When the news broke that our little boy’s heart had stopped, Dave and I held each other and tried to see how we would get through this tragedy. I was adamant I didn’t want to return to work anytime soon and as the idea of a holiday was thrown around, I blurted out, ‘I want to head back to Adelaide to see Elyce and meet Wyatt.’
My friend Elyce and I had a very strange relationship and we were polar opposites when we first met back in 2013. Yet, who would have guessed, 11 years later, two weddings, a move to Adelaide and two babies – we’re still thick as thieves!
When Elyce first came on the scene, her, her partner and I were like the three amigos. We were together most weekends, traveling the countryside, attending car shows and partying into the early hours of the morning. As she didn’t know anyone in the area other than our small group of friends, her and I spent a lot of time together during the first few years. Therefore, the day that my friend called to tell me they had called it quits after five years – I was devastated!
Dave and I were already living in Numurkah and as life had continued, we had started to see less and less of each other over the years, but we were always together when it counted. But for Elyce to move away from the life she had committed to the past five years was tough and it was tough on me to watch her go through it. It was a messy few years, but alas, Elyce found her feet with a fella from Adelaide and in return it gave Dave and I an excuse for a beautiful holiday spot.
We had not met her nine-month-old boy due to the arrival of our second born and we had actually wondered when we would get to meet each other’s newest additions – unfortunately now we were free to do so.
Wanting to head across once the weather had warmed up, allowed us to take Charlie swimming at the beach again. Timing wise the trip landed almost exactly 12 months on from when we had come across for Elyce’s baby shower, 12 months since our miscarriage and 12 months since conceiving Louis – Ironically now we had finally laid him to rest.
The trip over was a lot less stressful this time around with Charlie chatting away in the back seat, pointing out ‘bales,’ ‘tractor,’ ‘moos,’ ‘bird, bird, shoo,’ the list goes on. We actually made it across only stopping once over the two days, staying overnight in Mildura. Still, we were exhausted once arriving in Adelaide so agreed to stay in the following day, Elyce and Wyatt making their way across to us at the West Beach BIG4 Holiday Park.
Charlie was having the time of his life, pulling his Dad around the park, jumping on the jumping pillow, chasing the magpies and swinging on the flying fox. This gave Elyce and I time to catch up and finally have a cuddle with baby Wyatt, and he was beautiful. He was all smiles and came to me straight away, Elyce putting her arms around both of us before stating to her son ‘this is your aunty Maddy, she’s my best friend.’ Charlie eventually warmed to Wyatt, showing him his toys and placing them in his tiny hands – the experience was bitter-sweet, but long overdue!
Due to the arrival of ‘Burma’ an Asian elephant, who was touching down at Adelaide Airport that evening before being transported by police escort to Monarto Safari Park – Elyce and Wyatt stayed until after 8pm that night. Before they left, we made plans to meet the following day at the Gorge Wildlife Park at Cudlee Creek, a beautiful place Elyce had taken me to while visiting back in early 2020.
Taking the boys to the Gorge Wildlife Park was something we could do together and although Wyatt was happy to sit in the pram, he was a bit young to show any real interest in the animals. While Charlie was running wildly through all the enclosures, pointing out all the different animals and running amuck – feral child.
Afterwards we headed back to the park to relax and meet up with one of Dave’s friends and old colleague, who too had moved back to the area. Again, the experience was bitter-sweet with him and his wife trying for a baby of their own and our recent loss of Louis, there were tears all around.
Our final full day in Adelaide we spent our day chasing filming locations of the TV drama series McLeod’s Daughters. Again, a place I had visited briefly with Elyce back in 2020 – in fact we saw the New Year in at the famous Gungellan Hotel! But before we had even left the park, I had very emotionally welcomed the return of my period, almost 12 months to the day. This would be my first full cycle post the arrival of Louis and it was both a blessing and a curse. I was relieved because it meant I wasn’t waiting for the return anymore and to me it felt that my body had healed, but also confronting as it again it meant my body had healed – even though my heart hadn’t.
The pain wasn’t overwhelming, but I felt yucky and uncomfortable, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin our day!
To our surprise the three locations we visited were all just down a dirt track off the Highway we have taken the past two visits into Adelaide. One location, Wilgul, you can literally wave to the new owners of the property as they eat their breakfast at the kitchen table – the Highway is that close! The main homestead’s front gate is a little further in, maybe a kilometre or two from Highway. The location is privately owned now and been transformed into a very expensive wedding, events and accommodation venue. But from the front gate all that is visible of the original homestead is the roof popping out from within the gully – that and the new buildings that have been added as part of the transformation.
While we were attempting to get a better look, we spotted some beautiful butterfly’s, the same as we had released the week before for Louis’ final placement. We couldn’t believe it! I got out of the car to get some photos, Charlie chatting away in the back seat of the car, pointing each butterfly out as they flew past. It was just beautiful; it was like Louis was right there with us in that moment and you just can’t make that shit up.
Following this encounter, we headed across the Highway into the town of Freeling or as the series state it, ‘Gungellan.’
We had a lovely old style pub lunch before heading across to where the iconic windmill and bath tub is now positioned in the town centre. Like a true fangirl I very ungracefully jumped into the bath tub for a photo, and you know what I would absolutely do the same again! Charlie even hopped in and grabbed my hat, which was a bit cute. Blows my mind that he won’t grow up watching the TV shows with our own parents the way Dave and I had done. Wednesday nights were my favourite night of TV, starting at 7pm with Home and Away, followed by McLeod’s Daughters at 7.30pm, before finishing with Blue Heelers at 8.30pm. These days everything is viewed via streaming services – not very nostalgic.
We checked in quickly for a photo opportunity at the ‘Gungellan Truck Stop’ (retired) and local town hall which is still used to this day.
That night we said good-bye to Elyce and her little family. Tears streamed down our faces as we both knew that any friendship outside of ours just wouldn’t cut it, and a phone call just wasn’t the same either. Despite the distance, we needed to keep our connection strong, for we both needed that friendship in our lives, and in our boy’s lives too.
But for now, it was time to head home.
'Our Little Louis' 