Tales from the Bushland Shire - Part 1 - The Rationale

 

This here's the wattle, the emblem of our land...

There was a time when I could break a drought simply by erecting a tent.  Now it seems I can shut down a local government area or even a whole chunk of a state simply by planning to go there.  We were headed to Queensland today, 12 August 2021, the plan being to spend five nights at our long favoured Gemini Resort in Caloundra and travel down to Bongaree on the southern end of Bribie Island several times to visit our lovely Aunty Joan.

The booking was made months ago but then Sydney went into lockdown again and we aren't to leave the Shire of Hornsby although there is a sliver of The Hills Shire within our 10km radius which thankfully includes both Bunnings and Flower Power at Dural and Glenhaven respectively.  The only other places I need access to are a supermarket and a grog shop - Coles and Liquorland at Asquith or Woolies and Dan Murphy's in Hornsby, it didn't matter which.

 

When the initial two week lockdown extended to four weeks then six and eventually Easter, I rang the Gemini and cancelled.  They were fabulous - full refund, no problem.  We'd planned three nights in Armidale on the way up and wouldn't you know it, that went into lockdown as well.  Of course by this time all of South-Eastern Queensland had shut up shop as had every LGA in the Northern Rivers Region of Northern NSW where we were staying on the way home.

 

Then there was some truly unfortunate value adding when our lovely Aunty Joan passed away quite suddenly the week before we were due to head north, not that we could anyway.  That was Universal Reality Check #879 and Zoom funeral #2 in just three weeks so it was a case of count your blessings and where to from here?

 

I did think of blogging the trip regardless as I did with Return of the Native 2.1 to Wales, Ireland, England and Singapore last year but despite an explanation in the first post, numerous hints in the others and some clearly unlikely encounters along the way a number of you actually believed we were there which is entirely to my credit.  I should have gone into politics!  

 

My long-ago ex even rang to see if we were staying in the apartment he recommended in Soho.  "Fabulous!" I told him, "Thanks for the tip.  It's close to everything and right opposite The King's Arms and you won't believe who we met there last night!  Philip Jamieson's Aunty Eulene's late husband Ray's sister's son Barry and his partner Trevor, the Christmas tree farmers from Te Kuiti.  We're catching up with them again tonight for dinner."

 

Vera Vindaloo was never known for his attentiveness all those years ago or since for that matter but that was just bloody ridiculous!

 

So here's the new plan, we're having a holiday within a 10km radius of home which I'll blog instead so look out for Tales from the Bushland Shire which will be hitting the interweb and email quite soon.  And by the way, Bruce is loving himself sick with both his Dads home almost 24/7.  He wasn’t looking at all forward to us being away for twelve days but that's no longer a problem.  Don't get me wrong here, Bruce quite likes Uncle Tony but sadly poor Aunty Jan just doesn't cut the mustard.