Blogs from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

This morning we went for a drive/walk to the local farmers market where we met Karen’s Kiwi mate. We sat down for coffee and cake then an elderly couple ask to sit at the end of our table. The lady and Karen’s mate start chatting and they are both from the same small town in New Zealand. How spooky! Back to Karen’s then later we drive to Ipswich to meet Kiwi cousin Karen and her husband Tony. Only a short visit as Tony had to be back in hospital to continure his treatment fo leukaemia by 1930. I have never met Kiwi Karen before or her sister Barbara who lives in New Zealand but we hope to meet her in a week or 2 then that will be no relatives that I have never met Due ... read more

Somerset Dam is about a half hour drive from Ipswich, and a little north of the Wivenhoe Dam which became famous in 2011 as it fed the Brisbane floods. Somerset Dam is in a bushy valley that abounds in Australian wild life. Many who travel to Aus take photos of our cuddly koalas in sanctuaries, but at Somerset, with a little patience you find the dinkum thing in the wild. In case you think the koala was at close range - he was high up the gum tree. Photos taken with a Canon SX40HS on max optical and digital zoom. The lake and the river are good fishing spots with some other watersports also well catered for. Those with a need for speed on the water are better off at Wivenhoe Dam. The camping ground just ... read more

Day 46 - Willowbank Raceway to Tweed Heads We really do need to get our arses out of here today, not that we want to but we need to! We’re up early, honest Jeff, and we pack up the caravan and the car. We’ve been here for 9 days now and it feels like home already. Nick’s up too so the three of us head up to Roger at the top of the pits so we can assist with the packing up. I think he’s a bit surprised to see us as he’s sitting on the tail lift at the back of the trailea'r eating grapes! So, what jobs can we do? Darryl gets the cleaning tank to wash down - pretty gross! Sarah, well Sarah gets the $$’$$$ clutch grinding machine to clean out - ... read more

Day 44 - Willowbank Raceway Well there was no early night for us last night as Allan our ‘next door neighbour’ at Willowbank came past rocking the caravan so we had a few jars before he headed back to his own pad after another hard day! He’s a great character and shows us snaps of his bar at home which is full of memorabilia ranging from a genuine, signed Queen guitar and lots of AFL and motorsports collectables to thousands and thousands of caps! Allan works with All Crowd Catering who provide the meals at Willowbank for the corporate and racer facilities, they do a really good job and we’ve enjoyed a few of their treats over the weekend! Today is another day of packing up for the hard working Willowbank team and everyone has jobs ... read more

Day 42 - We don’t need to tell you what time we got up this morning do we? You’re all with it now aren’t you?! Welcome to day 4 of the Castrol Edge 42nd Winter Nationals here at drag racing’s finest Willowbank Raceway! We have an appointment with a couple of Harley Davidson motorbikes this morning so we make sure we’re ready in good time and start our ritual walkabout of the pit area just after 7am! There’s quite a few racers about this morning as the strip is due to open at 8am. The familiar start up routines are present and we find plenty of beaut cars to gawk at! During our wander we also catch up with Kerstyn of Flashdance fame which was lovely. They’re such a friendly family and it’s great to see ... read more