Around Jo Belke Peterson Dam Queensland
We are hanging around this area and staying at the JBP Dam which is a very tranquil area and all the long week enders have gone leaving this place virtually deserted !! Stopping at a few country towns en route.These place are mostly well kept and clean .Sadly we saw quite few dead foxes on the road (although they are considered pests) We stayed overnight at a free camp where the basic toilets are a priority Altho these ablutions are in the middle of the bush they are well maintained and travellers generally leave them in good condition(Grey Nomads are terrific when leaving camp-sites) Graham from Tasmania was camped next to us and he has travelled the roads for years.He gave us a long useful list of good free camps and how our stays in Tasmania will be very cheap due to locals making travellers very welcome (cant wait till Nov when we go !!)
Goodbye Dalby
We leave Dalby today to head deeper into Queensland This display of bats was a magic find !! Up close they look a friendly cuddly type of creature BUT having seen so many Dracula movies in the 60s I,ll leave them sleeping !!Dalby is a very friendly place & I had cause for a Doctors visit ,all medical staff were great The Camp site was like a giant tarmac covered carpark the only plus being that it was next door to the RSL club New adventures start on Monday (tis a Public Holiday here 2 may) Bunya Mountain(s) next !!
BIG THANKS TO YOU ALL I,VE NOW GONE OVER 2000 HITS !!!
Blogs may be a little sparse as we are now entering into areas where there are no internet signals BUT they will be coming with hopefully some great pics ! We have a final warranty inspection on the 13 th May then we will be wandering this great state of Queensland for the next few month at our leisure (methinks I should have retired when I left school!)
Dalby Queensland & Prickly Pears
Dalby is going towards Toowoomba and its claim to fame is because of the Cactoblastis moth
By the year 1920, prickly pear had infested 58 million acres of land in New South Wales and Queensland. Spreading at an alarming rate of 1 million acres a year ! When the Cactoblastis insect was first released. within six years most of the original pear had been destroyed. It was an amazing result and a monument to the moth has been erected near the town centre The RSL club we have been using has a bare concrete floor that only a few weeks ago was carpeted BUT during the floods the club floor was covered by 12 inches of water.Walking around the river edge it is possible to see how much water had covered this town with debris still trapped high in the trees The golf course is in bad need of repair too !! Main industry here is Cotton and the road edges look “snowy” with bits of cotton that hav fallen of trucks !!
Leaving Goondiwindi heading towards Dalby
After a nice relaxing week in Goondiwndi we are heading for Dalby (in the district of Toowoomba) Goondiwindi was friendly place and altho we changed our neighbours daily on the campsite we have net some lovely people (a BIG plus on our trip) My scripts have run out and I was lucky enough to get to see a Doctor almost immediately to renew them (she even said my blood pressure was spot SO there must be something good about this traveling !!)these will be the last Goondiwindi pics NEXT Dalby
Relaxing Carefree Days
Retirement gets better every day Much as I loved my work I can never go back after experiencing meeting some lovely people I can change my neighbour everyday,have a different view from my bedroom window daily and visit and see wondrous places and never tire of the travel .We are starting to slow down as we wend our way towards The Gulf of Carpenteria We have also booked our overnight ferry to Tasmania in Nov until our return in February.There is always an aura of excitement on planning our next moves We are still in Goondiwindi until tomorrow Wednesday
ANZAC DAY 25th April 2011
Today we attended the memorial for soldiers who fought and lost in the battle of Gallipoli 96 years ago on this day in which almost 12,000 Australians & New Zealanders lost their lives. To see most of the towns people of Goodiwindi attend ( I’m sure this happens all over Australia & New Zealand) brings a sombre feeling of humbleness ,proudness & humility. It is good to see forces veterans & children mixing to honour heroes of all wars Speeches were given by 2 senior school pupils who reflected on their visit to Gallipoli in 2010 The playing of the Last Post by the lone bugler raises the hairs on the back of my neck and the emotions displayed by the crowd was electric Lest We Forget
Pictures taken on the way to Goondiwindi
As we travel on and see some of the interesting subjects that are pleasing to the eye there is no time for boredom.Staying in one place for Easter break is very relaxing and love it when ringing the RSL asking if they provide courtesy buses and the reply is affirmative !!AND its free ! We are currently planning our stop overs on route to Brisbane .Old buildings and letterboxes provide some good interesting topics to photograph
April 23rd St Georges Day
Although I have been an Australian for nigh on 30yrs I still remain faithful to the England Football & Cricket teams so to all my Pommie families & Pals I wish you a great St Georges Day (For all you Australians..IF it hadn’t been for St George slaying all those fire breathing Dragons the world might be a different place now !!)
HAPPY St GEORGES DAY TO ONE AND ALL
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.
You have to admire the Australians on this day 25th April 2011. Easter Monday has been put back until Tuesday .Priority is given to past wars and respect duly shown to those who deserve it . ANZAC DAY and is celebrated by being a public holiday This is my very small tribute to those who gave me the good life I currently Enjoy (The British have Remembrance Day in November )
The opening verse is also recited in RSL (British Legion equivalent) clubs with a 2 minute silence around this country at 6pm daily Click on the Link below for everything that is forces
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Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 