Category: Qld

Qld, Wildlife10 Comments

Mrs Curlew’s Mystery

Itching for Hitching

There are two Curlews that stalk our park. The moment that you lock eyes on them they freeze using their camouflage plumage to hide themselves from view but it doesn’t quite work. They look more like a couple of old ladies locked in a Tai Chi position.  We have a big night at the local bowls club and ergh, we’re so hungover next morning that we don’t even notice Mrs Curlew laying an egg outside our van. Our neighbours all pass the egg amongst themselves muttering that the hen will disown it if it has been handled which leaves me … Continue reading Mrs Curlew’s Mystery

Qld, Wildlife2 Comments

At Your Service

Itching for Hitching

Well exercised from a good walk my sister in law and I pop into a little Gold Coast hinterland cafe and order lunch. “Just park your bums and I’ll bring it over” says the cheery waitress. We wait and wait and wait. When we eventually complain we are told that the pilot light has gone out, but it’s nearly ready. “What?” We say “The stove or the lunch?” At least we were entertained by the cheeky Butcher birds stealing leftovers from lucky diners’ plates. The Butcher birds probably would have been faster workers in the kitchen too. Continue reading At Your Service

National Park, Qld2 Comments

Off the beaten track, Murray Falls Camp Ground

Itching for Hitching

We were new to this going off the bitumen stuff and very tentative but the ladies at the information centre in Cardwell, Qld took our National Park fee and assured us that the road into Murray Falls was tarred and “really good”. We turned off the Bruce Highway and passed sugar cane and paw paw farms and after about 16kms the road turned to very bumpy dirt with a couple of narrow bridges, even the scenery deteriorated. We were becoming somewhat anxious, would we be able to turn around if we were on the wrong road? Then the National Parks … Continue reading Off the beaten track, Murray Falls Camp Ground

Qld4 Comments

Hebel

Itching for Hitching

The Hebel general store is famous for its pies but we are a little early. The old girl was built in 1897 and the wooden floors are worse than the road, where the floor has given way altogether there are large metal patches. Just to get to the counter in the rear to place your order one must walk up hill, then down and up again, one wonders if they’ve ever contemplated re stumping. We’re concerned about the shortcut road across to Nindigully but the waitress assures us that it is a bit rough and skinny but ok. Oh Good. Morning … Continue reading Hebel

Caravan Parks, Farm Stays, Point of Interest, QldLeave a comment

A Lesson in Ovine Plurals

Itching for Hitching

At Jondaryan Woolshed on the Darling Downs of Queensland we don our winter woollies and gum boots and join a bunch of Japanese school kids, teenagers, for a sheep shearing demonstration using hand shears. The poor old sheep is being shorn for the first time and doesn’t utter a single baa. Interesting to us is that all discussion by the teachers is in English and there is a bit of English instruction bandied about “one lamb, two lambs, one sheep, two sheep, no S.” Then we learn that if a sheep is shorn with wet wool the wool will self … Continue reading A Lesson in Ovine Plurals