This text may be downloaded for personal use, or stored electronically, as long as no charge is made for access. One of their most common complaints, was that their mobility, was limited. I interview thirty women, aged fifteen to twenty years. This complaint was strongest amongst those who are not old enough to hold a licence or who do not have a car. It is difficult for young women to move out of rural areas and the local community offers scant recreational facilities to cater for the interests of young women especially those who are not sports minded.
Many rural girls learn to drive at an early age.
They progress from mini-bikes to larger vehicles as they grow. The home paddock and back roads provide the space to learn to drive farm vehicles, motorbikes or the family car. Within their rural environment, young women are free to drive or ride motorbikes for miles on the back roads. But they cannot freely take to the highways until they are legally old enough to drive. For those lucky enough to own one a car is their most treasured possession.