Saturday 9th August
To day is the day to leave for home. Bill had to be away early for a sale at Boonah. As he was leaving around 6-30 am, I had told him last night that I would not be going with him and I said to give me a shout at about 6 am and I would say good by to him then.
Sure enough, at 6-15 am, he came in and we said our goodbyes. I thanked him for having me for the week which I had enjoyed very much. He was probably being very polite and as he had said on numerous occasions, he would like me to stay another week.
I was up at about 7 am and after breakfast, I did the final packing for my trip home.
We were about to leave, when the phone rang and I took a call for Dawnae. It involved a detailed message for Bill, so I got the lady to talk to Dawnae. She thought that she had got the wrong number when I answered the phone and told her that Bill was away.
She spoke to Dawnae and Dawnae took notes to relay to Bill. I had to ask the lady the name of the person that Bill was to contact.
When we had finished the conversation, at Dawnaes request, I phoned Bill on his cell phone. All I got was an answering service that had not been set up. Dawnae thought that Bill should have answered, so she rang him on her cell phone, and got the same result.
She wrote me a note and said that we would have to visit him at Boonah on our way to Ipswich.
We set off and soon we were at Boonah. We had a look at the park that we had visited the other day to see if there were any kangaroos visible. There was not. Dawnae said that they are usually there and probably will be the next time she looks.
We stopped at the location of the Market – exactly the same sort of setup as is common around New Zealand on Saturdays.
We headed for Bills stand. As I was about to leave the street, I saw a huge fellow clipping his GPS navigator to an extremely large motor cycle. I had a chat to him – he and his wife were about to drive off. I spent about ten minutes talking to him and we discussed information about Gps things.
I caught up with Dawnae and Bill. We were only there a few minutes. Once again I said goodbye to Bill and we were on our way.
We stopped at the shopping complex at Yamanto on the way. Dawnae went into Dick Smiths and bought a small video player to replace the one at home that was not working.
We moved on and stopped at McDonalds for a snack and then we drove for another few minutes and we stopped at the Railway Station.
Dawnae came with me to the platform and then we found that we were on the wrong side. We had to retrace our steps, walk under a subway under the tracks to the station on the other side, as that is where the trains going to Brisbane leave from.
There is an electronic machine there to get a ticket. I might as well have gone to Mars and tried a machine there. It was impossible. It takes Credit Cards and notes but not $50.00 and that is all I had.
A young woman with a toddler (she is used to traveling on the trains) tried to help us but she had no success. Another local couple tried to get a ticket for themselves and they could not get it to work either.
The train arrived after a very short time. I said farewell to Dawnae and got on the train without a ticket.
I told the guard what had happened. He didn't seem interested and just told me to tell the staff at the station I got off at.
That was the Central Station. I found the ticket office. The clerk asked me where I got on the train. I told him, paid the fare and after waiting for about 15 minutes, I was on a train to Brisbane Airport.
It was about a 15 minute journey to the International Airport Station. I had to produce my ticket to leave the railway station and enter the Airport.
It was getting on to 4 pm and I attempted to book in early, so as I could get rid of my large case and only have the Laptop to look after.
The plane was almost full, and being on standby as a discounted customer, I was not allowed to check in and I was told to come back at 5-15 pm. I was stuck with all the luggage until then.
While waiting, I thought I would buy something to eat on the plane. I saw a large bread role (wrapped) and it was labeled cheese and bacon and some other ingredient. It sounded nice so I bought one. I also bought a bottle of Bunderberg Ginger beer and I drank that before boarding the plane.
At 5-15 pm, I was paged to the Check In counter. I was able to board the plane. I chose an aisle seat and requested one about row 25 which is the row we were in on the way to Brisbane. I was given the aisle seat in row 29 which is almost at the rear of the plane. There were only two rows behind me and I am sure this is the best part of the aircraft to travel in.
I had communicated with Ruth by text while waiting and she told me that it had been snowing in Christchurch and although it had stopped, it was very cold.
It was a lovely day in Brisbane – the best day that I had struck since I had landed in Australia.
As we prepared for takeoff, the crew announced on the p a that the flight time would be 2 hours 50 minutes. The usual time is 3 hours 30 minutes and on our way to Brisbane, we were told because of the jet stream head winds, it would take 30 minutes longer and it did.
As the plane was full, it took about an hour for the staff to get to our seat with the food trolley. I asked for two bottles of wine – they are very small – only 250 mills in each bottle.
I think the hostess thought I was under age. She asked me if they were both for me. When I told her that it was, she said that I was only allowed one.
Soon after, I ate my bread roll and enjoyed the wine. What I thought was a nice filled roll, was a stale bread roll with nothing in it at all.
About 45 minutes from Christchurch, the hostess asked me if I would like another bottle of wine. I declined.
We were in the terminal at Christchurch Airport half an hour early – it was about 11-15 when I arrived inside the customs area.
It did not take long to get to the customs desk. I knew that I would have to see Maf as I had been staying on a farm.
I got my luggage loaded onto a trolley, saw Maf and told the officer where I had been staying and about Bills sick cow. I told him that I had scrubbed all my shoes and that I had them all in a bag right on top of the case.
I took the case to a bench, opened it and removed the bag of shoes. He was satisfied and thanked me for being organized to save time.
I was then on my way out of the building. While I had been waiting in line at Customs, my cell phone had burst into life. I assumed it was Andrew who was to pick me up. I could not answer it as it was too difficult to get it out while moving in line with all the luggage.
Andrew was in the waiting area and it had been him that had called. He had seen on the Internet that the plane was early and had come out. I was lucky as otherwise, I probably would have had to wait about an hour.
His car was outside and in no time at all, the luggage was inside and we were on our way home. It was cold – very cold – Two degrees according to the announcement that had been made on the plane.
Ruth was up when we got home. Andrew came in and stayed for about half an hour. I opened my case and gave the present for Wenlin and himself that Shelly had got me to bring for him – I had opened it of course before going to the Airport.
I had bought a bottle of Quantro at the Airport. I opened it and sampled it. Andrew declined and set off home.
It was after 1 am by the time we went to bed. Luckily, Ruth had warmed downstairs up with the oil radiation heater (electric) so it was quite pleasant downstairs.
Ruth had sent me a text a few days ago, telling me that she had noticed a pool of oil under the car when she was at Halswell. She has not driven it since she got home. It has remained in the garage.
Tomorrow, I will have to see what the problem is.
Friday 8th August
As arranged last evening, I got up at a little before 7 am. Bill of course, was up much earlier. As it turned out it was something after 6-30 am when I got up.
We had breakfast. I looked in my case and wondered where all my clean clothes had gone. It was only a few days since I have done the washing.
I did the washing and put it out to dry. Bill wanted to go to a tomato grower he knew to by some tomatoes. His supply has run out.
Before we left, Bill had noticed a cow (one of the ones that is feeding a calf) was lying down. He thought it unusual.
He got on the phone and found that other animals in the area have been unwell.
We went and checked the animal. Even I could tell it was having difficulty getting to its feet.
It did so reluctantly and with obvious difficulty. Bill put some water in a trough and gave it some hay. It ate a little and remained on its feet while the calf took a feed.
We left and went back towards Ipswich for quite some distance. We turned off the main road and after a short time, we were at the tomatoe growers property.
Bill bought several boxes of tomatoes. While there, we went and examined a new shed that had been built. It is about one hundred meters long and 60 meters wide with a twenty meter overhang. At each end of the overhang, is a roller door so vehicles with trailers can drive it, park and later drive straight through and out the other end.
When we left, we took a site seeing tour towards home. We passed through Kalbar and Bill stopped and showed me a photograph of is property in the Rea Estate Agent – It is on the Market.
We went into the local shop and the lady gave me a booklet – a freebie issued by the local council with information about the area. We were on the road where we had taken the cow and calf a few days ago. I knew the area we had left the animals was some sort of ____vill. Everyone I spoke too, including Bill said – Harrisville, but it wasn't.
The lady in the shop told me it was Teviotville and I remembered that indeed, that was the name I seen on the road sign.
We stopped and looked at the monument to the first surveyor, who in 1839, had formed a survey baseline through the area for the first survey of Quensland.
Bill had been brought up in the area and he showed me the school that he attended. There is a building on the corner, not far from the school, and once, Bill had thought it the biggest building in Australia.
Bill drove through his brothers property, not far from the school. His brother now leases some of his land and has a job on another farm somewhere.
We got home a little after 11 am. We picked up Dawnae and left for Shelly and Daves Property, which is near Boonah, at the small settlement of Mt Alford.
Shelley was not there. We were to meet her at the local hotel for lunch.
Dave showed us around the property. He gave us a stubbie each and we enjoyed that as we looked around.
Dave is a fan exotic birds and he showed us his collection. All outside in large, well maintained cages. He is licenced to keep exotic birds. Apparently, it stayed quite awhile before moving off.
We all left and went to the hotel. We met up with Shelly – had a drink and ordered our lunch.
I had a nice plate of Nachos and chips and it was very enjoyable. We stayed for quite awhile, and had a few drinks and a chit chat.
I found that in 1962, Dave had joined the Police in Britain - Sheffield I think – He spent some time there and then moved on.
When we left, Dave stayed. We dropped Shelly at a nearby house and then headed off home. Shelly has given me a present to take home for Andrew and Wenlin.
We traveled through Boonah on the way home. Dawnae stopped at what appeared to be a park. She told me that there were normally lots of "Skippys" there, but there were none today.
Bill has gone out to do something on the farm – probably check on the sick cow.
Thursday 7th August
Some time later in the morning – later here is about 9 am, I went with Bill for a journey "up the road". He wanted to see someone about farm business. The journey involved a trip to Aratula, turning north, and a short while later,east, to a property somewhat behind Bills propery – as viewed from the road in front of his house.
Unfortunately, the person he wanted to see was not home. Apparently, he had told Bill he would be there, but probably expected us earlier.
We continued on, almost in a circle, and was soon back at Bills property. He continued on, and went into the road where we had been a few days earlier – where we had checked the fences and retrieved the water trough and other equipment. He wanted to check that the gate had been locked by the people who had been there the other day. It was.
We turned back, and when we got to the road named Cunninghams Camp Road, we turned into it and went to the end. It was here that the explorer had camped before heading over "the Gap"
We returned home and had lunch Bill wanted to start his tractor to put an implement over 3.5 acres he has ploughed and is prepareing to plant out with lucern. Apparently, he has done it earlier, but lost the crop.
He has a little trouble with the tractor. The battery was flat. He put it on charge for a couple of hours. He spent a bit of time bleeding the fuel line and the tractor burst into life.
I watched him do the ploughing for awhile.
There were still a few logs lying outside that had been cut to length with the chain saw the other day.
I split them, turned a little of it into kindling and too it all inside. As it turned out, we did not need a fire during the evening, although Bill lit the electric heater.
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Regards
Laurie Leathem
http://www.leathmac.com
http://www.leathmac.blogspot.com
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