Bill proved to be a delightful 85 year young man in fine fettle and we can vouch for Lorna making the best rosella jam.
We spent a week loitering around the good bush camps in their area- despite the Darling Downs being very flat land with dyke – like storage reservoirs rising out of the ground for flood irrigation of cotton and sorgum fields.
Our attention was caught by the size of prickly pears growing alongside the road into Dalby. Apparently this is “nothing” compared to its proliferation at the turn of the last century! The alien prickly pear, planted as a hedge in the 1850’s resulted in an impenetrable 26 million hectares covering the land between Dalby and Roma by 1920 that outside help was sought in the form of 3000 million moth eggs. Unlike the cane toad, these Cactoblastis cactorum larvae solved the problem in short order with no adverse repercussions and in recognition of its service to Queensland, a memorial hall, the only one of its kind to an insect, is to be found at Chinchilla.
En route for Toowoomba we spotted the historic Jondaryan Woolshed and decided it was worth spending the day there and over-nighting in the little caravan park attached. We stepped back into the architectural times of the late 1800’s following self guided trails that told the stories of the wool industry, life as a shearer and the development of pastoralism on the Darling Downs. It was early history at its best and we found ourselves steeped in the sights, sounds and smells, feeling mighty grateful that only a few sheep baa-ed in the woolshed opposed to the thousands in their day when 52 blade shearers were at work! It was a sweltering experience under all that corrugated iron.
Jolly Swagman Caravan Park in the centre of Toowoomba proved a good choice for its close proximity to the homes of family and friend. Over that weekend we caught up with Lea’s cousin Tim and wife Les, where we thoroughly enjoyed meeting their sons Heath & Traill, last seen as wee boys back in Zimbabwe. The occasion made all the more special on hearing that Heath’s wife is bearing the first of a new generation of Howman’s for us! Over sudza and wors we caught up on Junor news with Jane and Jonathan Palmer, who took us on a good orientation drive of Toowoomba.
Mid week Jane and daughter Rachel took us walking in Crow’s Nest National Park
We spent a day in the city trying to sort out safe storage and insurance possibilities for our rig while we are away on a year’s grand-children round! Time consuming, that we soon found it easier to slip into the cinema and watch the much hyped film Australia which had just opened on circuit. We were keen to see it before it was spoilt by chatter – as with all films that have lots to measure up to and many expectations we sat back and immersed ourselves in the story and spaces that were familiar to us…
As Leecy kindly reminded us- this was a Director’s version and we took an afternoon’s entertainment out of that vision.
Ask George suddenly came back into operation! We had both Liz and Leta keen to have odd jobs around their homes sorted out and thus we headed down to Brisbane and settled into the closest caravan park to the city for just over a week. This enabled George to travel back and forth between Liz’s home, north of Brisbane and Leta’s apartment in the city to sort out their list of chores spoilt only by a flu lurgy that knocked him out for a couple of days. For Lea the pleasure of socialising with her old pals, talking of this and that while she helped them get their homes in order after hard school terms and in readiness for the festive season made time slip by.
A Sunday lunch of fish & chips at Redcliff Beach with Liz
Leta showed us around Brisbane River’s South Bank and we gained a better perspective of the city as a result!
Liz and Leta had the three of us round to their homes for fine dinners before we pulled out northwards to find a suitable caravan park in readiness for Christmas. A place in Glasshouse Mountain proved suitable with a railway station close by as Leecy’s son - our nephew, Sheldon flew up to Brisbane on Christmas Eve and caught the train to join us over the next five days making a perfect little gathering of family. No small children allowed for a late rising and large brunch before driving up to a lookout over the area. Too hot to think of walking but as shadows fell in the late afternoon we thoroughly enjoyed the challenging constraints of a mini tennis court in three sets of competitive tennis. During our formal dinner of smoked salmon and prawns with a mango and avocado salad we were first besieged by mozzies and then the rain came down… We ended up playing chocolate scrabble – YES, each letter was a chocolate piece and proved to be an excellent Christmas present from our Gee family.
CRIKEY! Once, we might have said we want to visit Steve Irwin’s Zoo but of late, we find ourselves saying Bindi’s Zoo!
Australia Zoo was 8 clicks (as Ozzies have it) up the road! We may well hear groans of disbelief and yet it was money well spent and well worth the visit. To see Bengal and Sumatran tigers rollicking around with their handlers displaying a relationship not seen in normal circumstances with caged animals was the BEST! It was the hands on contact between man and beast without the boredom and displacement one usually encounters in a zoo. Every where we went we found a wildlife team bringing animals into our midst for a natural and educational close encounter that we grew more impressed as the day progressed. At the start of the big show in The Crocoseum we were stunned to hear a personal welcome to Sheldon, Alice, Lea and George - Happened so quickly, it almost seemed a trick of the ears. Earlier, we’d chanced to bump into Michael, a friend of Leta’s who worked there and he had advised us on the coolest seating. Obviously he’d arranged this unexpected touch! For Leecy and Lea, the gloss to the day came when we found ourselves sitting a few seats away from Bindi and Robert Irwin. They found it hard to keep their eyes off the little folk who’d lost their larger than life Dad, so tragically. Another bonus, their mum Terri, was working with the big croc that day. Crocs may be the big draw card but we found the swirl of colourful macaws, lorikeets, cockatoos, Major Mitchell’s along with a Jabiru stork flying around the stadium a sight and sound show, second to none.
We stopped for Sheldon to enjoy a beer in the famous Ettamogah Pub…
As we passed a shop, infectious cackling stopped us in our tracks - the most delightful little witches were kicking up their heels. One reminded Lea of her youngest sister, which further added to our giggles!
The Rhodesian Howman Patriach turned 60 on Christmas Day. Hardly his special day all caught up in Christmas – we made do with a phone call. A couple of days later after setting up camp in Woombye we were close enough to drive up the coast to find Les and Tim’s holiday apartment in Coolum Beach and personally salute his new status as a senior!
Tim, Les, George, Lea, Leecy, Sheldon and Traill
Doing the Park & Ride into very popular Noosa proved to be the most painless method of exploring this particularly attractive coastal resort and when the heat finally go to us we darted into the cool of a cinema and saw a French drama – I’ve loved you so long. Montville, picturesquely perched of top of the Blackall Range, brought us another day of wandering amid art galleries and surprising scenic vistas to be found from shops.
We decide to stay put and see the New Year in at Woombye before moving back to Toowoomba. Up early on the last day of the year to visit the much talked of market in Eumundi, we were shattered to find huge crowds at that early hour along with the sheer extent of organised parking within this massive market. It was almost to much for us and each went their own way with an agreement to meet up an hour later- That was enough!
SWELTERING under a blue dome we quietly see out 2008 – a year highlighting the greed of our world and global recessions to be faced- all very scary. We can but square up and ride it out, enjoying the moments that come our way with gratitude and appreciation.
May 2009 be better than expected for us all.
“It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts” K.T. Jong
