EDNA Tennant has enduring memories of the wide, open stretches of highway that run through the terracotta sands of the outback.
The image of her husband Bill is still vivid, too, sitting behind the wheel of their dusty car, driving through the plains of the Nullarbor and smiling at his wife.
The Bacchus Marsh couple will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next week, a marriage marked by plenty of travel, great food, laughs and trust.
They arrived in Australia 21 years ago after spending their early years in northern England.
Bill still remembers a “very beautiful” Edna on their wedding day at St Mary Magdalene in Yarm, near the fringes of Yorkshire.
It was May 3, 1952, and “the weather was glorious,” Bill says.
“It’s the best in those spring months; light until late and very green.”
“I remember looking forward to our new house that day,” he says with a grin.
One of the keys to a successful marriage, Edna says, is to take it as it comes and make the most of special moments.
“In the early days we were very tight on money, and we had to make do, but we always had a laugh and didn’t spend money on things we didn’t need,” Bill says.
“I think it’s also important to have things in common,” Edna adds.
“We both just love travel, we like the wide open country and scenery and we don’t like being tied down.”
The couple travelled through Europe, Asia, and the US before Bill hinted at his desire to settle Down Under.
“I had always wanted to come … but it then took a lot of years to persuade Edna.”
She’s now glad they eventually boarded the flight to Melbourne.
“I love Bacchus Marsh very much now, I wouldn’t want to leave.”
The couple say they also love photography and Bill brings out boxes of slides and reels of video, testament to their wanderlust.
“I have 1200 slides and a few hundred videos, so if you want me to pick out our favourite you will be here for a while.”
On May 3, the pair will celebrate their milestone at a Bacchus Marsh motel with music, speeches and a “special surprise”.
And Edna will bake the cake, “a mighty fine fruit cake,” Bill says.
