Samford

 Warren needed an S to complete his snakes challenge with parjrun so that meant a trip to Samford to do their parkrun. 

Alarms set for 5.15am, leav8ng at 5.30 or 5.40, down the highway, not the usual way to go but we knew it would not be bysy at that time.

Lucky me, there was an adventure lab just across the road from parkrun, however as sometimes happens, I ended up in the middle of the runners as we ended up using the same pathway.

I did my thing,chatting to a couple of marshalls alo

Breakfast at Harry Potters.

Couple of tables at the cafes, very tired looking,

ng the way only to find that Warren was back before me and looking for his jacket.

Out on the parkrun track, mist on the paddocks, this is about 7.30am.

Chinchilla bush park

 We have stayed in Chinchilla a few times, mostly on our way west to sonewhere else. Furst time we stayed at the caravan park. It was a very small park, probably only room for about 20 vans and they hadfive motels rooms. I remember it as it was the first park that was over $30, at the time possibly eight or nine years ago, it was $40.

The next couple of times we stayed on the same road at the showgrounds. Quite basic but power, water, toilets and showers.

We needed to stay for parkrun and Warren discovered a new park, opened a couple of years ago. Wow, $30 a night, all toilets contained a shower as well and if needed the washing machines were free to use.

The sites were big and although there were quite a lot of vans there, it was quiet and only a couple of kms from town, parkrun and where our Sunday event was to be held.

I was surprised at how big Chinchilla is for a country town.

A seat in the park

Some old farm equipment

Vans were to park on the gravel roads

Warrens first CITO.

Rubbish collected at local park.

New pattern

 I have been making pjs for uniforms for kids, bit over them so I found a pattern online for an all day play dress.

Very simple.

These are four that I made. The pattern is in four sizes so I made one of each, 4,6,8 and 10.

It is stretch fabric so no need for buttons or zips.

I came home from U4ks and cut out four more of them. One has the police blue running from shoulder to hem, a second one has an incert around the waist, the other two will have pockets. 

Going away for the weekend does curb my output but having them already cut out will help.

Rockhampton

 Parkrun at Rocky, Friday night, they were short a time keeper. As we had travelled up to do it, there was a danger of it being cancelled. I said that I was available even though I had not done time keeping before but hey got to be a first time for everything, right!

Sheri ran me thru what to do as she had done it a few months earlier and then one of the other vollies also showed me what to do.

The start point was about 200 m from the gathering point, I had to set my phone and then call down from three and yell Go. Back to end and wait for runners to finish. It was an out and back with a loop in the middle so we saw the runners twice before they came thru the finish race. It turned out quite an easy job, just tap my phone as a runner came past at the end. It was a bit hard when several came more or less together. There were 173 in total, many walkers.

No photos as my phone was in use.

Next morning, Sunday, we were up early to go to a local park and emu bob, only four but between us we collected four large bags of rubbish.

At 6.45am

I had a maggie very interested in what I was doing.

Looking over the river, at the top end of the park was the train line, it was in use but no trains went through.

Pretty tree out in flower, seems a bit early.

Gladstone

 We dived into Gladstone on our way north. There was an old cache up a mountain?/ large hill. Thankfully if had been tarred since S had been there last. It had been raining and was pot holey.

The view was brilliant. We walked out from the road and I am hoping thatcwe didnt need to go over the edge, when I realused we were only six metres away. We saw a largep rock at the same time and yep, it was there with a guardian.

It was an very early cache, 2006 I think.

Next we went to a lookout

Sea view

And a pineapple tree. I think it is a type of cactus with fruit that look like pineapples but these are not for eating.

We also went to  the spit in Gladstone, nice place for a walk along the foreshore and around a park. Have since discovered that there is a new parkrun on that spot starting in August. That will be our August trip as Warren needs a number four in his Wilson challenge.

1770

 We stayed at an Ecco camp in 1770 on the way to Rockhampton. Who would have thought there is a town called 1770.

We picked up some food at the supermarket in Agnes Waters before going to the park which was just as well as there were no facilities as far as food went near the camp site.

It was a large park with caravans dotted around and two tiny houses nearby but nothing was closer than 100 metres away.

Sheridan had booked a cabin, think it may have been the only one. She had directions to get there and the place was unlocked so we didnt need to stop in anywhere.

This was inside, large room with queen bed and lounge chairs.

My bedroom and bathroom is to the right. Bathroom window didnt have curtains or blinds. We could see another caravan across the way out the bathroom window. There was a airing clothes horse in the bathroom along with washing machine so Sheri perched that on the towel rail with a spare drapped over. Did make it feel much better.

Large screen porch with kitchen in one corner, dining table and another couple of couches

Camp kitchen across the way. Our cabin didnt have a microwave but camp kitchen did so I wandered over to heat dinner.

There was a wooden box on the dining table, when opened, it said to use it to place mobile phones in for a real digintal detox, we didnt but there was no TV and no internet.

Running carnival

 Fourth weekend in June each year is the Wondai running festival.

6.30am, the runners in the 42 km marathon start.we saw them go, there were about30 taking up that challenge.

Half marathon at 21 kms set off at 6.45am with 97 people.

7am was the 10 kms, 7.15am was 5kms and then a junior one of 2kms.

Before the start. Warren was a later sign up hence the higher number.

Almost finished, maybe 150 metres to go. Lucy had spotted them by then and it was hard to get a good photo.

The photo board with their medals. The 21.1 board was at the start and I couldnt work out what it was for, then it hit me. The half marathon is 21. 1 kms.

Their names were announced as they came over or through the finish and they were given a slice of a tree on a lanyard with the date of the event. They are both holding them.