The Australian Outback Spectacular

Today I am very excited as Gary and I are of to see the outback spectacular.
a large part of central Australia is called the outback. Here people run stations covering thousands of acre. These stations are usually stocked with beef cattle. This area is so dry that very little grows here. In the outback, an unusual culture has developed and this is what the show is about.
We arrive at about 1745 hrs and receive our free cowboy and cowgirl hat. We go to the bar area and enjoy the country band playing there. There are souvenirs to be bought but I hear on the grapevine that video and photography is strictly prohibited during the show just before the door opens for the big event.
The show itself is a dinner show and the meal is delicious. The show is well done and manages to provide people with a true sense of the lifestyle people in the outback lead. If you are ever in Australia and travel to the Gold Coast, I suggest you make the effort to see the Australian Outback Spectacular to have a wonderful night.
Here are some of the events you will see during the show - trick riding, sheep muster and the working dogs. In the Australian outback the working dog of choice is the Short-Haired Border Collie. You will also see barrel -, chook - and camel races, mustering and breaking in of the colts, natural horsemanship, helicopter mustering and much more. The animals you will get to see during the show are horses, Longhorns and St Gertrudis cattle and Merino sheep and that is all I am going to tell you about the Outback Spectacular.

Cloud catcher or weather maker

Mt Warning National Park lies just South-West of Murwillumbah in Northern New South Wales. The mountain is very popular for both scenic and historical reasons. It's Aboriginal name is "Wollumbin" which means "Cloud catcher or weather maker".No name could be more appropriate as the region is frequently wet and the pinnacle is often enveloped by mist and cloud, even when the rest of the sky is clear. The route up the mountain is mainly a track but many people find the track somewhat more tiring than the other tracks in nearby areas such as Lamington National Park.The last few hundred metres involves a scramble up a deeply eroded gully, a chain has been provided for some assistance. The walk itself is 8.8 kilometers and takes about 4 hours to complete, unfortunately for us Mt Warning had been living up to it's Aboriginal name today and provided us with absolutely no views whatsoever. Never mind we had a cuppa and rest instead as I was soaking wet with perspiration before making our way back to the car and finish this great day over a mugachinno and french fries before taking that long drive back home again.

Byron Bay

We leave for Byron Bay around 1000 hrs and stop in Kingaroy for some supplies. The drive to Byron Bay takes approximately 5 hours and when we arrive, we park the car and walk around the corner dialling Jane's mobile number, only to walk straight into them. We have a cuppa in a cafe before having a look around Byron Bay. Byron Bay is a great place for people watching. It is a place where many alternative people move to (Hippies in particular).



We agree to go to a Thai restaurant Jane has visited in the past and according to her the meals are absolutely divine. Whilst at the restaurant Gary manages to spill sauce over the table. He had ordered a curry and the rice is served on a separate plate to share. Gary got his helping of rice, turned his curry onto his plate, but there was more curry than the plate could hold so oops, he quickly grabbed every single napkin to mop up his mistake, turned his placement over and continued to eat as if nothing had happened. A cabin had been booked at Murwillumbah for the night. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine before settling for the night as tomorrow we need to leave early to make our way to Mt Warning.

Mt Cooroora Forest reserve

Every year most people make a New Year's resolution and this year Gary and I make a combined one. We have decided to write down all the walks we intend to do this year. Mt Cooroora is the first one, as it is a relatively easy walk. As busy people, we tend to put of the things we love doing the most, to be able to finish this or that job. Yes we all do tend to do this and Gary and I are no different here.

Well we depart around 0915 hours for Jeff and Jane's place. We are calling in for a cuppa and take the opportunity to catch up with our friends. After the cuppa they decide to join for the walk up Mt Pomona. Jane drives and parks near the base of the mountain. We change into our walking shoes and begin the laborious climb up . I'm not real good at going uphill, but it is always worth the effort when you reach the top. Mt Cooroora has many steps and a chain along the way. The king of the Mountain run is held here on an annual basis. It is hard to believe people run up this mountain in 23 minutes. I assure you it took us quite a bit longer. Granted we stopped often for that photo opportunity and just to enjoy the views. On top we relax and decide to go to Byron Bay next Saturday. We are planning to stay overnight and climb Mt Warning on the Sunday and decide what we need to bring along. We return to the car and go on the lookout for a coffee shop. We quickly realise that the coffee shops in the surrounding area are closed and return to Jeff and Jane's place for another cuppa and dinner. In the end we leave for home around 2000 hours and when we finally arrive about 2 hours later. I fall into our bed exhausted after a fantastic day.

Karaoke comes to town

As volunteers with the Rural Fire Brigade in Ballogie, we are automatically invited to their annual Christmas party. This year was no different. It started of slowly but as it got later more and more people arrived. Karaoke was set up by Helen from the Glencoe Rural Fire brigade and there was to be a contest. " The battle of the Brigades" Well we were all singing to our hearts content ( none of us sounding any good). In the end Glencoe won the battle (Boohoo), but we had a marvellous night.We also had a wonderful meal of chicken, ham and salads. All provided and paid for by the two brigades..As volunteers we have to attend training and fight fires each year. The brigades thank their volunteers for their efforts through the year with this annual event. Here in Ballogie the brigade is a wonderful opportunity to meet the locals and develop friendships along the way.

A Million Paws Walk

Every year the RSPCA (dieren bescherming) organises the million paws walk to raise money for the many animals that need a helping hand. This is a national event and the RSPCA attempts to have a millon paws join in. I always intend to join in but as a shift worker , I find,I am usually on duty. Anyway nothing is going to stop me this time. Only thing I haven't got my own dog as I am holidaying in Cairns and staying at my mother's place. Not to worry, I grab both my mother's dogs and drive to my brother's to join Martijn, Melanna, Cooper and their dogs.Together we drive to the Esplanade and are met by a sea of people and their dogs. We enrol, pay the fees ( remember it is a fundraiser) and collect our bag with lots of goodies for the dog. There is food, snacks, toys and even the poopie bags. Now we just have to wait for the event to start. I take a good look around and see people have dressed up their dogs.They look very impressive and there will be a fashion parade for pooch with prizes to be won after the walk. The event itself is a short walk, about 2 kilometers. Pepsi is loving every minute of it and Jessie, well, getting older is causing some serious mood swings. Jessie not the most socialable dog, growls and carries on but she is kept on a short leash. I hope that maybe next year I will be able to take my own dog for a walk on this particular day. I am however extremely glad to have made it this time though.