The Bus Stop In The Bush - Anna

I would like to preface this by letting you know that this story, unlike my others, is non-fiction. I could give an approximate Melways reference for the Bus Stop but it is quite difficult to the give the exact location as the trail comes to an end early on the map.

It was early Sunday morning and I decided to set off on a long run. I’d been gradually increasing the distance of my Sunday run, and this day I was set to do 33km.

I was running along a trail that follows the river. It’s a great place to run, popular with a lot of runners, as it’s nice and shady with the gum trees, and there is a good range of wildlife to see. I’ve seen rabbits, foxes, lizards, snakes, the occasional black cockatoo, and further along, families of kangaroos.

This would be the furthest I’d ever run and it was a good day for it. Cool and overcast. I was feeling good and strong, pacing myself so I’d last the whole 33km. the trail was soft dirt, and the gum trees towered above me. It really felt like the middle of nowhere. I was quite far away from civilization at the 14k mark and coming across fewer runners and dog-walkers. At the 17k mark, I felt like I was truly alone in the wilderness. This was now the furthest I’d been on this particular trail so I was in new territory for me, and I took the opportunity to take in the environment, listen to the sounds of the bell birds and the odd kookaburra or noisy cockatoo.

At the 22k point, I slowed down a bit as the trail headed up a steep hill. When I got to the top of the hill, I stopped when I saw it.

Just past the crest of the hill was a bus stop sign bolted to a tree. I’d heard of this before, but thought it was a myth. The Bus Stop in the Bush. This is where magical things happen. I found it! I actually got to the Bus Stop in the Bush!

The trail continued round a corner and I walked round to see a veggie patch with the most brilliant orange pumpkins. I knew I could follow the trail ahead to get to my destination, or I could wait at the bus stop for the bus to come. Of course, there were no roads out there, but this was a magical bus that took people to magical destinations.

I sat down against the tree that the sign was bolted to and decided to wait for the bus. I’d heard it usually arrived a dusk, although it could arrive at any time. I stretched my legs out in front of me and closed my eyes. Something good was about to happen. I knew it.