And, to a certain extent, it was. It became a Bert and Marie, Campbell and Michele adventure. We had our moments on the Saturday morning when Michele discovered the extent of the shopping centre car park that she'd nominated as the meeting point was much larger than she'd expected. Were Bert and Marie already here and we just couldn't find them? No, they were waiting for Leon to turn up! No-one had told them that he was unable to come along. Eventually they decided to give him a miss and come on up anyway. The weather was looking good as we headed up to Mt Glorious and the scenery was great. Michele informed me that I should have a turn at some stage going up the mountain, so I did one. I reckon that that turn could empty a restaurant, if done with the right timing. It certainly had Michele worried. A quick stop and view from the Wivenhoe Lookout and on down into the valley, a good drive with quite a few motorcyclists out and about. We skipped the revival tent show in Esk and dashed on to Ravensborne National Park picnic ground for morning tea. More excellent views, good company and good cakes.
The drive on out to and through Goombungee and Haden tended to indicate that our Main Roads Department was engaged in the widespread propagation of many exotic weeds, with special emphasis on lantana. Okay, so they are pretty when they flower, but!! The Jondaryan Woolshed car park was filled with fans of the heavy machinery day and a light mist of dust came across from the top paddock. It being lunch time we decided that all good things can wait and wandered across to the kitchen. Michele had done some fishing in Jondaryan (not many fishing holes to choose from, so that hadn't taken long) and successfully smuggled it past the food police to eat it as we got stuck into some local fare.
The boys and girls of the heavy machines were around us and they quietly discussed knocks in gearboxes and big ends. I assumed that they were talking about their tractors. We wended our way to the top paddock via a number of sheds, with lots of old, and even older, tractors in them. There was much of interest for those so interested. Tractors which were one-of-a-kinds imported into Australia over eighty years ago and used to pull mallee roots and build roads across the New South Wales outback. But the top paddock was where the action was. These were real men with real toys. These were toys that roared and shook, and blew smoke, shifted dirt and made dust. These got real grease under fingernails, dug ditches, and filled them in again, shifted loads of stuff and built up the walls of the dam. Some grunted and groaned and needed strings pulled with special dexterity. But the dozers dozed, the crawlers crawled, the scrapers scraped, the dirt got you dirty and the men and boys showed off to each other. We wandered back to the sheds - there were lots of them.
Marie wrestled with a littler Caterpillar and it was time for an afternoon cuppa. This was taken in the company of many feeding ground parrots who seemed as interested in us as we were in them. There was a beautiful pheasant in a cage with some galahs, one of which was a lovely friendly fellow, only too keen to have you stay and stroke its head. Entering the woolshed, the very reason for us being there, we found, NO sheep, NO brawny strong shearers, NO wide combe versus narrow combe! But we found where they'd been. Two little boys, up from Brisbane with their uncles in the big white Isuzu truck thought that we'd be better entertainment and sat down hoping for a show. We disappointed them and moved on to the junk yard, oops, sorry. That was the auction of ancient and venerable farm yard ironmongery. Much of interest, but fortunately not interesting enough to buy and bring home.
We finished up the day with a reasonable meal at the Jondaryan Hotel. We were the star turn, it was that quiet. Gee, this place needed Shane. Yeah, Joy was having her fiftieth birthday party just down the road, so that's where everyone was. I'd had a touch of the sun, or something and went to bed early. Our party animal trio went for a walk just after ten and discovered that even the all hours Caltex was closed. But not its you-beaut automatic electronic tyre inflation and pressure machine. In the middle of the night you could still come and check your tyres. The bedrooms having windows facing west along the Warrego Highway helped me count most of the trucks that night, but the shining star was the freight train at one a.m. Those big locomotives certainly have a deep roar as they drag that kilometre of wagons along. Well, it seemed that long.
Sunday came along
as another clear, hot country day. We had an adequate breakfast (not
as well looked after as down at Clifton) and headed off to Oakey and the
Museum of Army Aviation.
I enjoyed wandering among the aircraft in this collection and certainly
encourage everyone to check out the Pellegrini Skyjeep. The only
one in existence. There are quite a few interesting bits and pieces here
and if you're careful, no-one need ever know that you have had a quick
fiddle. Hey, if the Army couldn't break it in twenty years, what
damage can I do in twenty seconds? Don't forget to ask the curator/caretaker
about his time flying Nomads. That should give the rest of us time
to see the whole collection. A quick drive around and on to Betros's in
Toowoomba for some fruit and vegie shopping and back to the Greenwattle
Motel and Retirement Home for a picnic under the tree. Okay, so I shifted
the blanket away from the tree and onto a more flat piece of ground.
There are other trees too. My Mother had an enjoyable time as we
chatted and chucked chook bones where she'd never find them. It was
a late picnic lunch, but very enjoyable nonetheless and eventually we all
had to roll up our swags and head for home.
A good time was had
by all and thanks to those who came along and the folks at the Woolshed,
Jondaryan Hotel, Museum of Army Aviation and Mrs Sharp for a great picnic
spot.
