Visiting the Cities…

June 16, 2024June 16, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

As we head off towards the city of Calgary, we realise very quickly that it’s not the cities we want to spend time in. Of course, we want to tick the box and say we’ve seen it but countryside Canada certainly pull you back into the wild.

Calgary is the third largest city in Canada with a population of around 1.6m, comparing to an Australian city, smaller than Brisbane which boasts 2.5m in 2024.

We do a very quick drive through and continue towards Edmonton, the next stop on our journey. I’ve heard about the West Edmonton Mall, the shopping centre with a water park – it’s always held an interest and to be sure, this shopping mall, does not disappoint.

Edmonton and the surrounds are blue collar areas, hardworking people and I suspect, a substantial fly in/fly out population as well. After a long day on the road, we arrived to find our accommodation literally across the road from the mall. Shops are open until 9pm!

The shopping centre is much like any other centre although with an indoor water park, indoor theme park (think rollercoasters), indoor ice skating rink, indoor marine park (thinks seals) and so much more.

We arrived in Edmonton on the day the Edmonton Oilers were in the playoffs – now what playoffs, I’m unsure although there was great excitement, everyone was wearing the team colours and there was a lot of celebrating!

Edmonton was also a teaching experience for Cecilia and myself in how to order meals! You would think we would know, however when ordering a meal that we were going to share, we in fact ordered double. Cecilia ordered the Quesabirria, beef we thought, which in fairness it was. It came with broth, after both Cecilia and I had tasted the broth (thinking it was soup) and declared it was ‘not our thing’ we decided to google what a birria taco actually was, turns out we had been sipping the broth that we were supposed to be dipping our previously fried taco into! One can only imagine what the staff were thinking!

We owe Edmonton an apology, I don’t believe we gave it our best shot, for two days we did nothing but wander throughout a shopping centre! When departing, one thing we noticed not only here but in other areas of Canada, was the amount of caravans, RVs and the like. There were literally hundreds of storage facilities, that housed thousands of the campers in every size and shape. If you have spare land, you rent it out to someone to park their RV. There were so many mobile homes on the road with us, we lost count.

Our next stop was a small town Hinton, our investigating had discovered they had a Beaver Boardwalk, we were really not sure what to expect but we ended up with one of the most amazing wildlife experiences of the trip thus far.

Standing in 6°c rainy weather for over an hour, just watching a beaver do his thing! We thought we were lucky when we first spotted them swimming, we then came across a beaver who had work on his agenda! He had a hole a to fill…

Amazing interaction with wildlife doing his thang…

Our next destination was a stopover at Prince George, this little town was surprising, you could immediately see that this was a lower socio-economic region and unfortunately, we noticed an increase in homelessness. We ventured to town for dinner on a lazy Sunday evening and I think we shared the best Indian meal I’ve ever had and it’s one of my favourite meals – The Tasty Bite!

We’ve been on the road for some time, we’ve planned a few days out and have booked a log cabin by Big Lake, there’s a fire station, a village shop, a community centre and a school! It’s cold and wet, our accommodation is heated and possesses a 1000 piece puzzle of an elephant, if you know my friend Cecilia, she is obsessed with elephants, so the puzzle begins.

For four days, we slept, we puzzled, we cooked and relaxed all whilst overlooking a serene lake!

After 4 days of R&R we were ready to continue our tour, Whistler was our next stop! We took the road less travelled and traversed mountains and villages along the way. A stop at the local art studio in Clinton introduced us to local artist – Linda Madden who carves moose antlers. These pieces are truly magnificent. I definitely would have had one (and still might), I’m just not sure whether I can get it back into Australia!

The drive from Big Lake to Whistler provided so many changing landscapes it was hard to keep up. We passed by a sulphur lake where the colour of the lake was as yellow as ‘sulphur’ surprisingly…

We traversed countryside from rich pine forests to the barren desert of Lillooet, we were shocked by the change in such a short drive. We had left 3°c weather in Big Lake and had a hit a high of 31°c in Lillooet! As we neared the town we noticed another flowing river coming towards us – how could that be?

The Fraser River is the largest salmon spawning river in the world – I wish I had known this travelling through…

As we near to Whistler, the traffic mounts and the isolation of the villages fades. I visited Whistler in May of 2018 when Manon was living in Vancouver. A tourist town that is vibrate from sun-up to well past sun- down. A beautiful village that caters for all seasons, although it doesn’t hold the charm of those isolated towns. We’re astounded at the number of bikes that overtaken the town and the ski slopes for the summer. I can only imagine there’s a rivalry between the two. We’ve hit on the first week of summer and the flowers are in bloom and the place is definitely buzzing with life.

We stay in the middle of the village and watch the world go by. A town that is extremely proud of its Olympic history and now a favoured holiday destination for visitors from all over the world.

A thing to note about all of these places we have visited, there’s not one city nor a village that we’ve visited that a young Australian has not served us or we’ve spoken to. We are quite literally everywhere… I sincerely hope the young people of Canada are coming to Australia and enjoying the same spoils our kids are being offered in Canada!

Our excitement is growing, we’re on the down hill run to our cruise, the main reason for our trip. We leave Whistler headed back into Vancouver to join our fellow expeditioners!

I sit here on board the Roald Amundsen enjoying a little New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, as we sail through snow capped glacial mountains with ice bergs, orcas and seals passing us by. What we have seen is truly unbelievable, until next time…

Walk in the Wild

June 5, 2024June 5, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 3 Comments

So I know it’s been a while, we’ve been busy. Our stay at Stoey’s Farm for a couple of days was sensational. We wandered with the chooks, chatted with the Alpacas and loved up the 3 big pups! Jen, Dylan and the gorgeous Ella, were wonderful hosts. We vowed to return to this niche little part of the world – Salmon Arms, when we next visit!

23 May was a day that we captured the first of many bear sightings. A black bear was literally snacking on berries on the side of the road. We screeched the brakes and u-turned over double lines so we could get a better vantage point. We were like kids in a candy store, we couldn’t believe we’d actually seen a bear!

We were on our way to Blue River to do a safari specifically so we could hopefully see bears. With much excitement we boarded a speed boat, in the rain, hopefully to see either bear or moose! To say it was cold is an absolute understatement, layer up they said, layer we did! They then added a life jacket and rain poncho accompanied by heated blankets, we could hardly sit down, think an image of two marshmallow men attempting to ward off the cold whilst looking for wildlife! We opted for a slower, warmer ride back in a catamaran!

Next destination was Jasper in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As we entered the National Park and bought our pass, we chatted to the young ranger who shared the best places to visit. Keep an eye for wildlife, they’re definitely out and about. We had no idea what was in store for us. As we neared to the town of Jasper, we came upon a small herd of white-tailed elk or deer (I’m still having difficulty as to which is which). I think we settled on deer. Literally two minutes further along towards town a herd of Bighorn sheep were again grazing by the side of the road. We couldn’t believe our luck!

Jasper is a small village surrounded by snow capped mountains. At every turn, there’s another picture postcard view. We discovered a store run by local artisans, a showcase of amazing local talent. I made a conscious decision a few years ago to only buy pieces that came direct from the artist, so for me, this was an absolute treasure trove. I may have secured a small piece or two!

I can only imagine how this village would come alive during the winter season. With so many beautiful mountain trails to hike, it was bustling now at the end of May! As we’ve only been booking our accommodation a few days before, we did struggle somewhat to secure accommodation (within our budget) in the rockies. We stayed at Forest Park Hotel at one end of town with a Starbucks within walking distance!

When we were planning this trip, we had entertained taking the Rocky Mountaineer to the towns of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. A journey which meanders its way around the mountains from the comfort of a luxury carriage with food and drinks, a guide to narrate your travels. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the train however a 9 hour delay on the tracks made this impossible. Unfortunately or fortunately for us, the cost was prohibitive although now, after speaking to a variety of people, I definitely think we made the right decision to self drive and take in this beautiful part of the world. I’ve no doubt, we’ve had far greater interaction with wildlife, met and chatted to more people and experienced these rocky mountains in a more intimate way that we would have done, had we taken the train. If you’re considering a journey, I would definitely recommend, looking at reviews before committing the $$ for this experience.

We headed towards Maligne Canyon which has 6 bridges along its mountain trail, which allows you to follow the flow of the glacial ice down the mountain. We had seen so much wildlife on the 10km drive from Jasper, it had taken us nearly an hour. Upon arrival into the carpark, the crowds were gathering, a bear with its cub had made an appearance. We gingerly joined the crowd to capture this unbelievable moment, the hushed crowd was respectful to keep their distance. As the mother and cub wandered alongside the carpark entry, they ducked out of view. There’s always one in the crowd, that needs to get just one more shot. A fellow decided to cross the road and come within about 10m of the mother bear, several members of the crowd, in a sheeplike manner, followed. Cecilia and I were aghast at people’s stupidity and knew had the bear attacked, she would seal her deadly fate. Think Princess Diana and the paparazzi, it was shocking to see the lack of respect. We departed the crowd and took to our bush walk.

We headed for the Columbia Icefields to walk on a glacier. The photos do not do justice to the beauty of these mountain ranges. The tree line is a pallet of green, the rivers and lakes, every shade of blue and aqua and the mountains with their glaring white snowcaps cascading down the grey granite. At every turn, it’s breathtaking.

Layer they said, layer we did! We boarded our all-terrain Ice Explorer to the Athabasca Glacier, which is a 10,000-year-old sheet of ice which continually moves. This Glacier feeds three oceans, I wouldn’t dare begin to explain how this works, although for those keen to know more, take a look at fellow blogger – Anton Thomas Art, he gives a great explanation. Our day on the ice, was one of learning, ticking bucket lists and generally just having a blast. The temperature at the Glacier with wind chill factor had us at -4°c.

With the current changes to the Earth’s climate, this glacier will melt and disappear within the next 50 years. This will be devastating to the wildlife, the flora and humans who rely on glaciers for survival! Nasa scientists regularly visit the Athabasca Glacier to study the movement. Do some research and look at comparative photos of now and then! What will the next 50 years bring…

Incorporated into the Glacier tour, we take a walk on the Skywalk, a glass walkway that allows the participant to walk over the canyon! I can assure you, for these two travellers, it was a very quick, cautious, white knuckle walk to say we did it!

Back on the road headed for Lake Louise, we encountered more and more wildlife. Whilst we expected to see wildlife, I think our count on bears is currently at 10! Deer, Elk, Bighorn sheep, Long horned goats and small wildlife are abundant.

We arrived late to the inn at Lake Louise and to then find out we had two levels of stairs to tackle to get to our room. We were tired as we dragged our sorry buts up the stairs! Lake Louise was an interesting place, very different to what I had imagined, it’s really the Fairmont Chateau which has the most amazing views of the Lake. We were having an indulgent day, Cecilia secured high tea at the Chateau, as my birthday gift! We sat by the window overlooking Lake Louise which still harboured a layer of ice and enjoyed another bucket list moment and a glass or two of my favourite, Veuve!

We’ve come across many Australians whilst we’ve been travelling, young ones here on their working visas and Gen Xs and Boomers spending their kids’ inheritances. The high tea at the Fairmont was no different, we chatted to a couple from Sydney, who were celebrating their first holiday away from their now grown children. They were doing the reverse of our way through Banff/Jasper National Park, so we swapped stories and wished each other safe travels. They told us they’d stayed in Banff at the Fox Hotel and Suites. We took their advice and wow, what a stay we had! The hotel is home to a heated pool (40°) inspired by the Cave and Basin Historic site which is the original site of the Banff thermal springs. I couldn’t get Cecilia into the original cave but the pool at the Fox, with its open roof and spa, allowed us the experience just the same.

^{© Fox Hotel and Suites. I took the photo from their website as mine were too dark.}

To extend our experiences, we jumped on the free local transport and headed to the Banff Gondola to take us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. As you board the Gondola, the unmistakable Aussie accent guides you every step of the way. Once on the ridge, you stroll along the boardwalk for a km or so, taking in so many steps we lost count, to reach the peak of this mountain. There are no words for the beauty that surrounds you. At an elevation of 2,451m we folk that live at sea level, realised how thin the air is although how clean the air is. We took our time and both of us made it!

To finish off our Banff experience, we enjoyed a Wagon Trail BBQ Cookout which was basically being run by Aussies! We met some wonderful young Australians who were an absolute credit to themselves, they entertained, informed and shared their journeys with us! If you’re in Banff, it’s a great experience for all the family, you can actually do the horse ride, although we opted for the wagon ride due to the cold and impending rain…

Banff was absolutely the pick for places to stay whilst in the Rocky Mountains. It was humming with life and I can only imagine what it must be like when snow covers the streets at the peak of ski season!

We start heading for the big smoke of Calgary and Edmonton, more to come next week!

Bucket List with two beds…

May 24, 2024June 4, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

For all the travels I’ve undertaken over the years, I’ve always had a yearning for Alaska! I’m not sure why, it’s just always held my interest. I’ve been to Canada several times although never had the opportunity to head to the North (yes, I realise, it’s USA). The cruise up the inland passage has always been of interest but as I’m absolutely NOT a cruiser, it’s been beyond my reach. I recall when I was in my late teens I ventured, along with my mother and great aunt, to Sydney, boarded a P&O ship and we cruised for 7 days taking in the sights of Launceston, returning back to Melbourne for the tennis, and then back to Sydney. Out of the 7 days, I spent 5 violently sea-sick. It took me another 3o years before I would try again. I opted for a 3 day Sydney to Brisbane sail. Success, I didn’t get sea-sick although it reaffirmed that I was definitely not a cruise-goer. Too many people in a confined space, and I didn’t have the right coloured lanyard hanging around my neck…

When I ventured to Croatia a few years ago, my travelling buddy – Deb and I, took in a week long cruise around the Croatia isles although there were only 40 on the boat. It was so relaxing, small group and we met some fantastic people.

The yearning for the Alaska trip remained however. When Deb mentioned to me about Hurtigruten Expedition cruises, I thought this might be different from the usual boating experiences. The ship MS Roald Amundsen, the first hybrid-powered ships in the Hurtigruten fleet and the mention of a Science and Education Programme with a Science Centre onboard, peaked my interest. Deb assures me this ship is not like the usual cruising ships, luxury and expedition cruising brings a different experience.

^{© Oscar Ferrara}

So, this brings me to the start of my journey to Alaska! There’s been a few hiccups along the way but they’ve all been overcome to get me here in Canada on an Alpaca farm writing a post about my first week of the Bucket List trip.

The HX cruises are certainly not cheap, I patiently waited for the single supplements to be released, I couldn’t afford to go without a reduction. As the deadline to book neared, another friend (I’ve got more than one it seems) Cecilia reached out. Cecilia and Jim (Jimbo) had been planning a trip to Alaska on a cruise but such trip had been cancelled during COVID, with Jim’s passing, Cecilia was keen to fulfill their dream of also venturing to Alaska to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. So we set some ground rules around sleeping arrangements – both declaring we’re too old to share beds! So the journey of both of us fulfilling our bucket lists in separate beds began!

Our original flight was cancelled, we had the choice to move to a day earlier and we grabbed it, who wouldn’t want an extra day on holiday. As our departure date grew nearer, we compared packing notes and they were similar – well, I ended up with 14kgs and my friend some 21kgs, maybe our lists weren’t quite the same… She’ll be cross with me telling you all this!

4 days before departure, we received notification that our cruise had been cancelled, a devastating blow! Some quick thinking and a phone call to the UK, we had secured our cabin on the next voyage departing 9 June. Oh dear, another extension to the holiday… Cecilia and I added up our $$ could we afford an extra 15 days holidays, we both decided it’s the trip of a lifetime, let’s just go!

Awaiting our 4.46am train | Celebratory breaky at the airport | Here we go… | Snow capped mountains as we approach Vancouver!

The flight was uneventful although we gambled on no-one being in the middle seat – we lost. Cecilia now has a new friend, who speaks no English, although they shared a cuppa or two throughout the flight! Me, I took my sleeping pills and slept!

The first couple of days were somewhat chaotic due to some hiccups with accommodation. As of 1 May, the rules for Airbnb have changed in Canada with many places having to take their listings down. We couldn’t work out why there were so few listings. Anyhow, once we became aware we adjusted and carried on. A couple of days in Vancouver to get over the flight. We opted to extend our car hire a few extra days and hit the road. Now we had extra time, we can explore Vancouver Island. Ferry was booked for Wednesday 15 May afternoon with our first stop a tiny house in Courtenay! Vancouver Island is an amazing getaway from Vancouver, step back in time to a slower pace and if it’s possible, friendlier Canadians!

Along the route, we came across Goats on the Roof (literally) a market style shopping complex, we gathered groceries for our first few days and discovered the Nanaimo Bar, no – not a drinking establishment, a dessert slice toted as Canada’s favourite! Our first stay in Courtenay in a Tiny Home did not disappoint. This quaint little stay had everything we needed and then some.

We meandered our way through MacMillan Provincial Park amazed by the trees and root systems.

Fish and Chip lunch at Dicks in Campbell River. As we sit to enjoy Dick’s Fish and Chips, three young lads walk in, of course they’re Aussies, three brothers travelling, where from – Miami and Mermaid – they literally live around the corner from us at home! These boys are off to drive to Alaska. A visit to a local winery 40 Knots Winery and a lot of sitting watching the world go by. We noticed the beaches have logs strewn about, we’re thinking this may assist with beach erosion.

A stay in a family’s basement apartment in Shawnigan Lakes, allowed us to explore the Kinsol Trestle, standing at approx. 40m high making it one of the highest wooden railway trestles in the world. Fascinating to inspect the construction and the thought that it would have held the weight of a train and carriages.

We came across a small town Chemainus without a doubt one of the most gorgeous seaside towns I’ve ever visited. This artisan village is home to over 50 large scale murals scattered throughout the town. Somewhere I’d love to return and spend more time. If you’re travelling to Vancouver Island, Chemainus should definitely be on the list of places to see.

It was time to think of heading back to the mainland to continue the journey of discovery, making our way towards Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff, the first stop – Chilliwack. As it turned out, friends of Cecilia’s, Sue and Justin, are abroad for 3 months, celebrating the birth of their second grandchild, the son and family lives in Chilliwack! The world is such a small place. We met them for dinner and chatted all things Australians travelling. There may have a been a conversation or ten about our grandkids. We opted for a stay in a heritage listed manor, which is a labour of love for hosts Cindy and Rosally!

The ferry system in Canada is amazing – the number of vehicles that can be moved in such a short period of time, is no mean feat. Very similar to the vehicle ferries I took getting across from UK to Ireland.

We’ve decided on our drive tour, to keep off the highways where possible, to enjoy and take our time, soaking in the scenery and the small villages along the way. We happened across the Hope Landslide site. Basically the side of a mountain fell down, one of the largest landslides ever recorded happened in 1965 after a small earthquake. The signage indicates 46 million cubic metres of earth was dislodged. It’s hard to imagine how much that is but when you see the site, I mean it’s literally half a mountain!

One of our first grocery shops on Vancouver Island, yielded a little organic red, the Robin Ridge Gamay, I had commented to Cecilia, definitely one of the better wines I have had. As we continued our journey, passing through villages of Princeton and Keremeos we spot a sign to Robin Ridge Winery – can it really be the same? A detour was definitely warranted. A wine tasting ensued and whilst more bottles of the Gamay were secured – a Chardonnay and Rose have joined the crew. For those that know me, I would never usually drink a chardonnay although this wine, is very good! I quite easily could have sent a carton home of each.

We noticed ‘Boil Water’ notices and discovered this little village of Princeton has had a rough few years, whilst it sits high on the mountain tops, it was hit with an atmospheric river in November 2021 and caused widespread devastation. I had never heard of an atmospheric river and I need to research if this is the same style of event, that caused the catastrophic floods in Queensland in 2011.

Cecilia declared I was not permitted to visit more wineries until I had consumed my recent purchases, reluctantly I accepted the challenge as we headed for our next destination of Penticton. Our stay was in a recently refurbished motel – Kettle Valley Beach Resort, we splurged and enjoyed a curry at Penticton’s best Indian – Lachi Fine Indian Restaurant

You can see how Penticton would be a holiday haven for British Columbians, the Okanagan Lake is sensational with so many spots to camp, park up an RV and enjoy the spoils of the area. There’s a white sandy beach in Penticton, which for we Australians, was a standout, as other beaches we’ve encountered were pebbled and rocky outcrops and needed reef shoes.

We took the route less travelled and headed north towards Salmon Arms via Peachland, Bear Creek and Fintry. I would love to share with you the travels to Kelowna however I fear, a random roundabout set us astray and we totally missed the biggest City in the Okanagan Valley.

Bear Creek yet again held a devastating tale of destruction, where the scars of a fire from September 2023 remain.= A quick Wiki search shows us that lives were lost and 189 properties were destroyed with 12,000 hectares affected.

There’s certain similarity to home, fire – flood and beaches, another indication of the connection between Australia and far northern counterparts – Canadians.

The search of a Starbucks has become our early mantra for we realise the coffee is, at the very least, consistent! Our next stay is at Stoey’s farm, located in the hills above Salmon Arms. There’s chooks, Alpacas and homemade wine – I’ll need to leave this until the next post, the rhubarb wine is taking its toll!

3 months …

May 12, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

Thankfully I decided not to number the weeks, I look back and see it has been 3 months since my last post. Once I get through the details of this post, you’ll understand I’ve been somewhat busy. The first quarter of each year, is the busiest for me in my work, as we deliver Australia’s largest youth writers festival. Always chaotic, throw in a new grandchild, a wedding, planning for a trip and as you can imagine, chaos reigns. My Sunday morning’s have been spent sleeping or just catching my breath.

March

Preparation is well and truly underway for Storyfest where we are getting ready to welcome some 10,000+ people to the festival. This year’s highlight is the launch of a book we played a part, albeit small, getting this book published – something we’re extremely proud of. I’m thrilled that this author, has now also signed another 3 book deal with a major publishing house. Navy was thrilled to make new friends with Kevin the Sheep, now she knows when his birthday is, and when meeting Emma Memma, she was starstruck!

A baby is due – my youngest daughter Dana, who I’ve mentioned previously, was due to deliver my grandson on 13 March – no problem, two weeks before the festival, we can do this. Well, said young grandson, had a difference of opinion and went two weeks over arriving on Tuesday 26 March (the middle day of the festival) but coincidentally on my mother’s 82nd birthday. There is no greater thrill for GG to share her birthday with her first great grandson. Welcome Rip Mackenzie Morris!

My eldest daughter Manon (the cool one in front), also got ‘officially’ married on Friday 22 March in Sydney. Manon and Shaelyn will celebrate with their friends in Italy for a European summer wedding and then spend a couple of months travelling.

A sensational way to continue the journey for these amazing young women!

Congrats girls – I love you both! Shaelyn, you’re my favourite daughter-in-law!

Needless to say, I don’t have to explain why there was no blog post in March!

April

Here we are settling into our new normal, planning for my 60th Birthday, the trip to Canada/Alaska and enjoying the spoils of our new baby. Navy’s 3rd baby is coming up and what is now to become a tradition with Manon, Dana and myself to make the birthday cakes together! I can’t tell you how many laughs, trials and tribulations there have been in just three years – but I cherish these few hours/days with my kids.

Navy wanted a rainbow party and that’s what she got! I love this kid more than life…

As we were ready to celebrate Navy’s birthday, Dana noticed little Rip was unwell, turns out our boy ended up having a week long stay in hospital – he’s on the mend but we had a couple of anxious days, that’s for sure. I know firsthand what it’s like to have a newborn unwell, it takes every bit of strength you’ve got. Dana was calm and in control to ensure Rip received the best of care, and that Navy was also able to celebrate her third birthday!

The munchkin spent some A’Ma time while Mum and Dad concentrated on ‘Rippy’ (Navy’s endearment)!

Rip celebrated his one month milestone from hospital, a story for us to tell when he’s older…

Again no explanations needed for why I didn’t blog in April!

May – here we are…

The start of the month has yet again been keeping me busy. I celebrated ‘THE’ day on Tuesday 7 May and had some friends gather the Saturday evening before. I’m extremely fortunate to have amazing family and friends who joined me in celebrating – thank you to everyone!

Gotta love it when your face makes it onto a cupcake…

If I knew how to make this a smaller image – I would!

My friend Cecilia and I embark on our trip tomorrow morning – bags are packed (well, I’m sure Cecilia’s is) and we’ll set off about 4.00am! We received an email late Thursday evening to tell us our cruise had been cancelled during a scheduled maintenance stop in Panama as they discovered an issue. Some quick thinking and phone calls, got us on the next cruise leaving 9 June, so we’ve had to extend our holiday by 9 days. We’re hoping we win lotto between now and then or we may have to grab a swag and camp out under the stars for a few nights…

Stay tuned as I blog our way through our travels abroad!

Accessibility for all…

February 25, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 1 Comment

I’ve taken to writing this blog on a Sunday morning, load of washing in the machine, and whilst I sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, watch the world go by from my balcony, I reflect on the week that has just been. Last weekend I had my favourite person in the world for a sleepover, so my Sunday morning was not my own. There was no washing, coffee thrown down my neck and certainly no time to write – I have no regrets.

I’ve also had two visits to Brisvegas in the past couple of weeks for work. One for a networking event – ho hum, but I then had dinner in a little bar overlooking the Story Bridge – so beautiful lit up of an evening.

The other visit this past week was to participate in a new film and book festival – Blussh Romance Festival which is being produced by a friend. I had the absolute honour to host a panel of local authors and chat about their romance novels. In preparation for this conversation, I needed to read their books – another reason for the radio silence. Romance books very very different to the children’s book, I usually find myself reading for work. Anna Campbell a well established author with 49 books under her belt, more awards than I’m able to count. Anna’s steamy novels set you back into the regency era (think Jane Austen) with the handsome aristocrat falling for the lesser woman although the female protagonist, becoming an equal and certainly holding her own! A feminist in the 1800s.

Debut novelists – Jordan Claydon-Lewis and Michelle Beesley both who have written their first foray into romance based around their characters travelling – Australia and its Outback feature in Jordan’s book and Michelle’s romance is secured within the underground tombs in Paris.

I love being able to support authors especially emerging authors, to get their work out into the world.

The last week also saw me take me and my dancing shoes to enjoy Pink! She really is an a legend and we would love if she were to call Australia home. Down to earth, super talented woman, also a mum, just doing her thang…

Part of my job, running a public event such as Storyfest is to ensure accessibility for everyone. I know, we can do better but we certainly try and accommodate. This year for the first time, we will incorporate a couple of sessions with an Auslan interpreter and Emma Memma will attend. Emma has written books which incorporate Auslan into the books – give them a look, they’re sensational. If anyone out there has a little one, I’m sure you would have heard of Miss Rachel, I remember that Navy was signing before she could talk, which was unbelievable at the time. Last year, we had a young visitor to the festival arrive in a wheelchair and I later found out, had some difficulties with one of our vendors. Needless to say, that vendor won’t be coming back to our festival.

Living where I do, I’m able to enjoy the spoils of public transport to get me to these type of events. I walk out my door, jump on a bus and I’m away. The other evening, when waiting for the local bus to get to the Pink concert, there was a fellow in a wheelchair also waiting for the bus. It was busy, there were a few people at the stop and when the bus arrived, it was quite crowded on the bus. As those of us readied to board the bus, we all stood back to allow the wheelchair fellow to board first. The bus driver got out of his seat, looked around the bus and then proceeded to let the wheelchair fellow know, it’s busy, there’s really not room for him (there were able bodied people sitting in the handicap seat area). The young girls sitting in the seats quickly jumped up and moved. Before anyone could jump in, the fellow explained, very calmly, ‘Mate, I just really needed to get home’. The bus driver looked at the rest of us, no-one moved. He then huffed and reluctantly lowered the wheelchair ramp and let the fellow on.

I had to bite my tongue, I don’t think I’ve ever been more angry at any individual – it was disgraceful that this fellow even had to plead to be let onto the bus. What is our world coming to, when we would happily leave someone in a wheelchair on the side of the road rather than take an extra 30s to put a ramp out for them. I did get a photo of the bus number and will report the issue but I fear old mate in the wheelchair is used to this type of treatment.

Do better folks…

Oh Boy!

February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

A planning day to map out the next 3 years for Storyfest, a trip to the City, learning how to make soap, starting, what may become a family tradition and attending Dana’s baby shower – she’s been a busy week.

From the work side of things, we’ve announced two amazing women to join the Storyfest board which has approved the further development of regional festivals for children. It’s exciting to work with a group of individuals who share your passion. A trip to Brisbane (for work) reminded me of the craziness of the City and it’s been some time since I’ve been mid-Brisbane during the workweek. So busy – I’m not sure I could step back into that lifestyle. Taking me nearly 2 hours to get home, I’m not sure how people do that traffic everyday.

A few weeks back my friend asked me if I was interested to do a a soap making workshop, initially I was like – nope, not for me. I took a look at the information and decided I’d give it a go, if nothing else, it gave me an opportunity to catch up with Angéline. We set on Saturday morning to a little studio just around the corner – The Craft Parlour. There was a group of 5, all keen to try our skills at soap making. I had decided to embrace the soap making gig, I’ve been on a mission to use all the mini soaps, shampoos etc that you gather from hotel stays and was down to the last bottle of body wash. A particular brand of soap I love, I can’t get any more.

As we’re led through our course, there’s a certain personal element involved, you select the essential oils, whether you may like to add an exfoliating aspect, which is my case was poppy seeds. So we all ended up with a very personalised set of 6 bars of soap. It was a great morning, definitely something I’d have a go at doing myself – I wouldn’t say it’s a cheap way to get soap. I settled on Lemon Myrtle and Rosewood oils, added in poppy seeds and clay (for natural colour). Very happy with how my soap turned out. I was so engrossed in the process, I hadn’t noticed the others around me and their ‘flair’ or ‘artistic’ ability. The photos speak for themselves.

My decorating skills need some work – hilarious!

Saturday afternoon, the family arrived and I found out that we were making a cake for the baby shower. Two tiered heart cake, iced and decorated! Last April, Manon, Dana and I made Navy’s 2nd birthday cake a multi-tiered frozen ombre! The opportunity to hang out with my kids and chat and laugh and try and figure out what the hell we’re doing is priceless and moments like these I will forever cherish! Due to a miscalculation of pans and cake mix – we ended up with a monster 4-tiered cake to celebrate this boy crashing the girl party!

Whilst we were absolutely thrilled at our achievements we then needed to work out how to transport! We backed up this morning to add the piping and the chocolate letters, I then left them to it to get it to the venue.

It was wonderful for Dana to gather with family and friends to celebrate the upcoming baby boy coming into our world – I think there were about 20+ of us of which 7 are pregnant! Holy hell – don’t drink the water!

Sensational cake – we nicknamed her *‘The Titanic’*

The last photo of the female legacy before this baby boy arrives. 4 generations! NB: Finn is missing! We need to work out how to superimpose her into the photo!

As I sit and type this, my apartment is a mess with the remnants of cake making and a two+ year old – I love it, my heart is full. Roll on baby boy! He’s due 13 March…

With many celebrations to plan for in the coming years, possibly my next craft workshop should be cake making!

Hoarded treasure…

February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

This week seems to have been more chaotic than usual – not sure why, being out Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday may have something to do with it!

Unfortunately Manon ended up back in the hospital which gave us all a couple of days of extra worry, turns out she just had a hell of a headache! Phew.

I spent a fair amount of time with Navy girl this week – I was on pick up duty (pick up from kindy) both Tuesday and Thursday, which is always a highlight. Tuesday I turned up with treats – a Paw Patrol snack that has cheese and ham and a couple of little choc chip cookies about the size of a 20c piece. I also threw in blueberries and a freddo.

I was absolutely the flavour of the month – A’Ma was the favourite. Little did I know when that sugar kicked in after a day at kindy – the freaking sugar fairy from Satan’s lair would also show up. Holy hell on a cracker, did I learn my lesson. When I pick her up, I always send a proof of life photo to the parents so they know I’ve got her!

I watch Navy on a Tuesday evening as Dana and Beej are doing Hypnotherapy Birthing classes (that’s a whole other topic of conversation – she’s going to breathe through the birth!!!) If you know, you know…

So of course, I was on bath and bed duty – note to self – no sugar on kindy days, in fact – no sugar ever! Thursday I collected her with an offering of watermelon or blueberries! It was a much easier evening and definitely more enjoyable!

Saturday 8.30am we’re off to the soccer pitch to watch her develop her soccer skills ready to run on for the Matilda’s in about 2040! It’s a Saturday morning treat I try not miss. Beej’s dad joined us for the first time and I had to break it to him, what he thought was the warm up, was what he was here for. He was waiting for the game to start! Too funny – they’re 2~

We ventured for a little pedicure after soccer, followed by a swim and back to A’Ma’s place. For my 21st birthday I was gifted a Garfield telephone, it was all the craze in the 80s. I’ve hoarded that darn telephone from pillar to post and have often thought of selling it, they’re not really worth that much so I’ve just hung on to it. Navy loves playing with it. So on Saturday, I actually hooked it up to a phone line – the join on this kid’s face when the phone rang and she got a call from Auntie Mon and then Dadda! She loves this darn thing – so worth the 40 year hoard!

Generation Alpha stepping back in time. Wait for when she tries to show Auntie Mon, the colour of mummy’s toes…

It was such a magical day although by the time they left me at 8.00pm, I was absolutely exhausted and slept like a baby!

Today’s adventures took me to my friends’ farm in Boonah. What a gorgeous part of the world, not far from the Gold Coast. Andrew and Louise have retired and now spend their days planting trees, nurturing the wildlife corridor on their property, reading books and so much more. Louise invested in ‘Daisy’ a 1976 MG, we went for a spin and Daisy performed beautifully – so much fun! I fear Louise was a rally driver in another life.

I had stopped off the local grocers to pick up a bunch of flowers or a little something to take with me, I had forgotten how generous and unhurried country folk are. Sandra shared the joys of the local fodder and specials she had been able to secure. Invited me to call back in on the way home and don’t forget to let my friends know. What was to be a quick drop in – found me spending $30 and securing a newfound friend. If you ever find yourself down Boonah way, make the time to call in to Oppy’s Fruit and Veg, ask for Sandra!

So very sweet to finish off this week, catching up with my friend Cecilia and meeting her sister and nephew who are visiting from Victoria. With so many of our friends, we hear so much about family, it’s like we know them intimately but never meet – it was wonderful to meet Shirley and Anthony – if I was more organised I would have had a photo. We had dinner at The Star Casino in the carvery area – not a bad meal, reasonably priced! I couldn’t tell you the last time I visited the local casino and here I am visiting both Friday and Sunday! I would have written more about Friday but best to leave that alone…

Indulgence or Time Out

January 28, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

This week has been a mix of chaos and calm. My work is gearing up, the first quarter of each year, being the busiest, as we prepare for the festival. For those who don’t know, I head up an organisation that delivers Australia’s largest youth writers festival. Over 3 days in March, we ‘entertain’ over 15,000 students who get the opportunity to interact with some of Australia’s most engaging storytellers. It’s something I’m extremely proud to be a part of.

My eldest daughter Manon has been hospitalised, she’s fine now although what should have been routine 1 or 2 night stay, turned into a 6 day hospital visit. I wanted to jump on a plane and head to Sydney although whilst my worry is the same as when they were three, they remind me, they’re adults and are ‘fine’. So I worry from afar…

I very fondly remember the Australia Day celebrations we used to host, one of our traditions was for someone to bring along a new Australian. Over the years, many newcomers joined us and we celebrated all cultures, new and old. For what’s it worth – my personal thoughts are, I’m extremely proud to be Australian and love to celebrate although I’m fairly certain I could celebrate at any time of year, it doesn’t have to be a date that causes angst for anyone. My concern however is that even a change of date won’t stop the upheaval the day causes. I absolutely acknowledge the traditional owners of this land but I also believe I have a right to celebrate and be proud to be Australian.

Last week, we talked about indulgence, remember those bug rolls. Well this week, I’ve added an extra day onto the long weekend and headed north – Port Douglas. I’ve been a few times and return to the same hotel – Mantra Aqueous Port Douglas it’s a few minutes walk to the main town and offers Spa – Swim Out rooms, basically you walk onto the patio and step into the pool. I love the place. I’ve locked myself away for a couple of days to read books and get in some R&R. A couple of days is never long enough but I think it’s why I keep coming back. It’s a great spot to just take time out and reset.

A couple of days before I was due to head off – Cyclone Kirrily entered the atmosphere, will I need to cancel? I decided if the flights were going, I was going. A great decision – there were a lot of people who cancelled and to be fair, we’ve had some overnight rain but nothing cyclonic! On the drive from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas, the Captain Cook Highway certainly is battered, it’s been open less than a week. The catastrophic impact of Jasper still evident with several sections of the road down to one lane. Many shops have not reopened and there’s a feel of abandonment in town – I’m not sure if it’s just because of the lack of tourists or the international backpackers haven’t returned or possibly, it was one too many hits and some locals have up and left. The receptionist mentioned there’s been a shuttle boat from Cairns but it’s been quiet since the cyclone, she was definitely not ready for another. The driver of the shuttle, mentioned on his property 10 minutes outside of Port Douglas he had had over 2m (200cm or 2000mm) in 3 days, he said the rain just didn’t ease, it kept coming. The landslides appear to have done the most damage.

Getting to Port Douglas is a tricky, the last time I was here I had driven, so I didn’t have to rely on a transfer. I had booked a transfer, as I knew I wouldn’t need a car, it was somewhat of a disaster – my flight landed at 2.00pm, transfer would meet me the flight at baggage carousel. The day before, due to flight cancellations, my transfer wouldn’t be until 3.10pm – ok I could live with an hour wait. However that flight was delayed, no communication from the company until I called them – it was after 4.15pm when we finally left the airport. I was definitely annoyed and then of course, I was the last to be dropped off. A return trip cost $95 which I guess is cheap but it was the lack of communication that annoyed me. To be fair I probably would have been annoyed anyway, they would have known I was waiting at the airport. So very frustrating – something to definitely be aware of. I’ll be honest, it puts me off travelling to Port Douglas again, I’ll definitely have to find an alternative way to get here. I left home at 8.30am and arrived at the hotel about 5.45pm – I realise it’s a long way but seriously travel throughout Australia is in dire need of an overhaul. No wonder Australian’s venture overseas – I could have been in Bali, Fiji, Singapore or any other number of places, in the same time.

I opted to self cater this time as well – I didn’t venture out to restaurants or undertake tours, I’ve literally spent about 8 hours a day, just hanging in the pool, sitting in the spa and enjoying the stillness. Two books and third on the way – it’s been my kind of heaven.

What books did I read?

At home, refreshed, ready to tackle the tasks ahead…

It’s what we do, as Mothers…

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 2 Comments

Before I write too much about my newest title – I need to reflect back on last week, which was about friendship. You may recall I closed off as I was heading out for lunch, with friends…

Nothing like those friends to keep you humble, I hadn’t mentioned them in my post, so they were sure to let me know, they weren’t my closest friends and that I should go hang out with my real friends! They tortured and teased me over lunch, which had us causing havoc with laughter from our table. It was a lunch that was pure gold. Who are the friends – I would have called them ‘recent’ friends although we have been friends for some 6 or 7 years now. Leanne and Kris who are always up for a catch up, who open their home to me for that drop in drink and are always inviting me to night’s out or a quick dinner. Leanne is my ‘no bullshit’ friend, absolutely tells it like it is and I love her for it. Leanne and Kris have both supported Storyfest for many years – they’re the first to donate their time and collectively have raised, I’m guessing, in the vicinity of $75K or more for disadvantaged kids! Salt of the Earth people! Kel, it turns out our kids went to school together although we never really knew each other then. Kel was too busy forging her career, she’s an amazing individual who I have sought advice from and I admire her for her ability to make change in her personal and professional life and absolutely crush those glass ceilings!

Photos: Leanne, Kel, Kris and myself; second image – Kris and Leanne celebrating my new apartment!

Now on to this week’s topic…

For the past 6 months, it’s been a shuffle of vehicles between Dana, BJ and myself. Dana’s little Mazda decided to up and quit on her, just before the wedding. They spent some money to keep her going until the end of the year although she just didn’t make it – the air conditioning went and it wasn’t feasible to fix it. At first, it wasn’t a problem although when I saw my 6 month pregnant daughter and granddaughter flushed, and hot and bothered, I made an offer – they can buy my car from me, at family rates of course, and I’ll get a new one. It’s what we do…

So about November, I took on the Mazzie with no air con (holy crap) and handed the Honda over to the kids. My Navy girl was very grateful and it definitely eased that hormonal pregnant woman – you’re very welcome BJ McKay!

How did we ever drive vehicles with no air con, I’ve definitely gone soft in my old age. I had thought that if I were to replace my car, I’d look at either an electric or hybrid, trying to do my part for the environment but also with the rising cost of fuel, I think this is the way of the future. Having driven a hybrid during the recent trip to the UK, I started investigating. I’ve never had a problem with my Hondas and they’ve just released the Honda ZRV a hybrid SUV. So this week’s venture was to take delivery of the new car and all things being equal, possibly my last car, maybe?

I was excited, I was on Navy pick up on Monday, so had let her know A’Ma will collect her, in the new car. I arrive and she’s less than impressed. She tells me my car is just like the red car across the street!!! Yes that is several exclamation marks – really? Like that red one – no disrespect, but really?

In the title of this week’s post, I’ve added ‘Mothers’, now that is not to say that certain fathers wouldn’t do the same however, in my personal experience, both my father and the father of my children, have always put themselves ahead of their families. This post is not about them or the respective traumas they’ve caused, I just believe a mother will go above and beyond, will go the additional step, will sacrifice that bit more whether it’s the extra potato from dinner or in this case, a car to be sure their children and grandchildren are safe. I’m fortunate that I’m in a position to be able to offer this to my kids and I do it because I want to.

I could write a post a day and not be finished in a month of Sundays about women I know and the sacrifices they have made for their children. They go about their day, most working full time jobs as well as nurturing the home, without any fanfare. Ladies – take a bow. You deserve to treat yourself, take that 5 minutes to yourself each and every day and don’t feel guilty. I know at times, I’ve indulged and my kids probably have wondered what was happening although I like to think, like other aspects of my life, I’m setting good examples for them to become strong women who value themselves.

Now that my girls have families of their own, I’m getting more of my time back – I do indulge, as I quite often sit at Rick Shores enjoying that bug roll – the kids will message me to complain about their invite!

First video in the blog, let me know if there’s problems viewing!

You may wonder how they know when I’m heading for a sneaky bug roll, we all have iPhones and share our locations, we’ve always looked at it as a safety issue, although as this example shows, the tables have turned, they can now also track me…

I’m happy to share a bug roll or ten with them – we’re off for bug rolls this afternoon, or so they tell me, it seems it’s my shout!

So I thought I’d wait until after lunch to publish – bug rolls a hit…

It’s just so beautiful sitting by the beach, enjoying great food, great wine and the best company ever!

Week Two…

January 14, 2024January 14, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 2 Comments

Am I going to keep these titles, counting away the weeks? Hmm I don’t think so, seems like I’m willing the year away and if I miss a week you will all know. I’ll title them by what I’m going to write about, this will jog the old memory when I look back and hopefully, maybe help me to remember what I said.

So, this week – let’s call this week Friends…

When you reach the ripe old age of 60, I believe you have a core group of friends. I was contemplating who in my group of friends has made an impact on my life in 60 years, so that’s where I’m going with this post. Now if you don’t feature don’t get all uppity about it, I’m bound to forget someone. I should pull out now right? Nah, that’s advice best given to young adults rather than a 60 year old post menopausal woman, who remember – ‘doesn’t give a damn’. (Reading this sentence back – did I really write this? I could edit but I vowed to be truthful)

Let’s start with friends I’ve caught up with this week. Monday night, a long overdue catch up with my friend Angéline. I first met Angéline and her family about 10+ years ago. We had mutual experiences as we had both spent time in the Middle East. Hailing from Canada, without close family nearby, we developed a friendship that incorporated being ‘special friends’ at the children’s school. I am now very honoured to be included in their annual thanksgiving dinner and the annual gingerbread house making. I love the extension of cultures and the warmth that this family offers to me. Although a now grown teenage boy may have other thoughts, we just keep a mutual distance although the connection is definitely there. To watch your friends’ children grow into amazing young adults is a privilege.

However, we’re here to talk about my friends, how has she impacted my life – at times, she challenges my views and makes me think, we’ve had great conversations about current affairs or startling news headlines. I know she’s the person I can have an open and honest conversation about any topic and together we solve the problems of the world over dinner. Similar things infuriate both of us although I’m decidedly more robust in my fury that Angéline is. Angéline has also become my theatre, show going, friend. I love the theatre and have attended many times on my own although sharing the experience, is always better! You can never see Michael Bublé too many times, am I right? I should also say that Angéline and her family have helped me to have a better understanding around sustainable living, being mindful of our environment and just trying to do better for our community. A friendship I cherish.

Debbie – ‘bug roll’ and that’s a guaranteed dinner at Rick Shores! As was Thursday evening. Debbie was my neighbour who missed my 40th birthday by a couple of weeks. What we have shared over the past 20 years is enough for a 5 season Netflix series. This woman is the holder of my secrets, she’s the Jeremy Renner to Ben Affleck in The Town the friend who always has your back and asks no questions! Over 20 years we’ve cried tears of happiness, cried so hard because we’ve been so angry we can’t contain it. We’ve celebrated milestones (it could just be Monday), holidayed and shared more laughter than you would think possible. We’ve not always agreed on situations but our friendship hasn’t waned. I’m sure there are elements of our friendship that drives the other mad but there’s a mutual respect that we have differing opinions and we agree to not agree.

Debbie was the person that kept my sanity when packing the ex-husband into a box at 3am in the morning! She would see the light on, knock on the door, taking to the next task without a word. We could have had our own ‘clothes line chat’ series. Both of us hanging clothes on the line at some ungodly hour of the night, led to more solving of the world’s problems. To be fair, it’s probably where our friendship really cemented itself.

Andrea – yes there are two of us, my mate from school. I recall we were inseparable for 3 years from Years 8 to 10. It’s weird how a short period of time can impact you. Both kids who grew up in Tugun, our paths had crossed as our parents knew each other. ‘Mitch and Buddy’ a bit like ‘Starsky and Hutch’ a television series from the mid-70s. Those precious school years, shape friendships for years to come. To be fair, Andrea and I have become greater friends in the past 5 years that ever before. We recently embarked on a month long trek through the UK, Ireland and Scotland – we survived and our friendship has survived.

When you talk about friends becoming family, this is so very true of the friendships I made whilst in Saudi. Again a neighbour (it’s a thing…) Michaela, Syd, Brad and Jai. Michaela being one of the first people I met when I arrived. They say girlfriends tend to sync well we certainly did that, our firstborn children being born a day apart although in very different parts of the world – Brad born in Zimbabwe, Manon born in Australia all the whilst we were living in Saudi Arabia. Our eldest kids will turn 31 this year!

Michaela taught me that Thornton chocolates can be a breakfast choice, that stopping on the M25 in London is ok, if you really need to hurl from too many champagnes from the night before and that friends can endure a 7 hour flight comatose, recovering from a 4 day trip…

I then have this crazy group of gals who during my time in the desert were my lifeline – I’m not sure I would have survived without them. We were close when our kids were little, they live on the other side of the world although I count them amongst my closest friends. We keep track via social media and have watched our babies grow and now watch our babies’ babies. I love these three women!

There are people you meet and just sort of click with – Kerry was the girlfriend of a friend. My friendship with said ex boyfriend long ago a distant memory, although Kerry and my friendship has lasted the distance for over 30 years. I attend her wedding and have just returned to the UK to witness her son’s wedding. Another friendship that has passed the test of time and distance.

I don’t see enough of these gorgeous people but love them from afar!

I am fortunate to be rich with folk I call friends. When I had the idea for this post, I thought oh, it will be easy, I have few friends who have impacted my life. How wrong I was. As I sit here, there so many more.

Cecilia – who gave me a job when I returned to Australia, which allowed my career to develop to where I am today. Our friendship has long surpassed a work colleague and this year, we’ll venture on a holiday together as we both celebrate milestone birthdays this year. Cecilia without a doubt, would be one of the most caring individuals I know, her dedication to help others in her community would be second to none. I value our friendship and look forward to our trip in the coming months.

Friday evening I ventured to Miami Marketta to watch a local young girl perform songs written whilst in Nashville for a hometown crowd. Lily Grace is certainly a young talent to watch as she heads off for another instalment in Nashville! Again an opportunity to share experiences with friends – new friends and old friends!

Yesterday I spent the day celebrating my cousin’s birthday – she is the only person I know who can text a group at 8.30am and by 9.00am there’s 30 people ready to party with her at midday. Some people I knew and count them as friends others I’d met a couple of times. It was a sensational afternoon/evening of a group of people gathering and just having fun.

I know we’re talking friends but my family are my friends – my baby sister Allison – who will celebrate her 50th year this year, always was my best friend…

But there’s a new kid in town now!

There are no words for the love I have for this kid – my little mate, my best friend who undoubtedly will hold my heart until the day I die…

I have always told my kids, I’m not their friend – I’m their mother, there’s a difference, a mother is so much more than a friend.

I could continue to write this post for some time although I need to get sorted, I’m off for lunch today – with more friends…

Note to self – get better at putting photos and text together!

Week One

January 1, 2024January 7, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 1 Comment

Champagne – a breakfast beverage! For those that follow my socials, you’ll know I always start any journey with bubbles, so why not this one.

Why is it my bubbles taste better earlier in the day? I find myself loving a glass or two (or 10) at lunchtime as opposed to dinner.

Starting the New Year with a glass of bubbles and ‘Gordon’s scrambled eggs’

Family…

Week one has been a very family-focused week. Following the horrendous storms that plagued the Gold Coast over the Christmas and New Year period, my sister and her family were still without power some 9 days later. Due to go on their annual holiday, with Matt’s mum scheduled to look after their menagerie, managing with no power, no running water or flushing toilets would certainly be a challenge for an elderly lady.

Considering the cancellation of their holiday, the family rallied. It’s easy for me, I’m on my own. Throw a few clothes in a bag, a bottle of bubbles and I’m off to camp in the mountains!

A wayward dog and three contentious cats await me as their ~~master~~ slave for the coming week. Upon arrival I’m met with bewilderment from the abandoned residents although once they realise I’m responsible for their survival, attitudes are quickly adjusted!

This week was also time for a catch up with cousins who’ve been absent for many years due to work, family, distance and excuses! I fondly remember as a teenage girl my older cousin visiting with his army mates, certainly bought me street cred, that’s for sure.

Since his retirement we’ve had more time to reconnect, get to know our respective families, and of course, reminisce about being kids and the shared exploits of attending music concerts and mosh pits! I envisage this is what having an older brother would have been like.

Wayne and Gavin can definitely be classified as oenophiles, I would think the value of their cellars would impact the GDP of a small country! I’ve been fortunate to share a bottle or two and look forward to many more gatherings and celebrations in the years to come.

Family First!

My mother has instilled into myself and my sisters, family before all others. Whilst like any family, we’ve all had our moments I can say that I firmly believe we will always be there for each other, especially in times of need.

I know that I’ve passed this on to my girls. One of my proudest achievements is seeing how close Manon and Dana are. When they gang up on me, I know that when my time comes, they’ll be fine. They’ll always be there for each other and for the next generation, those precious grand-babies!

I can only hope that I’ve imprinted family values enough to ensure my kids look after me in my old age! As I grow older, I may need to be kinder to them, offer them more incentives to keep me around!

1964 to 2024 – The Year of 60!

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 2 Comments

Shell-shocked

Why am I shell-shocked? It’s not like I didn’t know this was coming. I guess I’ve always had it in my mind that 60 is an older age. When you’re in your 60s you start thinking of retirement, slowing down. I’m not ready to do any of those things – maybe 60 is the new 50?

Although saying that, if I were to win lotto (note to self – buy ticket) retirement may come sooner rather than later.

Starting point

First day of my 60th year, hmmm officially that would have started last May but let’s not quarrel, for the purposes of this Blog, my year is 1 January to 31 December!

The purpose of this is to look forward not back but let’s get everyone to the same starting point. I live in an apartment a block back from North Burleigh beach on the Gold Coast in Australia. I live alone. As I walk in the front door after a work day, my view is straight out to the ocean albeit straight across the top of the Aldi sign.

I promise you, there’s an ocean out there!

For those new to me, I have two girls Manon (30, scrapes in when writing this) engaged to the gorgeous Shaelyn and Dana (26) married to Beej (affectionately known as BJ McKay). I have the absolute joy of my life – my granddaughter Navy (2.8) and a grandson due in March.

Family photo taken Christmas 2022 – this is all of us. My mother, two sisters Casandra and the Mack Truck (cattle dog), Allison with her family – Matt and Finnella, and my kids! Yoda on the left @thefrenchie.bobo. My heart is full.

The second family – work…

I currently sit as the CEO/Festival Director of Somerset Storyfest, a charity that develops and delivers literacy programmes primarily for children. That’s the formal spiel. What I really do, is work bloody hard to connect kids with books and authors. The job is challenging and at times, I could give it all away but then I get a message – some kid, has read some book, by some author, and the magic has happened!

My work family – Tayla and Gab, also work bloody hard and together we change kids’ lives, something I’m extremely proud of. I’ve absolutely no doubt, I drive these two crazy at times, I appreciate them and am thankful for their quiet grumbling when I walk into the office with another idea…

The year ahead…

What can you expect by joining me on this journey? I’ll be open and honest first and foremost. There’s big things planned for this year for both home and work. I’m somewhat tired already thinking about it.

Home – most importantly grand-baby due mid-March! Navy will be 3 in April (I’m sure there’ll be a themed party), heaven help me – the big 6-0 day is in May. I’ve got one trip booked to celebrate and I’m currently looking at two other trips later in the year. I’ll be broke by the time this year finishes.

Work – annual festival in March and then three regional festivals in three weeks later in the year. Nothing like a challenge.

A friend suggested 60 bottles of Prosecco, definitely doable although I’m thinking I may need this liver!

The last journey that I blogged was my trip around Queensland during the pandemic, I tracked the journey by adding my champers corks to a hat along the way. I’ll need to think of a way to mark this journey – I’m open to ideas!

Cobbold Gorge via Croydon and Georgetown

October 30, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

It’s a big day on the road, we have nearly 500kms to cover and need to make it before nightfall. The end of our trek today is a 45km gravel road in to the Gorge village. There’s much of the same landscape along the roads, my trusty companion and I reflect on the changes in our lives in recent years, we chat children, careers and lifestyles. We relish in the difference between this outback adventure and our usual travels to far off lands. We talk through our bucket list of destinations for when international travel is back although also plan for when the southern borders may open for a discovery tour of Australian vineyards!

A fuel stop in Croydon unravels yet another incredible historic town that nurtures its history through a collective of buildings, with free entry to visitors. One such building is the courthouse, upon entry you push a button and a voice requests that you take your seat in the jury box. Played out in front of you, is a crude, animated actual trial of a woman who was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and is destined to spend 30 days in the local jailhouse. Her husband taking his place alongside her for a similar offence.

The back rooms of the courthouse house various displays from another era. I’m thankful for my current wardrobe and modern day medical facilities available to me. I can’t imagine the heat beneath the layers of cloth which was acceptable attire, note the gentleman’s 3 piece suit hanging by his hospital bed.

As we traverse through these lands, we cross over a multitude of flood ways and bridges, each one dryer than the last. It’s hard to fathom they’re nearing the end of the dry season and these creeks will be overflowing within a month or so.

Georgetown appears through the haze of heat and discovery of an ant mud home. The home is constructed from bricks fashioned out of the nearby termite nests. Ingenious use of local, free supply although the thought that those termites may come to retrieve their stolen abodes, is the stuff horror movies are made of!

Deb and I brace ourselves for the next part of our journey – the 45km drive across gravel road to reach our destination of Cobbold Gorge by dark.

When we hit the gravel road, it does not disappoint, I’m somewhat concerned for my new car – it’s certainly going to shake out any rattles and rolls. The shock absorbers will definitely need to be checked after this to and fro.

We arrive in to Cobbold Gorge just in time to relax in the pool enjoying sunset and watch the wildlife come to the watering hole. This oasis can be found in the middle of a bloody hot as hell cattle farm, a welcome relief from the heat.

We’re up bright and early for our Gorge Tour next morning. This is the most recent Gorge in Australia, only some 10,000 years old. Our guide is Graham, who has grown up in these parts and his knowledge of every plant, shrub, tree, native fruit or seed, is staggering to this City folk. He’s generous with time and allows us to discover and query him over each nook and cranny.

Tour Guide Graham – explaining the benefits of termites!

In a nutshell, there are several types of termites – some good, some bad. City folk would be familiar with the bad ones that eat our houses, whilst in the bush the humble termite is a major player in the eco system!

We meander along the tracks through the bush heading to our ultimate destination to view the actual Gorge (the bit with water), it’s hot, it’s humid, there’s not a lot of shade and then we arrive at a glass bridge that will enable us to view the Gorge from above.

I don’t have a lot of photos from the glass bridge – turns out I’m somewhat freaked out by the unnatural feel of walking across glass that could collapse at any moment and send me thundering to my death! Graham assures me the bridge is rated for 11 tonne – I’m not convinced!

At the end of the trail, we take our seats on a small electric boat which will take us through the Gorge – it’s spectacular, the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees, I expect the water to be cool, like a mountain stream, it’s warm or warmer than I expect. There are fresh water crocs although we don’t see any. My mate Deb, is tempting fate later in the day by taking a stand up paddle board tour – she’s trying to convince me to join. Oh HELL NO… There’s one rule in the north, don’t get in the darn water!!

Again, we find ourselves back in the pool, with drinks, watching another sunset!

We’re packed ready to face the gravel dusty, bouncy road although before we depart, we have one tour left – a heli-tour over the Gorge. To see this rock formation from the sky, brings another dimension to the layout, it’s in cubes almost, loaves of bread…

We’re enthralled with the beauty of this countryside – it’s just breathtaking at every turn, well except the bloody road!

Next stop – Yungaburra, Kuranda and Cairns!

Day 15 to 16 | Karumba via Burke and Wills Roadhouse, Quamby Hotel and Normanton

October 23, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

With a planned early start to ensure we make our sunset destination of Karumba, we somewhat gingerly set about the day, reeling from last night’s frivolities! I tentatively check my bank balance to ensure adequate funds remain and to assess the damage!

We take to the road, which yet again provides an abundance of wildlife, station stock and an array of native flora to pass the time. We’re bewildered at the sheer number of termite nests that appear as morbid cemeteries along deserted roads!

Cementries of Termite Nests | Yet another dusty straight long road…

The journey is long, dusty and the roads reflect the many road trains that have travelled carrying livestock to ports, sale yards or slaughterhouses. The roads bear witness to the harshness of this country and road kill is littered throughout.

The half way point is the Burke and Wills Roadhouse, more famous by name than by reputation, it’s a sparse oasis for travellers, the apostle birds take refuge in the sprinkler that is attempting to maintain a patch of greenery. We take the mandatory loo break, refuel, grab a coffee and hit the tarmac again.

Further along the track, we come across the Hotel in Quamby (pop. 0), which sits vacant and decaying and is now in the throes of be engulfed by tumbleweeds. The roof has fallen, the floorboards rotted through – a quick google search indicates a pub which was in its finery in 1860 although long since abandoned.

Burke and Wills Roadhouse | 1860 deserted Quamby Hotel

We arrive in to Normanton (pop.1210) mid-afternoon and track down the historic trail, this small northern town made famous by a local call out for a mechanic (watch the video, it’s worth it, though mind the language), this town is a time capsule of the past. The original jail across from the relic police station and remains as a reminder of what’s in store for delinquents. There’s a monument to the 8.63m crocodile that was located and killed just downstream. The thought of this beast being in any stream, river or ocean is horrifying!

Kris-Crocodile 8.63m | Normanton Prison (1893 – 1945)

The absolute jewel in this town without a doubt, is the railway station – home of the Gulflander. From the gardens which reflect memorabilia, to the restored station buildings, to the surrounds which host a plethora of relics from railways past, this is an outstanding museum captivated in time. I commend the custodians for their dedication and care. Should you find yourself this way, I would time your visit to take a journey on the Gulflander which travels to Croydon one day, and returns the next.

Front garden with train wheel edges | The Gulflander | Historic Station

Our time is precious, there’s a sunset to get to. It’s popular with travellers from the East as the sun sets over the ocean! Karumba is our destination, home to Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre, it’s a sleepy fishing village that once housed mining FIFO workers whose departure has returned the village to a place where people can get lost. Our hosts at Savannah Shores, who hail from Geelong some 6 years ago, provide a casual, relaxed welcome. We find ourselves wandering along a deserted shoreline, collecting shells immediately settle in to the laziness of village life.

Guided by locals, we make our way to The Sunset Tavern, aptly named as you’re able to sit amongst the trees with a cold bevvy and watch the sun as it melts into the ocean for sunset. A sensational afternoon, with idle chatter watching the world go by.

Tomorrow the trek to Cobbold Gorge…

Day 13 and 14 |Winton to Cloncurry via Kynuna and McKinlay!

October 21, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

With my travelling companion now in tow, we arrive at the home of the greatest dinosaur display and collections in the world, the birthplace of Banjo Patterson’s “Waltzing Matilda” (there’s a museum dedicated to it) and it appears, renowned for its fly population as well.

Arriving in to this ,once again, small country town (pop. 954), you’re met by one of the most outstanding displays of main street art I’ve seen. The medium strip is lush green with a billabong representing the origins of this town originally known as Pelican Waterhole. The feature goes on to celebrate the local sheep industry, later in the evening coming alive through light.

A stroll through the shops reflects one historic building that now houses the wares of local artisans, the feature is the cash pulley system still in working order. In yesteryear, the retail assistant would put the money into the cash tin which is then sent by cable to the cashier, to ring through the register and return the change.

Billabong | Banjo Patterson Memorial | Sheep

The first part of my dinosaur discovery finds me standing side by side with a beast that roamed the planet some 95,000,000 years ago – it’s unfathomable that these skeletal remains have survived and here we are now, painstakingly unearthing them, and piece by piece reuniting this animal, so this boomer is able to understand the history of the land we find ourselves on.

The display and presentation at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs is sensational, the staff, animation and rocky outcrop, collectively, put you back in time!

Fossilised Conifer Branch | Painstaking removal of dirt around dinosaur vertebrae

It would be remiss of me not to mention the flies, rated as a moderate day, I can assure you they nearly drove me mad, I spent 4 hours continually waving them off and berated myself for leaving my ridiculously looking fly net hat in the car!

Arrival at Age of Dinosaurs | Fly Level Rating!!

Departing bright and early next morning, we trek some 110km out of town via a majority dirt road, to be astounded, enthralled and disbelieving what we’re seeing at the Lark Quarry dinosaur stampede. You simply cannot travel to this area without making this journey – to stand and gaze upon the footprints of where dinosaurs would have been taking a drink from the watering hole is remarkable. Again, the enthusiasm of the staff coupled with the animation, leads you into a world long past.

Dinosaur footprints left in mud for 95,000,000 years!!

Another highlight of this peculiar town, is the afternoon poetry performance of local – Gregory North who takes you on a lyrical ramble celebrating Banjo Patterson and his beloved Waltzing Matilda. Whilst being entertained, I’m charmed in to the late 1880’s and led through the tales of Banjo’s romance that led to his penning of this iconic Australian anthem.

Kynuna (pop. 20) is quite simply a spot on the map, made famous by a rustic, side of the road pub that is full of old country charm. It’s a mecca for the passer-by to stop, indulge in a brew and pen your name into history on the walls. We were greeted at the Blue Heeler by a swooping maggie whilst the jovial, welcoming publican fed brolgas on the porch.

McKinlay (pop. 30), of which we did not see one. This was a disappointing stop, the pub on the road, made famous by the iconic Australian tale of Crocodile Dundee, was closed. We later learned that the owners are also responsible for several other services to this town and their other duties had them calling.

Blue Heeler Hotel | Walkabout Creek Hotel

Onwards and westwards, we arrive into the dusty town of Cloncurry aka “the Curry” (pop. 3200), the mercury had risen and upon arrival at the Wagon Wheel, our chosen evening abode, we decide the evening will be best spent at the local. It should be noted, due to the heat in these parts, the hotels are sealed vaults, windows are shuttered, so at first appearance, you could be forgiven if you thought they were closed. We delve in to the inner sanctum to be pleasantly surprised by warmth and activities taking place. The Saturday afternoon races are winding up on the TAB screens and the footy plays over the bar.

The greeting from cheeky locals, who’ve made a day of it, immediately have us laughing along and joining in the craic. We chat to two fellas who work in the local sale yards with their boss and his wife, just a couple of seats along the bar. These men show signs of more than a few hard days’ work, they’re dusty, weathered by the sun and this Saturday evening, they relax and enjoy more than a few drinks to end their work week. We try in vain to get a commitment from one to join farmer wants a wife, although with a dimpled grin, he candidly tells us, it’s all bullshit!

Central Hotel, Cloncurry | Byron – the ‘Curry farmer boy!

From a night of poetry to brash conversations, our escapades in local pubs have embedded memories that will provide conversation fodder for future generations!

Day 10 to 12 | Longreach

October 18, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

You’re welcomed in to Longreach by a staggering construction that houses not one but four planes, you know you’ve arrived at the home of one of Australia’s iconic and possibly well known brands – Qantas!

After travelling through the smaller towns, Longreach boasts a population of about 3,200 although with the visitors and students in town, I envisage that number will swell to double at least.

There’s a storm brewing and experience tells me to run for cover – I elect to yet again trade my car-camping for the ringers quarters just in the nick of time. The storm hits with fury and I take cover from flying debris. Caravanners and campers have taken cover whilst their camp sites crumble around them.

Set of four double rooms with shared bathroom facilities and kitchenette!

I peer from my safe have to spot four brolgas standing still as statues, taking the storm head on – it reminds me of Clooney taking on the Perfect Storm!

So weird to see these birds taking the storm head on! Note the blue marquee to the right!

Bright and early next morning, I’m ticking off bucket list items as I head to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. Whilst there are crowds, the numbers are drastically reduced due to COVID – a bonus for me! This display of our heritage is sensational, you would need a month of Sundays to stand and read through every story, of every unsung hero who has taken their place along the walls of this museum. The cinematic collation of the pioneering west left me with an unmatched sense of pride, that I had history in the outback

Ox Wagon | Selection of animal bells | General Merchant Wagon | Pioneering Cottage

A quick visit to the Longreach School of the Air to meet with the teachers to assure them of our commitment to bring them to Storyfest in 2021, I’m left inspired to make a difference to these children. During a very brief visit, I’m hatching a plan to bring Storyfest to the Outback! Again with other towns in the west, the street art reflects the abundance of talent, the following are students’ artwork from the School of the Air.

The Qantas Founder’s Museum is next on the agenda and doesn’t fail to disappoint. The history of this organisation is truly remarkable, the determination and perseverance by a small collective of families has ensured the iconic flying kangaroo remains in operation for us today. For a plane buff, this would be their utopia!

I’m left wondering how some of these beasts managed to not only live out a worthy travel itinerary although they’ve found themselves highlighted in an outback museum for thousands of visitors each year to reminisce of yonder years and be thankful for the luxury (yes, Jetstar luxury) that we have available to us at this time.

To finish off my visit to Longreach, I join the Drover’s Sunset Cruise coupled with Smithy’s Dinner and Show. The cruise takes us along the Thomson river which is an oasis in this arid desert, the milk coffee coloured water laps the banks which are alive with wildlife and what strikes me most, is the erosion around the tree roots leaving a majestic sculptured array of natural art.

We disembark at Smithy’s for our camp oven dinner and of course, Barramundi is on the menu. The setting under the night sky fades away the harshness of the dirt underfoot. We’re entertained by storyteller “Hawkesy” whose comedic tales and songs have us knee slapping and toe tapping, in no time.

Love his stage companions Arthur and Henry!

My friend and travel companion, Debbie, flew in to Longreach and will join my travels through to Cairns – look out “Outback” – Girls are on tour…

Days 6 to 9 | A collective of small towns…

October 14, 2020October 18, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

My last day in Charleville is somewhat slower – catch up on some washing. I ventured in to town to take in Historic House and the Hotel Corones tour. Historic House is a time warp, there are so many artefacts jammed into one small place, it’s hard to appreciate what you’re actually seeing – worth the $7 entry charge just to admire these old vehicles

My mother recalls the young boy scooting around the streets in this chair!

Again the tour of the Hotel Corones was a walk through history, the hotel being a place that has hosted many an aristocrat in its day. These days, it’s tired – the tours assist to keep the doors open!

Augathella (pop. 430) about an hour north east, seriously a quite small town, especially on a Sunday morning! The best cup of coffee, the ONLY cup of coffee I could find was at the garage on the highway and it was a push button machine – no barista in sight!

I quick drive through town which yields some delights –

Now the Augathella Men’s Shed although I’m thinking old cinema…

Tambo (pop. 400) known recently by the fame of Tambo Teddies, although this small town also boasts the only crash site of Qantas!

For me, it was an opportunity to visit my uncle – my last visit here was in 1977. I remember taking the billy cans out to the milk truck and getting them filled with milk still warm from the cows!

Unfortunately a storm came through in the afternoon, so I missed the highlight of Ben’s Chicken Races at the pub, I’m led to believe it’s a daily occurrence and lots of fun to be had!

A drive through Blackall (pop. 950), home the original Black Stump , a marker in which surveyors used to establish latitude and longitude measurements.

I had also seen signs for the Blackall Woolscour, I’ll be honest, I had no idea what a Woolscour was! Wow, this was a diamond in the rough. With a working steam engine which powers the Woolscour, the machine which washes the wool after shearing, prior to export!

After visiting the Sheep Station, this tour gave me the next step in the process of one of Australia’s biggest exports! Absolutely fascinating, quirky tour guide Ian didn’t fail to entertain on my personal tour! Tours run hourly on the hour and they’re just waiting for the visitors to arrive.

Steam engine | Looking down the line of the Woolscour

I had taken an award winning video of the Woolscour in action although for some reason it hasn’t saved. So follow this link to view the promo video from their site.

Barcaldine (pop. 1500) is the next stop on my trek, like other smaller towns, steeped in history. Most notably the Tree of Knowledge and home of the first industrial strike by shearers for fairer wages and working conditions – home to the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party! Whilst it’s great to look at the sights along the way, I love that I’m learning about Australian history – bits and pieces I kind of knew but not really.

The significance of that first strike is the reason we have regulations and basic wages, employers are bound to pay a fair wage for fair work. I know it doesn’t always work out that way and there will always be those that rort the system, from both sides.

Pledging allegiance to the Southern Cross! (Artist: Milynda Rogers)

In 2006, the Tree of Knowledge was vandalised through poisoning, a new memorial was developed by award winning m3architecture. The wooden structure is fashioned in such a way, as to reflect the original tree.

A theme that is found in each of these smaller towns and in fact, in every town I’ve been to so far, has been the artwork – murals and sculptures adorn every wall, every park and roundabout!

Horse and Jockey at Tambo Racecourse (Artist: Milynda Rogers)

Artist – Milynda Rogers from Scrapmetalsheila is firmly installed in western Queensland, I encourage you to visit her site and look for her pieces as you travel from town to town!

Day 5 | Charleville

October 10, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

After the exploits by last night’s fire, I gather myself to head off early this morning to delve into history and discover the best kept secret of World War II! I meet my tour group and expecting an old country fellow to tell us tales as old as time, we’re greeted by Sam from the north of England! I’d say from the era of the late 1990’s!

Sam starts out by asking how many Americans we have on the tour – there are none, he smiles and lets us know, he can speak more candidly about the happenings that went on in Charleville.

Our first stop is by the airport, over 300 Australians built 101 buildings for the Americans to take up residency as a line of defence during the second world war. Following the war, the Americans bunked out, buildings and all.

If you take a look at a B17 bomber, one of it’s feature is the bubble in the nose, where the bombardier takes his place, he’s the guy who coordinates the dropping of the bombs.

To assist in this process there is an instrument called the Norden Bomb-Sight, a machine who enabled a more accurate shot, to avoid more civilian casualties. My understanding was this was relatively new intelligence and to ensure the patents, upon returning from a mission, the bombardier personally delivered these machines to the “secret” location which was guarded 24/7!

A hut encased with 30cm concrete walls that has withstood an attempted demolition by a digger!

I give you the Norden Bomb Vault:

Not the original door! NB: damage from digger front left corner

Our next stop takes us to look through a fence at an original plane hangar, another small hut which is the communications tower – interestingly still in use today. Charleville sits some 1,300m above sea level and is conduit for Brisbane to relay messages to other parts of the world. No wonder my phone drops out on the Gold Coast, my line of sight to Charleville must be compromised.

We then proceed to visit the “Bitumen Baths”. It is believed the US base commander wanted to ensure his men were kept clean and parasite free, fit for war! He commanded that each week, the men would bathe or ‘dip’ in crude grave like baths that had been fashioned from the earth and lined with bitumen to contain the unknown chemical solution. I’m sure we would all acknowledge hardships soldiers go through during a time of war. Take a minute to image these men lining up for their weekly chemical dip in a bitumen lined bath in summer temperatures that reach 48°c!

We then move through a variety of concrete slabs showing us where the mess hall would have been, the dance hall and so on. An interesting note to take from this tour – US military were paid nearly 4 times more than their Australian counterpart working side by side. The Australian soldiers worked tirelessly in what can only be described as the harshest of Aussie bush conditions – heat, flies, lack of shade. The Americans demanded air conditioning in their hangars due to the heat, again when they left they took them home with them as well.

Whilst Charleville holds its head high and has claimed its rightful place in the history books, its not hard to understand why so many ‘villies (Charleville locals), look back on that time with loathing.

PSS – Sam the northern England lad, did a great job! An interesting tour and well worth the $15 and a bit of time.

The rest of my day saw me visit a far distant cousin and then to return to my camp site and sit under the shade of a tree reading my book until the sun when down.

For my evening escapades, stargazing is on the agenda. I arrive with anticipation at the Cosmos Centre and take my seat next to a power telescope that is going to transport me to another galaxy! It did not disappoint. Away from the city lights, the night sky is truly magnificent, we were also fortunate the moon’s arrival was late as well which provided the perfect backdrop for a starry night. From Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and beyond, we each took our turn looking through the powerful telescope to see the beauty beyond.

We are quickly reminded we’re really just looking at the light bouncing of dust particles and that our sun, is at half life. Destined to only continue to shine for another 4.5 billion years. I’m going to let that struggle go for generations long after I’m gone to worry about.

We were forbidden to have our phones on due to interference with the GPS on the telescopes. © OutbackQueensland.com

This tour was sensational – the arrival hall, fascinating and informative – definitely worth a visit!

Day 4 | A step back in time…

October 8, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 1 Comment

I arrive in to Cunnamulla and park up near the Shire Council which boasts the Cunnamulla Fella, an iconic Australian character made famous in a song by Slim Dusty. I’m struck by the beauty of this small country haven, it’s neat as a pin and the is literally a place to stop and smell the roses.

I’ve been recommended the Cunnamulla Cafe by fellow travellers. It doesn’t disappoint. I’m greeted by Charmaine and Vicki — I’m after breakfast, a big breaky, they suggest – sure I say…

Two slices of toast, hash brown, tomato, two full size sausages, steak, crumbed steak, onion, two eggs, beef patty and several slices of bacon.

There wasn’t a smashed avo in sight, this was all country, down to every piece of meat laid out. It was enough to feed a family of four! Including my coffee – breakfast set me back less than $20 – true good old fashioned country service and food. If you pop by Cunnamulla, this is a definite must! You’ll be welcomed with a smile, you know it must be good, whilst I was there, the place was a constant flow of locals calling in for morning rituals.

After packing up my leftovers, no I could not eat it all… I hit the road again headed for Charleville. The birthplace of my mother and sister and where I lived for a while as a toddler – history from both sides of the family.

I’ve checked in to my home for the next three nights – the Charleville Bush Cottage and Caravan Park – a big sign at the entrance warn you “Non-Smokers only welcome here”, as an anti-smoker from way back, I love it…

I’ve set up camp under the shade of a tree and popped a bottle of bubbles to sit back and enjoy! As I sit here, campers pull up to say hi, I camped with them at Charlotte Plains two nights ago – we’ll meet by the fire for a drink later.

The “Champcorka” (thanks Janine) is growing with memories of my travels. I did wear the hat during the sheep station tour much to the amusement of others! It’s a talking piece, I’ll wear it to the fireside tonight, it’s sure to spark a laugh or two. I’m thinking I need to balance it more – I had this thought of working my way around but it’s a bit lopsided, I’ll keep you posted.

Day 2 and 3 | On the road to Charlotte Plains…

October 8, 2020 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

I hit the road out of Goondiwindi after a somewhat disrupted sleep – nothing too serious just the difference between a bed with a luxurious lambswool under blanket to the harsh reality of a camp bed in the back of the car! It’s different, this princess definitely felt the pea.

My trek today – Goondiwindi to Charlotte Plains, a sheep station about 40km short of Cunnamulla with an Artesian Bore and baths by the bore!

There’s a pioneer cemetery by the side of the road, so I stopped to pay my respects to these pioneering families whose hardships would exceed what is known in this world today.

I make my way to St George who’s riverside is hard to pass. I pause to take my lunch by the side of the river next to the Jack Taylor Weir that has been in action since 1953.

I encounter many travellers doing the same and conversations flow with ease. It’s heartwarming to know that during this time of COVID, Queenslanders are still travelling and making the most of seeing their own State.

Jack Taylor’s Weir | River on the other side

As I hit the road again, I’m mindful of the road trains and large vehicles transporting farming equipment, these beasts take over the roads and I’m still cringing as I pass them by.

The further west I travel you see the changes in the flora and the colours by the side of the road. It some areas, it’s barren they haven’t seen rain in a long time. Some have been fortunate, so there’s greenery and trees with leaves.

Goondiwindi to St George | St George to Cunnamulla

Upon arrival at Charlotte Plains, I’m immediately hesitant as I leave the main road, I’m aware I don’t have phone coverage, I wonder will my emergency sos on my phone work out here? I forge ahead, I take note of the kms on the car, mindful that I can walk back to the main road if need be.

I continue to drive some 12km on this property and still the homestead is not in sight. I query whether I’ve taken the wrong turn and then I remember, these stations are bigger than some countries! I finally come upon the homestead and know instinctively this farm has seen brighter days.

Upon arrival at the bore site, it’s a popular place, there must be 20 campsites popped up with everyone enjoying the spoils of the bathtubs by the bore! I set up camp and popped the champers and take my place along the bore’s edge to raise a glass to the sunset!

The Turnworth bore was sunk in 1892 and water has spewed forth at 40c continuously since!

Day 2 at Charlotte Plains, sees me jumping in with property owner, formidable woman and one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Robyn collects myself and a couple of other campers for a Station tour, she’s tiring in her later 70’s, she stopped doing tours every day but I’m sure the additional $$ from the tour help meet the crushing blows of a long drought!

Charlotte Plains is steeped in history, from the original McDonald brothers who made their way from Scotland in 1860’s to take hold of 385,000 acres. They gave their lives to this property, their graves in the property’s cemetery – one passing at age 46 the other at 48! By 1914, the property ran up to 67,000 sheep! Robyn’s family have had the property for 98 years, when her father passed, her mother took the reigns, upon her mother’s passing, Robyn returned to take her place as the next matriarch, who I’m sure will be interred in the cemetery beside her beloved husband Reid and her mother.

I can only imagine the harshness of living on a Station – the very brief look in to this life, leaves me with absolutely no doubt, it’s not a life I would choose. Robyn and one employee, now tend to some 1,800 sheep – the flock which has been reduced over the years due to the hardship of drought. They’re in a good place at the moment, they don’t have to feed them. I’m staggered at what the sheep might eat, the grounds seem dry and infested with burr!

Robyn shares the tales of the annual shearing plan, there’s a hierarchy of shearers and this impacts where they take their place in the shed. Robyn fondly retells the story of a female shearer from South Australia, who was quite, unassuming, took her place down the line. She out-sheared the blokes and racked up 299 sheep in one day. Each sheep can weigh somewhere between 40 to 50kg. Imagine lugging 299 of them in one day and then shear the wool from them! This is a woman, I would definitely be in awe of!

I depart early from Charlotte Plains, after a storm blew through last night, I had to frantically pack my campsite before it was blown to the fields! Early morning visitors kept me grounded to country.

I promise an update of the corked hat is on the way…

	Kerri on Walk in the Wild
	Anne on Walk in the Wild
	Angéline Anthony on Walk in the Wild
	Sherry Wilson on Accessibility for all…
	Angeline Anthony on It’s what we do, as…

A Stepping Stone

(embark with Andrea)

Author: asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea