional passing march fly.

The sun was getting lower now so I grabbed a beer and sat on the roof of the van with Willow, just the two of us.

Up there we had a panoramic view of our camp for the evening.

The wildflowers. The old gums. And that bumpy track we would drive back out on tomorrow.

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Ohhh, if only every afternoon could be like that one! Thanks for joining us. Please let me know if you’d like to join us for another livestream. I figure that 9pm UTC on a Friday could be a good time, which would make it our morning, and afternoon in the US.

In case you missed it, Steph has made it back to Australia and is free from quarantine at the cottage. We have already gone on a van adventure together with the three of us, and are looking forward to plenty more this summer.