JUNE – ONLY TWO MONTHS LEFT
1 June
We took the bus into the City to have a look at the Maritime Museum. It was a bit of a distance from the bus stop, but the walk took us along the river through some lovely gardens. As we arrived at the Museum, the heavens opened!!! It’s a very well-presented museum and we had a very knowledgeable guide to show us around. Out the back in a dry-dock is the frigate “Diamantina” and once the rain eased we trotted out to have a look round her. Fascinating! By the time we’d finished, the rain was coming down again, but Jeff braved it and returned to the main body of the Museum to meet with the Curator – he got a personal tour around bits of the Museum not usually seen by Joe Public (I was still sheltering from the rain on the ship). Once again we have an invitation to call in on our return for Jeff to give a knotting demo.
We hopped on the little City Ferry to take us back to the City where we could pick up the City Cat – a bigger Catamaran ferry that travels along the river. We started off in the middle of the route, travelled to the University of Queensland, at one end and stayed on past where we got on nearly to the end. Unfortunately the boat had developed some sort of engine problem and the pilot asked the passengers to alight the stop before the last one so that he could take it to a nearby workshop for repair. I waited around while Jeff went to find something to eat, it was now around 3pm and we hadn’t had anything since brekkie. The ferry that finally picked us up was actually the one that had been taken off for repair – obviously something quite minor as she seemed to be doing fine now. When we gat back into the City we had a little wander about before we got the bus home.
2 June
Went to the Caravan and Camping Exhibition – spent the whole day there – it was hoooge. Oh how we wished that it had been on in Sydney at the beginning of our trip – what a lot of useful things we could have bought. As we now only have a little under 3 months left there was no point in buying much at all. Just as we were getting to our bus stop near the caravan park my mobile phone rang. It was Bob, a guy who had contacted me after I joined an online forum about camp cooking. I’d mentioned where we were staying and he’d said that he actually passed the park on his way to and from work. The call was to ask if he could pop in and see us that evening. Of course he could. He duly arrived an hour or so later and we spent a very pleasant couple of hours chatting about camp cooking. He told us that his hobby was collecting sandwich makers and offered to show us his collection which was in the back of his car. We told him that we actually had one at home and used to use it often. He wasn’t talking about the electrical ones, but the hinged ones that you put on the top of the stove. We were very surprised when he offered one of them to us, pointing out that it was a duplicate. That will certainly get used on our trip and will go back with us. Thanks Bob. He also said that he was very excited about being awarded The Emergency Services Medal – one of only a few awarded each year.
3 June
Another dismal rainy day – glad we’re going northwards to a bit of warmth.
4 June
Moved on up the Bruce Highway. We had decided to accept an offer we had received from the brother of a friend of Jeff’s to housesit while he and his wife went away for a few days. They live at Wamuran near the town of Caboulture, which is only a few Ks north of Brisbane. We didn’t want to get there too soon (they were off on the 11th) so we decided to book into a nearby caravan park. The first one we tried was full, didn’t much like the look of it anyway, and the lady there said that another one just up the road was full too, but she didn’t know about the one at Caboulture. So we carried on there. Well, it was right near the Highway where there were roadworks!!! And they’d had the same problem as Newmarket Gardens with flooding. The people were very nice and expressed an interest in buying Betty G at the end of our trip. Unfortunately the amenities could have benefited from a bit of an update.
5 June
Jeff cycled into town while I did yet more spoon carving, I’m really getting into it now. Some new people arrived and happened to mention the Caboulture Show and that they thought there was also a dog show, so we thought we’d go the following day.
6 June
Off to the Show this morning – looking forward to seeing some dawgies. However, when we got there and looked at the programme, the flippin’ Dog Show was yesterday. I’d seen that it was a Championship Dog Show and assumed that it was over at least 2 days. Bu66er!!!! Anyway, the rest of the show was great. Lots of good old-fashioned fairground sideshows and rides; a rodeo; show-jumping and craft stuff plus a pretty big car boot sale. Animals and birds, a great series of wood-chopping competitions. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves – and to cap it all the Art and Craft competitions included several classes of PYROGRAPHY!!!!! Some very good work on display – quite a lot of Sue Walters’ patterns had been used, and very well done too.
7 & 8 June
We just mooched about the caravan park – had a look at the river and saw how far the water rose – more than 10’ it looked like.
9 & 10 June
Proceeded to Jim and Judy’s place at Wamuran to spend a couple of days with them before they set off on their bowling holiday. They’re off on a coach trip with members of the Caboulture Bowls Club, visiting other Queensland Bowls Clubs. We want to help around the farm as much as possible – Jim can’t do as much these days, so we thought that we’d like to make things a little easier for him. He showed us how to cut and prepare bananas, and trim the lychee trees, and drive the lawnmower – should be fun. Judy showed me around the house and how to operate the various household appliances.
11 June
Jeff drove our friends into town early this morning – we’re on our own – ooer!!!!!!!
The rest of the day we just spent in vegging-out. It’s so nice to just relax, be able to move from room to room, and watch a proper telly. Well actually a bit more than a proper telly. Judy and Jim recently bought a whacking great 52” TV – really looking forward to watching the British Grand Prix on it.
12 June
Fun and games this afternoon. I was sitting on the verandah at the back of the house (Jeff was having a snooze after a mornings work in the fields!!!LOL) and I heard a funny noise. I looked up and there were two cows wandering up towards the house. I ran down and called Jeff, and then set off in hot pursuit of our trespassers. When they saw me they turned around, heading back the way they apparently had come. I was relieved about this as this property is open to the road. Jeff followed them down while I ran – yes ran – next door to let the owners know that their beasties had got out. The neighbours were out (of course) so I tried a couple of other properties along the road to see if there was anyone to help. I finally found Steve and his mate Dan, who walked back with me to J & J’s place. By this time, Jeff had cornered the cows by the fence and having found out where the stoopid creatures had got out we tried to gently persuade them back where they belonged. No such luck!! They went straight past and headed through the lychee orchard with Jeff in hot pursuit again. Steve and Dan went back to see if they could find something to secure the fence and I opened a gate into the field from which they had escaped. In the meantime Jeff had follwed them right across the valley managed to head them off before they got out through another gateway onto the road. Eventually they appeared again heading up through the lychee orchard again. I could see where they were going and I needed to get them through the opened gate. I went charging through underneath the trees and fell flat on me face – I was only wearing flip-flops – they came off so I was running around barefoot. In spite of this I think the silly buggers must’ve got the message because they obligingly went through the gate. Then right across that field into through another gate I’d managed to open. There wasn’t much point in leaving them in the first field as they had busted a fence post to get out of it. Steve returned on his ATV with some electric fencing material, but having seen that we had the situation under control, returned home. I wrote out a note for the cows owner and walked around to leave it. When I arrived, someone was there, not the owner but his daughter-in –law. I explained what had happened and gave her the not to pass on – expecting to hear something within a day or two. Not a dickie-bird!! No “thankyou” – “sorry for the trouble” – no nuffink.
13 June
Had a visit from Marion and Terry today who were passing on their way back to their caravan parked up at Lansborough. It was lovely to see them again, and they were well impressed with the farm.
14 – 22 June
The rest of our time went by so quickly. We had been given the use of a car so we were able to go into Caboulture a couple of times. The Sunday market was quite a big one and then we had a wander around the Caboulture Historical Village – very interesting and well laid out. We had a look in at the local craft shop, and what did we find???? Pyrography classes!!!! There’s a bloke actually giving lessons – the results of which were really really good. Hence all those entries into the recent Show. My goodness there was some good work, done by himself and his pupils. He’d met Sue W at a show some years ago, too.
Had a visit from a little 4-legged crittur – I think it’s probably a mouse, but it could be a small marsupial that Judy says sometimes pops in.
I did a fair bit of carving – trying out different spoon designs. Jeff spent some time doing a few bits and pieces to Betty G, making full use of the opportunity to work under cover having things like ladders available.
Spoke to Clive and Yvonne using Skype from their computer to our modbile phone – it was really great to be able to have a chat. I was reluctant to make too much use of Judy’s Broadband as she was on a limited tariff and I didn’t want to use up all her data transfer rate.
23 June
All too soon our friends returned from their Bowls trip and, after spending another day with them we decided that we really did need to get on our way.
24 June
We travelled through the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains, calling in at one of the lookouts for a spectacular view of them. We had been able to see these strangely-shaped nountains from the back of the house just sticking up from the relatively flat landscape. They are the remains of long extinct volcanoes and the Aborigines have a marvellous ‘Dreaming’ – or story – about them. For further info about them and their story www.glasshousemountains.com.au
We passed Australia Zoo, but didn’t bother to go in as we had already visited it some years ago. We arrived at Maroochydore in the afternoon and tried to book in at a Park that M & T had recommended but it was full so we went around the corner to another one, where they had room. It wasn’t a bad park – right on the beach.
25 June
Noosa – not a particularly good site – lousy TV reception and all a bit basic, but a nice setting. We went for a stroll around and came across a couple of guys cleaning their catch at the fish-cleaning table (whever there is fishing these tables are supplied either by the local council or by the caravan parks) The fish were yellow-fin tuna and one of the guys said that he hadn’t bought a freezer with him, so would we like some of his tuna!!!! Silly bluddy question. He gave us two big pieces which Jeff took back to put in our fridge. When he came back he bought with him a couple of bottles of beer as a thankyou for the fish. “No worries, mate – I don’t drink” Flippin’ ‘eck, an Aussie fisherman wot don’t drink!!!!! Well his mate did, so we gave him a beer and drank the other one between us LOL
26 June
We decided to move on just up the road to Tewantin, the Big 4 site recommended by M & T. This time we were successful and booked in for a couple of nights.
27 June
Our 39th Wedding Anniversay – and I forgot!!!!
We visited the Eumundi Craft Market about 25Km from Tewantin. A really big market spread all about the town. I even found a lady who does pyrography, pretty good considering she only uses the soldering iron type. I think I was able to encourage her to take it a bit further and to get in touch with Sue W as well as think about going to the guy in Caboulture for some lessons. She was kind enough to call around the the caravan park the following morning with some pieces of wood for me, very suitable for pyroing. Thanks Tina – please get in touch as I’ve lost your phone number – email will do – I can’t remember what sort of wood it is!!!
Had a very nice pizza from the Pizzeria attached to the Caravan Park, together with Carlic bread and calamari as our celebratory dinner.
28/29 June
On to Hervey Bay hoping to be able to meet Wendy, one of the OzCavalier members. I rang her a couple of days ago to let her know that we’re at last in her neighbourhood and she said that she had visitors for the weekend but would get in touch later to let us know when we could meet. Unfortunately we didn’t hear from her, and we don’t like to push it if it’s not convenient, so after staying in town for a couple of days and sampling some of the delights of Hervey Bay and it’s lovely beach we decided to move on. Mebbe if we can give Wendy more notice on the way back we’ll be able to arrange sommat.
30 June
Some time ago I saw a reference to ‘The Town of 1770’. This rather intrigued us so we decided to take a slight detour off the Bruce Highway. When we arrived we were rather disappointed – not much to see – and the caravan parks were full (dunno why – more mugs like us I guess) so we backtracked a bit and stayed overnight just south of the next town, Agnes Water. Rather a basic caravan park, but the guy running it was very pleasant and helpful. When I mentioned that we were heading for the gemfields he said that we should try Willows Gemfields and Rubyvale.