MINDLESS MUSINGS

Ah the bravado of youth; gung ho antics that border on a death wish. As we were driving through the National park on our way to Bundeena, where we were planning to camp the night, there were many sick of living antics to partake in or observe. A bong was liberally being passed around and everyone was taking a hit. This included the driver who had the passenger light it for him. Pulling a cone and driving at the same time, such dexterity. Beers were also being drunk; again the driver was not missing out on this. Our driver was Ron and I am certain that the same shenanigans where happening in the other car that was in front of us being driven by Mitco. We were all young and invincible.

As we crossed the low river pass and began heading up a winding road, Mitco must have decided things were a little bit too easy for his liking so he switched off his headlights; in the middle of the night! He was now driving with only our headlights to see anything up ahead. The idea was that he had driven this road so many times he knew it off by heart. I don’t know how Mitco’s passengers reacted, but in our car it was a barrel of laughs.

Ron, our driver, must have had a sudden rush of blood to the head because he decided to switch his headlights off also. Now we were totally in the dark! We were now driving up a winding road with a steep cliff to one side and no light other than the scant brightness of the moon. I remember shining a torch out the front windscreen trying to illuminate the way. I also remember laughing my head off; this was hilarious; for some reason the lethal seriousness of this situation never dawned on any of us. We either had total confidence in our driver’s memory and prowess or we were out and out imbeciles. Looking back I would say it was a little of both with a heavy leaning to the latter.

Finally the headlights came back on and we were all ok; and a little bit closer to our destination. To this day I often wonder if that incident had actually happened. I am dumbstruck by the sheer insanity of it. How long the lights were out I can never be really sure; but I am positive it was at least over two minutes; which may not sound like a lot, but remember where we were. This was not a straight line down a darkened street. It was up a winding road with a deadly steep cliff to one side; and it could have been longer than two minutes for all I know.

Two drunk and stoned drivers taking their passengers on a treacherous test of courage and expertise, on hindsight, was nothing short of suicidal stupidity and I thank whoever is in charge of things for letting us get out of that one alive.