A town called Broken Hill, near the centre of Australia. Lovely people, amazing red desert sands, distant horizons visible in every direction, lots of art galleries and artistic people.

When I was in the middle of my recent work-related trauma I was very upset after coming home from work one day. I couldn't switch off my brain, and it was all too overwhelming for me so I jumped in my car and headed off to go to Broken Hill. I had very little money in my bank account and the prospect of no more if I didn't keep going to work (the site of my distress) but I was just going to drive for 24 hours to get to this town where I feel so much at home.

Luckily the idea wore off after about half an hour of driving and I detoured to my favourite local spot near the river and just sat there in the peaceful cool of a dusky early evening and calmed down enough to drive back home.

I still want to go back there and spend a chunk of time enjoying it, but by the time I do get there I will (hopefully) more able to enjoy it.

By the way, if you saw the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the scene where the drag queen walks down the main street of an outback town in the dress made of thongs (flip-flops? rubber, open shoes) was filmed in Broken Hill.

Helen