I don't have anything to suggest offhand (I'm not much of a camper, I fear), but good luck, have fun, and I hope that the trip is indeed a positive and healing one for you. ^_^

This morning's pic not so good. I'm off to see a doctor or go to hospital if I can't get a walk-in appointment. Thread. My eye is severely swollen and not from trauma. I hate hospitals and doctors :(

Direct link to photo

Such swellings followed by choking and instadeath are about what I usually have to think of when someone mentions "Australia". How can one island have so many different poisonous killer beasts?

No pain. Full vision(well half now due to swelling). No other symptoms. Whatever it is appears to be acute and local. I'm just waiting for a ride into town. I'm curious as to what it is and no this will not prevent me from flying in 4 days unless it is more life-threatening than smoking.

Aww, man! :(

Eye update Getting worse, not better after treatment. I've got 2 days for it to start to improve otherwise my airfare goes to waste. At least then I can reschedule the flight at a small cost.

What did the docs think is going on?

Most likely a reaction to arachnid or insect venom. Update. I'm going to keep my eye (muahaha) confined to the other thread for this topic.

Good news is that I purchased a nice new sleeping bag today and my camp supplies are complete. Hopefully I don't have to cancel my flight on Sunday!

Trip looking like it will be postponed until I can get adequate medical treatment for my eye :( If it does not significantly improve in the next 2 days, then I will need to cancel my flight before it gets to the no refund stage. I'm really bummed :(

Even though my eye has improved dramatically, due to the side effects of medications and wanting to be close to the one doctor who managed to provide successful treatment, I had to err on the side of caution and cancel my flight today. I will rebook when I am able to, but the risk of having another allergic reaction whilst my immune system is compromised means that I am looking to camp locally when I can.

I have a tentative booking to head to ([url=http://users.tpg.com.au/newnes/]see here too) on March 16th, to undertake the same plan and yet be closer to home. It is about a 2 hour drive from where I live and requires a 4WD to get there. The new location has both positives and negatives. The positives are that there is no physical way I will be able to smoke once I get dropped off there. I will be scouting out the area, hopefully next week, to ensure that it is appropriate.

I am going to do this, and have learned to adapt swiftly in life where I can. I seem to adapt to the outdoors far more easily than changes interacting with other humans. Hopefully I can learn to bring some of those skills back to human interaction. I am learning, albeit pretty darn slowly! :)

Camping spot found near Oberon, NSW. Set up camp and then had to set it up again today(and move everything), as I realised that I had mistakenly pitched a tent on private land inbetween two pockets of state forest. My first night of sleeping outdoors was quite rough as I only made it back to camp when almost all light had faded. After walking 25km or so yesterday, including hiking 25kg or so of supplies to the camping spot, I was too exhausted to blow up my mattress and had very little sleep. I failed to realise that there were roots under my tent, and that the slight angle was more of an issue than I realised. I kept sliding to the bottom of the tent, and given temperatures drop quite significantly overnight, I was a bit on the cold side. Rather ironic given my impetus for camping was to find some rest, peace and healing time.

I have been taking many photos and seeing so much wildlife; kangaroos, wallabies, birds of all varieties(one medium-sized black bird that has the most haunting call, especially in the mist in the morning), including some magnificent black cockatoos, and my favourite friend, Crow. There is also plenty to forage, and I have eaten apples from 3 different trees, blackberries, and am surprised to find true dandelion, scotch thistle (eat like celery or steam leaves or use seeds for tinder) and clover at my camp. I'm toying with the idea of setting up little garden beds to grow greens(Asian greens are the fastest to grow), testing out kangaroo poo to enrich the soil.

I am back in town for now as I am inspecting some possible rental properties with Thea tomorrow(conjugal visit love? :P). After feeling such peace from being out in the bush, I am wondering why I even bother living in a house at all. I have sweated more these past 2 days than I can recall in many years and feel so calm as a result. This is good medicine for me, and I am glad I followed that feeling within. I've got a nasty chest and throat infection, which has made things more challenging. Being outdoors and being active and eating well and avoiding putting so much shit in my body should help more than anything. I'll get some rest in soon once I get set up properly. I haven't found a water supply so will be hauling out a ton of water by car(thanks Thea's mum!) to ensure I can stay out there for a while if need be.

I've had a few requests for photos (and videos) and more stories, and I shall endeavour to capture the significant moments and share them as best I can. Currently using an unfamiliar old laptop that has Ubuntu on it, and it has been 10 years since I have used any linux distro. I've got a little plan to possibly combine technology a bit more on this journey, and incorporate a few gaming videos using limited power and technology. At this stage though, computers are the furthest thing from my mind. I'm loving the sounds of nature over "civilisation". Mushroom season will hit here soon, and another friend and her partner are keen to come for a visit to my campsite :)

I am not feeling alone or isolated whatsoever. If anything I'm spending too much time gasbagging :P

PS - my phone is my only source of internet, and my current one(less than 2 months old) is having serious issues, so I am unsure of how much I can share. I will be taking it back to the store tomorrow to get a replacement.

Tarnicus,
I'm envious of you. Really. You've been doing what I've always wanted to do but don't because of my 'responsibilities' back home. When I was a kid I camped and fished a lot outdoors. It was great. Then as we get older we tend to stick to school, office, regular society locations and lifestyle. Sadly, outdoors activities and living is becoming a harder and harder thing to do with the onslaught of progress and human expansion. Keep it up, buddy. A lot of people might think you're crazy for doing that kind of stuff, but if it gives you freedom and makes you happy... well, you can't call happy crazy.

The only thing in your list (that I didn't see) was a magnesium stick, sometimes called a fire flint. They hook onto keyrings and can be shaved to make fires in almost any situation. I think they still use them in the military. I've got a few myself. They definitely work well, and in a long term survival situation would be much more reliable than lighters or matches. Plus they're small so they don't add much to carry weight.

Thanks to my friend in Norway, who is far more hi-tech than myself when it comes to survival stuff, I learned that there is a difference between a magnesium flint and (I think it was called?) Swedish firesteel. I do indeed had a magnesium flint, and it was noted under my second knife(rather than fire, so I can see the conclusion):

* 2nd knife with magnesium flint, mini LED torch, belt-cutter

I am just uploading a few photos now (mobile internet, not even 3g where I am) and will link a few when I can :) The new camping spot I found today is really beautiful. Honestly I had forgotten how it is to feel calm and peaceful without using something to block my mind(legal, illegal, prescription, non-prescription) and my body has gotten to the stage where it is rebelling against my ill-treatment. There is so much to do where I get out there, starting tomorrow night, when I shall be staying there for as long as need be. Rather than talk about what I will do, as I am prone to, I will share what I am doing :) There might be gold out there! lol Seriously though, I have never seen such amazingly pure quartz veins, and my friend told me that gold is found in quartz veins. The sights and sounds and air quality is pristine, even though there is heavy logging nearby. The fauna has been as interested in me as I have been in them.

PS - I fed a large sow(pig) an apple on the way back to town.

As I will be returning my phone and getting a new one tomorrow, I do not have my PhotoBucket account associated with it and will be wiping all data from it. For now, I shall use my CIA..er GoogleDrive :)

First camping spot

Misty sunrise from first camping spot

Orb-weaving spider web

Blurry orb-weaving spider

Misty Sunrise Camp #1

Hunting for new camping spot - forest of Fangorn anyone?

Treebeard says "Camp here!"

Treebeard #2

Rubbish everywhere :(

These guys are grandmaster architects

The Twilight Zone

Papillion(that's French! :P)

View of Oberon, 20 minutes from my campsite It takes me an hour to walk from my camp to town. I may end up exploring further and going deeper into the woods, and that will depend upon if my camp or myself are found.

Lovely pictures my love :) can't wait to come out to the campsite tomorrow, really looking forward to seeing you <3