Spandan Bhattrai
The day of May 12, 2026, the morning light was slowly spreading across the Australian city of Newcastle. A cool breeze drifting in from the ocean filled the air with freshness. That morning, however, felt different to me. There was a quiet excitement in my heart because we were about to set off on a long road journey toward Tenterfield.
There was an important task waiting for us in Tenterfield, and that was the main reason for the trip. Yet, we did not want the journey to become merely a work-related drive. Instead, we decided to turn it into a memorable road adventure, stopping at towns along the way, exploring beautiful places, taking photos and videos, enjoying good food, and experiencing the charm of rural Australia.
At around eight in the morning, my friend’s car slowly rolled out onto the streets of Newcastle. The city was already alive with its cheerful energy. Along the coastline, people were jogging beside the ocean, young men and women walked with cups of coffee in their hands, and the endless view of the Pacific Ocean shimmered under the soft sunlight.
I have always found Newcastle to be a fascinating city, a place where modern life and natural beauty coexist perfectly. It is the kind of city where one could spend hours simply sitting beside the sea. But that day, the mountains and countryside ahead of us were calling more strongly than the ocean behind us.
As we left the city, the scenery gradually began to change. Tall buildings disappeared behind us, replaced by open landscapes and green countryside. The road stretched far into the distance, flanked by grazing cattle, rolling fields, and scattered farms.
There is something uniquely captivating about rural Australia. The vastness of the land makes one feel incredibly small. Endless skies, long highways, and isolated houses spread across enormous distances created a sense of freedom difficult to describe. For someone accustomed to the crowded settlements of Nepal, the openness of the Australian countryside felt both unfamiliar and deeply beautiful.
Throughout the journey, we frequently stopped the car to take photographs. Sometimes we posed in front of green fields, sometimes beside the long highway disappearing into the horizon, and at other times against the backdrop of distant hills. While my friend drove, I often found myself filming videos through the window or simply losing myself in the passing scenery.
Passing through Singleton and Muswellbrook, we experienced another side of Australia, quieter, slower, and closer to nature.
At times we saw enormous trucks crossing the highways; elsewhere, long freight trains moved steadily across the landscape. Vineyards, mining regions, green pastures, and small rural communities appeared one after another along the route.
What I enjoyed most was the sense of freedom the road offered. There was no chaos of traffic, no constant noise of horns, only the rhythm of the moving car and the silent companionship of nature.
After some time, we arrived in Scone, famously known as the “Horse Capital of Australia.” Vast horse farms lined the roadside, and seeing horses running freely across the green fields felt almost cinematic. We stopped there for a while to take photographs and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
The air there felt different, cleaner, cooler, and calmer. Far from the smoke and noise of the cities, we felt truly close to nature.
By midday, we reached Tamworth, a city widely known as Australia’s capital of country music. As we entered the city, the enormous “Golden Guitar” monument immediately caught our attention.
We stopped at a restaurant there for lunch. After hours on the road, the warm meal tasted especially satisfying. While eating, we looked through the photos and videos we had taken since morning. Some of the clips made us laugh at ourselves. It reminded me that journeys are often made memorable by such small and simple moments.
Beyond Tamworth, the drive became even more enjoyable. The weather gradually turned cooler as the road began climbing toward higher elevations. The scenery transformed once again, greener forests, rolling hills, and a more refreshing atmosphere surrounded us.
By the time we reached Armidale, everything felt different. The cool breeze, old-style buildings, and peaceful streets gave the town an almost European character.
We stopped once again, took more photographs, drank coffee, and allowed ourselves to fully absorb the beauty of the journey. At that moment, the excitement of travel outweighed any sense of fatigue.
Later in the evening, as we approached Glen Innes, the colours of the sky slowly began to change. The setting sun cast golden light across the hills and granite landscapes, creating a breathtaking scene.
That moment felt unforgettable. The car continued moving forward, but my mind remained fixed on the beauty outside the window.
After nearly eight hours of driving, mixed with sightseeing, photography, meals, and laughter — we finally arrived in Tenterfield in the evening.
It was a small, quiet, and welcoming town. A cool evening breeze drifted through the streets, while granite hills stood silently around the landscape. There was a peacefulness there that large cities rarely possess.
At that moment, I realized something important: if we had travelled only to complete our task and return immediately, we would have missed the true beauty of the journey itself.
The work in Tenterfield had simply become an excuse. The real reward was the road, the beauty of nature, the freedom of travel, the time shared with friends, and the memories quietly settling into the heart.
Sometimes, it is not the destination that becomes unforgettable, but the journey itself.
And the road from Newcastle to Tenterfield became exactly that kind of memory for me, a beautiful chapter that will remain alive in my heart for a long time.
