Wednesday Wanderings with ARR authors.

Today Tricia Stringer is flying us over the Flinders Ranges
in a hot air balloon.

You could say I’ve been preparing to write Heart of the Country all my life. I grew up on a farm on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. The only way to get a truck load of wool or grain to Adelaide was to drive. We also had family there so for whatever reason, several times a year, I found myself on the long journey in a much slower vehicle, on much rougher roads than we have today. Google maps tells me it’s a journey of 581 kilometres, for a little girl it seemed like forever. When we reached the top of Spencer Gulf and began the drive down the other side we were accompanied by the vista of a huge mountain range, Flinders Ranges. I’ve been staring up at those beautiful mountains all my life wondering what secrets they held.

In 1989, with my husband and three children, we made the move to Yorke Peninsula. Our very first holiday from there was to the Flinders. We’ve been going back ever since. There’s something about those mountains that’s been special to Australians for thousands of years. The ancient landforms are rugged, the wildlife and the vegetation varied in what can be a harsh and unforgiving climate and yet there within lies the beauty and what I can only describe as a spiritual significance of this unique Australian landmark.

We’ve visited places of historical significance to both indigenous Australians and those who made their way to the Flinders in relatively recent times. The place or what I call the setting, developed inside me and then followed the characters with insights from people whose families have been part of the Flinders for generations. So many jottings and perceptions became a story and Heart of the Country evolved. Many hours have been spent with my nose in books, recounts, diaries, maps and photographs but a highlight was seeing the rugged mountains from the air.

Heart of the Country is the first book in a saga which follows three generations of families determined to survive in this rugged land. I am currently working on the next book.

I had the opportunity to take a balloon ride along the magnificent Chase Range; a unique birds-eye. How lucky was I to float along with the wind like the eagles I’d written about? Instead of always looking up, for a short time I was able to look across and down on this magnificent landscape. From that height I could see where early European farmers had tried to grow wheat, their furrow marks still visible in the lines of newer vegetation. I wondered at their tenacity to attempt such a thing. Creeks were like snail trails across the flat landscape scattered with large gums and tiny kangaroos bounded away from our shadow.

An experience I felt privileged to enjoy and one which gave me new insights for my story and a greater awareness of the characters who were brave enough, strong enough, determined enough to live in this country.

Discover more about Tricia, her books and where to buy on Meet Tricia Stringer

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