Blogs from Warwick, Queensland, Australia, Oceania - page 2

Today being the 31st October is my travelling partner and hubby’s birthday - happy birthday Graham - he probably won’t mind me saying that he is 62 today! It’s hard to believe that he’s actually two weeks older than Prince Charles but looks considerably younger (where are my glasses!!). Sarah phoned in the morning to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her Dad and so we both had a lovely long chat with her. She and Darryl were preparing to fit a wood burning stove in their living room so we hope that went well - it should make the house much more ‘cosy’ as will the new radiator just fitted in the conservatory. It always makes us feel homesick when we talk to Sarah and Darryl - we look forward to eventually seeing all the alterations to ... read more

On Tuesday morning I had a very important appointment - to get my hair cut. I went to the same hairdressers I had used when we were in Warwick previously so it wasn’t quite so stressful this time! I was ready for a long wait again as last time I sat there for 30 minutes before anything happened but this time they got going straight away so I was out more or less at the time I had given Graham and he was there waiting for me (impressed as always!). We had an early lunch and then drove to find where the rodeo was taking place. For the first few days numerous rounds of the ‘camp drafting’ competitions were taking place and entry for spectators was free. We wandered in, sat in the nearest stand and ... read more

Today was rather a sad day because Daphne was going home. She was flying from Brisbane Domestic Airport and, rather fortuitously, a new ‘Airport Flyer’ service had started a just few weeks ago that picks customers up from their homes and takes them direct to the airport which is about 180 kms from Warwick. Daphne was up with the lark as usual but was finding it difficult to fit everything into her bags. Because, originally, she was only going to stay a week, she had brought just a holdall with her, but had since bought a rucksack, a hooded top, some bathers, two pairs of shoes, a pair of trainers, a few presents and various other bits and pieces. Somehow most of it went in (I wasn’t sure how she would get all this in ‘cabin ... read more

We were disappointed when Sunday morning dawned wet and miserable but it didn’t change our plans much. Instead of walking down into town we drove down. Leslie Park was where we were headed to see what would be the culmination of the last three weeks of hard work at the Sculpting Symposium. In spite of the rain many stallholders had set up, and on the stage a lone singer/guitarist was battling away. Later in the morning the unveiling of three large sculptures, which were to be donated to local communities, was to take place and the remaining ones would then be auctioned off. Interested parties had gathered to view but, in order to bid during the auction, you had to register and obtain a number. We’d had this silly thought about how wonderful it would be ... read more

Sunday looked to be another beautiful day and because of the rain-soaked disappointments of the previous Sunday we knew where we would be heading. So a minute or so before the opening time of 10.00am we arrived at the Glengallan Homestead and Heritage Centre. A couple of jolly ladies in the shop cum café welcomed us and invited us to read the information on the wall before we ventured further. The story of Glengallan is a common place one of boom and bust: the highly successful pastoralist erecting a beautiful house for his hard won station in colonial times but, even before the homestead was complete, drought and rural downturn took their toll. The visionary John Deuchar was bankrupt and forced from his home to die a broken man a few years later. The homestead was ... read more