Clues in Whereabouts of Backpacker

The following is an extract from the last entry of the missing backpacker Josh Whelan's travel journal. It is the last known entry of the backpacker before he went missing. The journal was found along the Hume Highway on Monday evening. Mr Whelan has been missing for several days, and New South Wales Police hold grave concerns for him. Anyone with information is urged to come forward or contact Crimestoppers 1800 555 555.

Dear Diary,

Today looks to be another beautiful day. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. The galahs are singing in the trees, and the crickets are humming their summer tune. You couldn’t ask for a better day than this.

As you well know, my journey has taken me southward. Having completed my Queensland tour, I now find myself in northern New South Wales. I would like to head down to Canberra before making my way to Victoria and then a flight to Tasmania.

I hear each city is distinct from the last. Perhaps it is the vastness of the country that fosters such diversity. I have seen some amazing sites in the previous few weeks. The Northern Territory and Queensland were both beautiful. However, it was marginally too hot and tropical for my liking. At times, I thought I would perish from the heat and humidity.

Hopefully, as I travel south, the temperature becomes slightly more manageable. The one thing I don’t want to change, however, is the people. I have met some truly wonderful people during my ventures. And notably, everyone seems to always be willing to lend a hand. That’s why I’m optimistic about getting a hitch towards Canberra.

I wouldn’t even mind winding up in Sydney if fate so happens to take me there. Though I must admit, I had considered skipping it altogether after a Victorian couple I met in Darwin warned me it was overrated. Perhaps they were just expressing some state rivalry, or possibly, there was some truth in the matter. The Aussie humour is something I have yet to completely figure out.

But now I await, hopefully not for long, for somebody to pull up and offer me a ride.

Signing out for now

~Josh

Update:

I had only been waiting a few minutes before the first car pulled up to offer me a lift. It goes to show how, even in the middle of a desolate highway a few km out of a rural town, there are people willing to help out a stranger.

It was a nice older couple who stopped, perhaps in their early sixties. Although they seemed like a lovely couple and were willing to provide a lift for a stranger such as I, they were heading back up towards Queensland.

If I hadn’t just been there, I would have taken up their offer, but alas, I really want to head south. Queensland was lovely, but I want to see more of this country while I am here. I thanked them and kindly turned down their offer.

Before they left, they gave me some water bottles they had stowed away in the boot of their car. I inadvertently forgot to bring water to this hitchhiking chapter of my journey. Standing out here under the blazing sun was quite a challenge. Hence, that thoughtful gesture was exceptionally meaningful.

I made sure to thank them once again before they left. Now that I have ample water reserves, I’m just going to wait until someone offers to take me in the other direction. Hopefully, it won’t be long until the next car stops, hopefully bound southward.

Signing off

~Josh

Update 2:

It was about half an hour before someone else stopped to pick me up. This time, I was a truckie. The dang vehicle was so large I thought it would mow me down as it pulled up. The guy seemed nice, but he smelt of cigarettes. You probably needed some sort of stimulant if you worked as hard as a truckie.

I’m not sure how long I could muster the smell if I were to travel with him. Although it didn’t seem to matter, he was only going a town over. That was like 5 km away. There is no point in travelling only a few km. I turned down the guy but thanked him for stopping.

Before the guy left, he offered me a sandwich he had in his lunch box. Not only was the food offering lovely and exceptionally kind, but the fact that he was willing to pause his activities and share lunch with me was genuinely heartwarming.

The saying goes, time is money. And I knew this was truer truckies, so this man willingly sacrificed money to eat with me. These are the small things in life you really have to appreciate. This journey has been a trip of a lifetime and has taught me so much about others and the world.

Now that I had eaten and still had plenty of water remaining, I was primed for the wait for whoever would come next. Given the record of individuals thus far, I suspect I may not have long to wait. Hopefully, this time, they are travelling south, and I will finally get a lift. You’ll know soon when I write an update.

~Josh

Update 3:

Finally, I managed to get a ride from a man who stopped by. He was as stereotypical an Aussie as you can imagine, except for his name, which sounded almost Russian. I didn’t catch it clearly because I had been standing in the sun for the last two hours. It was something like Igor or similar.

I commented on how he looked like an Aussie but had a Russian name, and the man laughed. He definitely has a sense of humour and seems like a decent fellow. He mentioned that he’s also on his way to Canberra, so I get to enjoy an entirely free trip. Score!

That said, he noted he needed to pick up a few items along the way for work. I asked him about it, and he said he does woodwork. That would explain the mountain hunter vibes I got from him and why we need to travel to a state forest for his work. Despite his rugged appearance, he seemed quite jovial. Maybe if I stick with him, I’ll finally be able to master the art of Aussie humour.

And, who am I to voice any grievances? I’m getting a free ride coupled with the opportunity to witness a breathtaking nature park. It’s a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned.

I’ll be sure to write about the experience once we finish up with the place and get back on our way to Canberra. Oh, and before I forget, the forest is called Belanglo.