TRAVERSE 23
TRAVEL - AUSTRALIA
MEGAN GOVERNI
I ' LL BORE YOU ANOTHER TIME
Under foot something began to rumble , not a shake , just a constant deep vibration . In the distance something wheezed , snorted , and sighed . This was a strange world , one that seemed to have slipped from the pages of a fantasy writer where dragons dwelled , and other mystical beasts roamed .
The rumble increased and there it appeared . A beast of unimaginable proportions , iron clad and colourful , crawled toward us , vapour streaming from its gills , black soot pouring from a spout atop its head and the red glow of fire seen within its snout . I ’ d heard of these things but never to see one in the flesh . Until now .
My partner is one of those oldfashioned dorks , the sort that gets all giddy when witnessing something from the past , especially if , despite being manufactured , it seems to live . This was no exception , it did indeed seem to live , and my partner stood there like a pre-pubescent boy sighting his first glimpse of a naked lady poster from a bygone era .
A giant of the past crawled closer to us , we were being waved aside as if we might be run down , and I laughed at the absurdity of it , this thing was moving at less than a snails pace . The driver , if he should be called that , was adamant . Move aside or be struck down .
“ That ’ s the ‘ Devonshire ’,” my partner exclaimed , the excitement so apparent I thought he might experience something similar to what he would ’ ve with the poster as a kid . He continued to mumble something about pistons and burners as I wondered what the hell I ’ d got myself into .
The ancient beast groaned as it past only for another to appear , then another , and more . Old men with grimy hands grinned , a layer of coal dust stained their teeth as they wound giant tillers and pulled
TRAVERSE 23