Category: Australia

The Retirees Home in Brisbane – Roma

 

We are staying at the Starlight Motor Inn a group of 15 or so motel rooms a short walk from McDowell St the Main Street of Roma. The conference is being held over at the Maranoa Region Town Hall where we register and pick up the conference bag and our tickets for breakfast and the conference dinner on Saturday night.

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Kerry has some child hood memories of Roma and tracks down one of her relations on whom we spring a surprise visit. After our visit we walk to the Maranoa Regional Council Chambers where we register and then we take a walk through McDowell St and see some of the historic buildings of Roma. The Western Star building, The School of Arts former hotel, The Commonwealth Hotel to name a few.

After a bit of a kip we join Ros and Julie for drinks then a walk to the nearest pub for dinner. Early to bed as we have a big day tomorrow.

I start the day at 5.30 am with a walk around the town for an hour. I walk past the Commonwealth Hotel around to the Courthouse and two interesting old houses, down the main street and check out the biggest bottle tree in Roma (9m around its girth). From there I walked down to the park by the Big Rig and spotted the Roma Rotarians setting up for breakfast in the grounds of the Big Rig. I also encountered a flock of Red Rumped Parrots, a flock of Apostle birds and a Crested Pidgeon. By the time I got back to our motel the Sun was well and truly risen and the atmosphere was heating up.

Breakfast was a Rotary BBQ held in the grounds of the Big Rig a museum on the Gas and Petroleum Exploration Industry. It was basic but a good way to start the conference. At the breakfast there was an old slab hut (Slab Hut Museum) giving us the chance for a group photo (minus 1). Lenroy’s Hut built in 1893 by Thomas Keegan for his family of wife and 9 children was moved to Roma for preservation.

The Retirees Home in Brisbane – Brisbane to Roma and the points in Between

 

We have been home now for 4 and a bit months. After some unexpected health issues for Kerry our plans have been thrown into disarray. But come March we are committed to attend the District 9630 Rotary conference in Roma.

For those of my readers who do not know, Roma is the main town in the Maranoa Region of South West Queensland some 515 klms (320 miles) west north west of Brisbane. It is a rich agricultural and grazing area and enjoying the economic benefits of coal seam gas mining presently. Famous for its Bottle trees and Romavilla winery, it was founded in 1867 and named after Lady Diamantina Bowen (née Roma) wife of the Governor of Queensland at the time. the rotary district 9630 incorporates the south east and south west portions of the state of Queensland. So this year we are going to the country. It is not part of the “Outback” per se but west of Roma is accepted to be where the Outback commences.

Romavilla Winery looks very derelict and closed. So I searched on the internet and it has closed but not forever. See http://www.westernstarnews.com.au/news/romas-historical-romavilla-winery-gets-makeover/1841054/

Our journey starts at 7.00 am Friday morning. It will take at least 6 hours driving to reach Roma and we plan 1 or two stops on the way. The first stop is at the top of the Great Dividing Range and the capital of the Darling Downs – Toowoomba. Located 125 klm (78 miles) from Brisbane Toowoomba is the largest inland city after our capital Canberra. Known as the Garden City because of its beautiful public gardens and parks. It is perched on top of the range 700 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level and enjoys milder weather than Brisbane. Our stop involves meeting Kerry’s relation Liz at the Parkhouse Cafe in Margaret St across the road from one of the city’s famous parks for breakfast. I can recommend the cafe for its tasty breakfasts and beautiful surrounds.

Liz can talk so we don’t get away until 10.00 am. Fortunately we had allowed for the delay but soon found ourselves out on the highway travelling through grassy plains and chasing trucks. Even though this area is at a higher altitude it can still get quite warm and today it has claimed to 34 degrees C and the heat haze hangs over the plains. The barley is ripe and ready to harvest. The next main town is Dalby.

 

Dalby is 208 klms (128 miles) west of Brisbane and the administrative centre of the Western Downs with approx. 13,000 inhabitants. The main Highway – the Warrego Hwy – skirts past the main town and we moved quickly onto Macalister which is mainly made up of silos over the rail line. This is grain country and broad acres and large silos are with us for the next couple of hours. then follows Warra, Brigalow, Boongarra and then Chinchilla 300 klms west of Brisbane. Chinchilla is the melon capital of Queensland and road side melon stall shot the road side. Although its residents only number in the order of 5,500 people it is a powerhouse of agriculture, beef and pork production. Kogan Creek Coal Mine has brought a diversity of wealth to the area. Just outside of Chinchilla we spot the SW Qld version of the Tour Eiffel in the form of a modern micro wave tower.

After a milkshake and a break we resume driving west through Goombi, Columboola, and onto Miles 340 klm west of Brisbane. Formerly known as Dogwood Crossing it was renamed in honour of the Queensland Colonial Secretary William Miles and is home to just under 2,000 people. It has a great example of a historic village well worth a visit. Our journey continued through Drillham, Dulacca, Jackson, Yuleba, and Wallumbilla. Jackson is the remains of what was thought to be Queensland big oil industry but now it is 7 houses and “Roo” box (where Kangaroo shooters hang the Roo carcasses awaiting collection) and it is somewhat of a ghost town. We are getting close now to our final destination – Roma. we pass through Blythedale and shortly enter Roma at 2.30 pm just 7 and a half hours driving.

 

The Retirees take a holiday – in Australia – Maleny.

Dear Reader

At first I was going to tell you how hard it is to look after two boisterous boys on a farm stay holiday but I got over it so I won’t bore you with that but I can show you some of the pretty sights around Maleny and the farm which we all enjoyed.

I will tell you that the trip to Maleny was one of – “Are we there yet”, French songs sung by William and Matisse at the top of their voices, and constant chatter as each of the boys contested the right to be heard over the other. It was Kerry asking “Are we there yet”. The trip was uneventful for an Easter holiday with the weather a mixture of showers and grey skies.

We arrived at Solothurn Farm just in time for the 10.30 wagon ride. After travelling in the wagon towed by the tractor down the rough farm tracks we arrived at a corral – not for the cattle but for the people to stand inside and hand feed to the cows on the outside. Matisse would not leave the safety of the wagon but William was not afraid of the cattle and spent most of the time raking the fallen hay under the rails to the cows. He was not so sure of the farm dogs though. Feeding over, the tractor travelled oh so slowly back up the hill. Fortunately the scenery was outstanding. Our cabin was ready after the tractor ride and after settling in I strolled around to the Chapel. They do weddings  there also.

The next morning we made our way up to the cow shed for the milking of the cow. The weather was threatening rain so raincoats on, umbrellas raised off we went. Once we got to the milk shed, Lilly lined up to milk the cow – three or four times and Matisse clung to me saying “not the tractor ride no tractor ride”. So I hiked down the hill to the horses then the goats then the chooks then the pigs then the sheep and back up again to the emus and back to the milking shed. The rain stopped shortly after the feeding of the animals and the day warmed up. We took a drive to nearby Maleny, followed by swimming with the kids in the farm pool and then the kids ran around madly until dinner time when we had a BBQ and a glass of wine.

 

Over-night it rained incessantly so that the next morning all the puddles that had dried up the day before were now brimming with muddy water. We did the animal feeding again and William and Matisse were more familiar and more adventurous. We did the rounds then got ready for the tractor ride. But once again Matisse said “not the tractor ride” so I stayed behind whilst Kerry and the others went off on the tractor. After feeding the animals, Cassandra and I took the older ones on a walk to take some photos and Matisse napped.

After the walk we went to the pool. The water was not as cold as the previous day and I was able to do some swimming before becoming a surf board, a diving board, a punching bag and wrestling mat for Lilly and William. Kerry and Matisse arrived after his nap and of course he wanted to go in the pool. Exhausted I had just climbed from the pool and I had just dried off. But back into the pool I went to chaperone Matisse. Kerry lowered him into the pool and a tantrum erupted – he did not want Grandad in the pool. Indignantly this two year old swam to the ladder and climbed out of the pool. So we moved to the playground where the kids amused themselves in the playhouse with Mr Tantrum throwing a wobbly every now and then.

Monday morning and I took the boys off to the animals while Kerry packed the car. We departed around 09.00 and by the time we got to Mary Cairncross Park turn off the kids needed feeding and a break. So we went to the park, the kids went wild and we realised how exhausted we were. After returning from Maleny we moved from East Brisbane to Carina to baby sit Lilly Jazz whilst Cassandra visited Sydney.

I managed to sneak away for a day of fishing in the bay with my brother in law Ian in his boat. We left his house at Capalaba and arrived at Redland Bay launched the boat and we were at the yabbie bank at 7.15 am before the tide had turned. We got our bait then hopped in the boat and anchored off the bank to fish the incoming tide. It worked perfectly. We caught 24 bream (11 legal size and therefore keepers and 13 went back to grow some more). In addition Ian caught two sting rays one of which would have been 3 ft across its back and broke his line and his rod. I caught the only crab, a male sand crab with 1 claw which we also released back into the Bay. After returning to Ian’s home as I washed the boat and cleaned the gear Ian filleted and skinned the fish and we all enjoyed a feed of fresh fish that Friday.

We have now returned to Long Eaton. A busy calendar of travelling awaits us. We will travel to Villiers Bretonneux for ANZAC day, host a visit from Kerry and Rod, host a visit and trip through France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland with David and Veronica, host a visit from my brother Greg, visit Edinburgh for the Tattoo, visit Sue and Joe in the Lakes district and meet up with Ivor and Shanelle in Prague. I think that’s about it for now.

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The Retirees take a holiday – in Australia – Brisbane

Our visit to Caloundra had come to an end so we returned to Brisbane. Carly had asked Kerry to manufacture some new ball gowns for Glitter Designs (now under the management of Carly) new fashion label Urban Prima, in time for the “Dancing with the CEOs” ball fund raising for the Women’s Legal Service. The ball was a success, lots of glitz and glamour and photo opportunities for Carly and her fashion label.

The weather which had been hot and humid improved changing to hot without the humidity. Whilst in Brisbane I  caught up with many of the people in my business network and friends as part of the adjustment to our ongoing travels.

I am back to walking in the morning. I have a really great circuit – from home I walk down to Mowbray Park on the river with views to the CBD, Kangaroo Point and the Storey Bridge (correct name is the Bradfield Highway but no one in Brisbane uses its correct road description). My circuit includes the Churchie Boat Shed, the avenue of large fig trees in the Park the Ferry Terminal where workers appear from 5.00am to take the trip to work, the sights and sounds of Brisbane. It takes about 1 hour but I walk through and see some of the best sights in Brisbane.

There are some great opportunities to take photos of some spectacular sunsets as our home overlooks Brisbane CBD and we a have a 280 degree vista of Brisbane from the east.

Doug and Nerida live on the opposite side of Brisbane and have spectacular views towards the city but from the north.

Whilst we are home, the Lorikeets (a small brightly coloured  and noisy parrot type bird) are feasting on the flowers on the trees in our driveway so it is easy to awake with the Lories for my walk. Even though Brisbane is a large city we still enjoy some of the native wild life – spiders, water dragons, white cockatoos, as well as the common butcher birds, currawongs, magpies, crows and mickey birds all joining the lories to make quite a symphony.

After the farm stay and before returning to the UK we had a gathering of friends at home and I took some photos before it got right out of hand.

 

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The Retirees take a holiday – in Australia – Caloundra

For those of you who don’t visit the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane, Caloundra is the first beach area north of Pumistone Passage and Bribie Island. It has been an institution for Brisbanites with young families to holiday at the beach and whilst probably not as trendy as its neighbours to the North (Mooloolaba and Noosa), it suits us down to the ground. Our holiday unit is 300 paces through a parkland to the foreshore, Kings Beach, the Surf Club, the sea pool, the restaurants. cafes and boardwalk. The Surf Club has been modernised in the last few months and has views of Kings Beach through to the northern tip of Bribie Island.

There is a very pleasant walk along the headlands around to Moffat Beach which takes a little over an hour return which I try to take every day I am at the beach. Apart from the vista of the beaches (Kings, Shelly, and Moffat), and the traffic in the boat channel to Moreton Bay, you can stumble upon some wild life like bush turkeys and sea eagles riding the air currents.

Our old neighbours Rod and Kerry came for an overnight visit later in the week. They have land at Peregian Beach about 1 hour north of Caloundra and are exploring building on the land. We spent one morning checking out building designs and having lunch at Peregian. This is an area well known to Kerry and me as this is where we tried our hand at being developers, entrepreneurs and publicans, developing the first non-accommodation hotel at Peregian.

Sunday it rained thus spoiling our planned get together with friends in the park. Instead it was canapes in the unit and lunch at the pub (Kings Beach Tavern) three doors down the road.

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The Retirees take a holiday – in Australia – Canberra

It’s early March and we have returned to Australia for a number of reasons. It was cold but fine as when we left Long Eaton but the unseasonably high temperatures, high humidity and lack of breeze made Brisbane just as unbearable.

My first Saturday back in Brisbane and I am off to Canberra (two hours by plane) to see our son Adam. He is loving living in Canberra. I have never been impressed by Canberra the few times I have travelled there but this time was very different and I can see why Adam has chosen this as his home. Adam introduced me to one of his neighbours by telling me to check out next door. So I poked my head above the fence and to my surprise his neighbours included a large male eastern grey kangaroo standing at least 5 feet tall. The neighbours don’t mow their grass and the roo hops down from Mt Ainslie park to graze on the grasses.

Sunday I forced Adam to take me on the grand tour of Canberra which included the following;

Mt Ainslie to view the city and surrounds and to photograph the War Memorial through to Parliament house.

Then onto the War Memorial. Despite visiting a few memorials around the world – Arlington in Washington, Les Invalides in Paris for example I still believe the War Memorial in Canberra is the best.

Then to Parliament house, the House of Reps and the Senate,

then to Kingston on the lake for lunch (new residential unit strip with cafes and bars)

then to Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower which is obvious on the Canberra skyline no matter where you are, and finally

to Mt Pleasant above Duntroon.

Monday I catch my taxi to the airport then pick up my car. I am at Caloundra by 11.30 am in time for our lunch engagement with Ivor and Shannelle . Only thing is I have picked up a gift – a cold.

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