{"id":937,"date":"2016-09-13T05:34:30","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T05:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/?p=937"},"modified":"2019-03-08T14:38:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T03:38:51","slug":"meet-couple-met-outback-aussie-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/meet-couple-met-outback-aussie-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the couple who met on an Outback Aussie adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Lee (USA) booked his 22-day Darwin to Perth trip<\/a> with Adventure Tours, he had no idea that on this trip, he would abseil right into the arms of his future wife, Sanne (The Netherlands). This is their Aussie adventure.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our\u00a0trip from Darwin to Perth\u00a0Australia could be viewed as the most epic first date ever. Twenty two days rambling through the Top End and the Kimberley.\u00a0Not only did we fall in love with Western Australia, we fell in love with each other too.<\/p>\n

The trip begins<\/h3>\n

It all started on a very early Saturday morning, 19 April 2014, to be exact. A 6:50am pick-up\u00a0meant that some of our group\u00a0were still slightly zombified, clutching our coffees and quietly trying to get a measure of the other travellers.\u00a0One of those travellers was Danny \u2013 cheerful and with an infectious smile,\u00a0she got people talking in no time. Some of these guys\u00a0became friends for life. In our case, me and Lee,\u00a0Danny, Michael (Germany) and Rebecca (Sanne\u2019s cousin from the Netherlands) would eventually become inseparable. By the time the truck arrived, we had done most of the introductions and were ready for the adventure to begin.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-top-end-group\"\"adventure-tours-top-end\"Our awesome first guide, Travis, made sure we stayed as cool as possible on our first walk\u00a0through Nitmiluk (Katherine) National Park.<\/p>\n

The hike to Leliyn (Edith) Falls, was hot, but a cool dip\u00a0at Sweetwater Pool ensured we were ready for the trek\u00a0to the Upper Pool, a natural billabong basin with spectacular views over the surrounding scrub. Walk\u2013swim\u2013walk would be come the pattern we lived by for the next few days. The walks were\u00a0interesting (Travis was a great storyteller) and exciting (scrambling over rocks and crossing streams with each other\u2019s help), and if the heat was extreme, the promise of a waterhole at the end would sustain us.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-top-end-crossing-streams\"<\/p>\n

Waking in the bush<\/h3>\n

Whenever we\u2019d ask Travis what time we had to get up in the morning, he\u2019d say \u201cAh, with the birds\u2026\u201d and left it at that. On that first night, we were a bit confused and a little insecure. \u201cWith the birds\u201d? What does that even mean? What time did we have to set our alarms? Would we get up in time or would we be that person who would oversleep and keep the entire group waiting? We needn\u2019t have worried.<\/p>\n

Together with the light of the sunrise, the native\u00a0birds woke us better than any alarm clock ever could. First, softly, in the distance, the birds would start singing, and then the cacophony would come closer and closer with the rising sun, like a tidal wave washing over you. The approaching light and increasing volume of the feathered choir turned even the most staunch morning hater into a morning person.<\/p>\n

Sleeping in mozzie domes or in\u00a0a swag under the countless stars, with shooting stars and satellites drifting past, and waking up to birdsong \u2013 we never got tired of it. It was one of the great experiences of the trip.\u00a0In fact it\u00a0made such an impression on both of us that Australian birds even made it to our wedding. Well…a recording of the birds. \u201cHere comes the bride\u201d, eat your heart out, you\u2019ve got nothing on Kookaburra and Co.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-australia-sunset-at-lake-argyle\"<\/p>\n

The adventure of a lifetime<\/h3>\n

From wonderful sunrises to drop dead gorgeous sunsets (the one from the middle of Lake Argyle was ridiculous), the days in between were\u00a0filled with excitement and wonder, moments of deep contemplation and inner peace. Once the excitement and the obligatory \u201cKodak moments\u201d were over, even the camera\u00a0addicts would lower their lenses\u00a0and just sit down and take in places like Cathedral Gorge in Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) NP.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-australia-cathedral-gorge\"<\/p>\n

After the serenity of Cathedral Gorge, it was time for some adrenaline: a helicopter flight over the Bungles! And who needs doors on a helicopter; they\u2019ll only ruin your photos, right? Totally pumped and with hair like Tina Turner, we returned after a 42-minute flight over the entire Bungle range. It was\u00a0unreal.<\/p>\n

The following days were incredible: every time when we saw or did something, we thought \u201cthere\u2019s no way anything can top this\u201d, and time and time again, Australia proved us wrong. Gorgeous waterholes and waterfalls, natural hot springs, stunning vistas, the seemingly endless Gibb River Road, it was a humbling experience. Mother Nature at her finest, vast and untamed.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-australia-bungle-bungles\"\"adventure-tours-snorkelling-on-ningaloo-reef\"Friendships that will last a lifetime were formed while gathering our own firewood and cooking our own meals, sitting around the campfire, chatting on the long drives, enjoying each other\u2019s music and company.<\/p>\n

Romance blossoms<\/h3>\n
\"adventure-tours-australia-couple\"

Lee and Sanne in the truck.<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s almost impossible to choose a highlight of this trip, but if we must, our personal one would be the Knox Gorge canyoning trip. This\u00a0is where our love story truly began. On the first part of the trip (Darwin to Broome), we\u00a0didn\u2019t talk much, but on the drive from Broome to Perth,\u00a0some travellers left the group, which brought us closer\u00a0In Broome, we were also joined by some new people and a new guide, Sean, who was a born entertainer (very welcome on the long drives).<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-canyoning\"Lee, who isn\u2019t quite comfortable with heights, had been strong-armed into going on this canyoning trip by me, Rebecca, and Michael. I’d\u00a0had been made \u201csafety officer\u201d, which meant I\u00a0would be lowered into the restricted Knox Gorge area first, and guide the others, unclip their ropes, and send them down the natural waterslide.<\/p>\n

When Lee was lowered, he didn\u2019t look happy, to put it mildly, and kept glancing over his shoulder to the waterslide. I was\u00a0definitely feeling guilty now for pressuring Lee into going. I to reassure him. Then out of nowhere, Lee said \u201cthank you\u2019, and, emboldened by adrenaline, stepped forward, kissed me\u00a0and before I\u00a0realized what had happened, he was already down the waterslide.<\/p>\n

Looking back<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, including this 22-day ripper of a trip. Saying goodbye to Australia and each other was heartbreaking. However, Lee and\u00a0I\u00a0stayed in touch and one thing led to another. In July 2016, we\u00a0got married in the presence of Michael, Danny and Rebecca.<\/p>\n

\"adventure-tours-australia-group\"\"adventure-tours-australia-wedding\"You\u2019ll never guess our\u00a0honeymoon destination…Australia! We fell hard and fast for this country, and we will be back, Lee for his fourth trip and me\u00a0for my\u00a0third \u2013 but this time as husband and wife.\"adventure-tours-wedding-cake\"We would like to thank everyone at ATA, especially our guides, Travis and Sean, and Pete and Freddie from West Oz Active. You\u2019ve taken us to some breathtaking places, and taught us many things. You\u2019ve given us the opportunity to learn that not all Americans are megalomaniacs (most of the time), some Germans do have a sense of humour, and \u2013 okay, admittedly, I\u00a0confirmed the Dutch stereotype about stinginess\u2026 Travel indeed broadens the mind.<\/p>\n

Images c\/o Lee and Sanne. Feature image c\/o Damien Raggatt.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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