Under the stars

There’s something about camping that strips everything back.

You pack what you need, drive until the roads get smaller, put up a tent and, for a little while, your whole world becomes incredibly simple.

I’ve always loved that feeling of disappearing into the Australian bush. The long drives, roadside stops, tents, campfires, swimming holes, terrible instant coffee and waking up with absolutely no idea what time it is.

But this landscape also represents something more personal to me.

When I bought my car, I remember feeling an enormous sense of safety. I thought, at least I have somewhere to sleep.

It sounds like such a small thing, but at that point in my life it meant freedom. It meant I had somewhere that was mine. Somewhere I could get into and drive away in. Somewhere I could sleep if I ever needed to.

For Side Quest Stories, that feeling became an important part of this room.

After experiencing domestic violence, the idea of safety can become complicated. Home, the place that is supposed to feel most secure, doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes safety is something you have to slowly create for yourself again.

For me, there was comfort in knowing I could pack a car, pitch a tent and make a little home almost anywhere.

Throughout the documentary, we’ve spoken about the things that help us find our way back to ourselves. Creativity, nature, movement, community, adventure. Sometimes they’re enormous turning points. Sometimes they’re tiny decisions that quietly give you a little piece of yourself back.

Maybe that’s what a side quest can be.

Taking the long way around. Getting a little lost. Finding somewhere to stop for the night.

And slowly realising that home doesn’t always have to be a place. Sometimes it’s the feeling of knowing you can leave.