back in Sydney

Back in Bateau Bay again and the family now complete with Duncan arriving Fri and Jane and Johannes yesterday - Sunday. Katy yesterday too and her birthday today.

K's sister Jo gave us ( Mary , me , Meghan & Dennis ) a superb guided tour of some of Sydney's wonderful coastline and hot spots. A few photos to illustrate. Now on beach and a week en famille with wedding on Sat .

Strathbogie

The visit to Strathbogie was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip. It was a wonderfully relaxing 3 day weekend visit and we revelled in it . Tim and Gina were superb hosts.
1. One of those memorable leisurely breakfasts in the conservatory putting the world to rights..
2 . Bella thinks she's a retriever .
3. A keenly contested tennis 4 - I had the benefit of the Rawbelle Rocket as my partner and we prevailed . M retiring hurt with a muscle strain was quite incidental.
4 A tour from Tim including the 24 stand shearing shed . Strathbogie runs to 12,000 acres of fine land - presently holding 8,000 sheep and 1400 cattle. They have also the neighbouring property Weebogie with an additional 4000 acres .
5 Gina & Tim at front of the magnificent ( and historic ) Strathbogie homestead - I'm sorry the Scottish Lion Rampant flag which was flown in our honour does not appear here . It was flying proudly though.

Toowoomba to Gerriween National Park

Rod gave us a superb tour of the new Toowoomba showground the move to which he masterminded a few years ago as President. He also took us on a trip ( down memory lane ) to Braemar the farm on which Mary worked as housekeeper 35 years ago when his wife Helen was recovering from an operation . We got to know Rod well in those days and our wonderful friendship has thrived over the ingtervening years.
1.Rod at the entrance to Braemar.
2 Rod outside 5 Myers St .
3 & 4. Gerriween Nat Park - remarkable !

Brisbane to Toowoomba

From bottom to top

1. The morning after Sarah's wedding in Brisbane . Reid and Mary at the edge of the Brisbane river en route to breakfast party chez Fairfax at 26 Langside Place.
2. All here but the married couple Sarah and Joe. From left Tim, Fiona, Pru, Gina and Lucy.
3. On, that afternoon, to Toowoomba to stay with our very dear friend Rod Stirling . Here is one of the lovely evenings we had with Rod and his partner Jen on the deck of Jen's house with panoramic views under full rising moon.
3 The garden of our luncheon hosts for Melbourne Cup party.
4. New breed of sheep ( bred for meat , not wool ) at Meenawarra , Cecil Plains . We were given a warm welcome there from Christo and Poss Bloomfield and a tour of their property on the Darling River 30 or so miles from Toowoomba - we were last there 35 years ago working for Stephen and Tina at a neighbouring farm Warrameena.

Maryborough, Rainbow beach, & Gympie

1 & 6. We had a hugely enjoyable 2 days with Ian and Anne at their beautifully restored Baddow House sitting right on the Mary River. The Mary River estuary was the 2nd biggest port to Sydney in the very early days of colonisation and those tall ocean going sailing ships would have sailed right by this site now on the edge of the historic town of Maryborough. Ian and Anne have done a momentous job of restoring the house.
2 & 3. On Ian's recommendation we stopped for a walk and picnic at Rainbow Beach on our way to Bruce and Delia's at Gympie.
4 Bruce , Delia, and Rossie with whom we have not stayed for 35 years - in those days at Ibis Creek. Rossie a babe in arms at that time. It was a delightful stay , seeing the store they run and the plans for development, exploring Gympie and the mining museum - and much catching up - no bridge sadly - next time ( hopefully not 35 years ).
5 . Mary with Ian at Belbury , Montville - en route to Brisbane for Fairfax wedding.

Fraser Island and whale watching

We had 2 nights in a campsite at Hervey Bay, going on a 1 day expedition to Fraser Island one day and on a whale watching trip the next. Both memorable days.
1 a wild dingo on the 45km beach on the far side of Fraser Is
2 the wreck of an old passenger liner on same beach
3 She made it - again . This time at Lake Mackenzie an extaordinarily beautiful fresh water lake in the middle of the island.
4 & 5 the 2 whales we tracked for a couple of hours or so .

Biloela to Fraser Island

1 with Bridget and David enjoying pre dinner drinks on Stoneleigh above their homestead with superb views looking south
2 Leaving Bridget and David at Stoneleigh
3 on the ferry from Hervey Bay to Fraser Island
4 Looking to Fraser Island
5 and the 4 wheel bus we drove round the island in, an extaordinary island of shifting sand - and literally all sand -with enormous and varied vegetation and forest full of wildlife.

Plain Creek to Biloela

We left Plain Creek mid afternoon and were lucky to have filled up with gas in Charters Towers the day before. The Belyando gas station (last gas for 200 or more km) had had the same power cut that hit Plain Creek and we'd have had to return to Plain Creek for the night. As it was, we reached Claremont by dusk and managed to get our tent put up in yet another superb council run caravan/camp site before dark. These sites have good laundary and camp kitchen facilities, so we always manage to buy ready meals at local supermarket and microwave. in tent and reading with our head torches by 9 , enabling early starts st dawn with usual back exercises and breakfast first.

We reached Bridget ( G's 1st cousin - Colin's younger daughter ) and David's 1,400 acre cattle property outside Biloela mid afternoon taking in library ( catching up on emails )in Emerald on the way.

1.Stoneleigh homestead.
2. David loading `lick` to deliver to his cattle as a feed supplement pending good rain.
3. Mustering cattle into the yards following a failure by yours truly to secure a paddock gate the night before. David kindly said he needed to do it anyway , but not convinced .
4. David on bike - horses out , bikes in - returning cattle to correct paddock.
5. Harvey and Ink revelling in ` a job well done `

Plain Creek, Charters Towers

We left Townsville mid morning after getting new passenger door lock for Catherine's car which continues to go like a dream. What a fabulous trip that car is giving us. Just couldn't be doing half the things we're doing without it . Arrived Plain Creek ( 80,000 acre cattle property ) 100 or so km south of Charters Towers by mid afternoon . A booming little town Charters Towers has become and very different from the day Mary and Robyn visited the cottage hospital there 35 years ago following an O/D on mangoes !
1 M with Cammo ( Reid & Robyn' 2nd son ) and his fiancee Carmen and son Mattie.
2 Mattie found his way into our tent and was much at home there. Note Cammo lighting the barbecue.
3 M shovelling sand from the creek by the cattle yards 12 km or so from the homestead prior to mixing cement.
4 M digging out an old wooden post in the yards prior to pouring cement for installation of new metal posts.
5 M with Cammo and Shady after completion of project. Hope some positive contribution from G & M , but not certain.

Townsville and Magnetic Island

Three days and nights in Binnie's ( Reid & Robyn's younngest daughter ) garden and we made the most of our stay there with a fascinating trip out to Magnetic Is

1 The view of T'ville from Castle Rock
2 She made it !
3 A deserted Horshshoe Bay
4 At last spotted a koala in the wild
5 Horseshoe Bay from ` the forts` on top of Magnetic Is