Gladstone

 A new parkrun has started in Gladstone. Warren needed a 3 for a challenge so we travelled up to obtain that.

As its a five hour trip towing the caravan, we did it in two stages. Thursday afternoon to Maryborough, staying in the showgrounds and then we stayed in Gladstone shiwgrounds as well then did the reverse on the way back.

The marina. The course is on a spit of land and went up one way, then around the back to a set of gates, back again, then up the other way. All the time water was on one side, Lucy and I walked some of it.

Just to prove he was there, this was after the run and he was in the 37s.

Lucy trying to locate him as he ran past in a group.

We took a short cut track through the bush, getting out of the way of the runners and at first I thought it was a slippery slide but no, it was toilets built into the hill. Not sure if hill was natural or man made, but a neat idea.

Baringa

 Not such an early start, needed to leave at 5.55am and we arrived at 6.30am. Parkrun was around sports grounds and there was a wide bike path that was used as well.

Lucy and I walked out to the furtherest point on the bike path, then made our way back and through the shopping centre, checked out where we could have coffee.

Runners were coming on the path before we made it to the shopping area and to Lucy's del8ght, her boss came past and stopped to give her a pat. Luckily there was a bend a few metres up so once she couldnt see him any more she was content to continue walking with me.

Different spring flowers coming out

Pale bottle brush, usually they are red but this plant has pale lemon flowers

Similar but flowers were a mauve.

We were only twenty kms south of where we had been the week before with the yellow wattle but flowers and shrubs were quite different.

Wattle

 Seeing wattle flowers c9ming out is a good indication of spring on its way. We travelled to Brightwater on Saturday to walk/run around a lake.

First wattle flowers I saw.

I walked over the road bridge while the runners run underneath and up the other side.

A different wattle tree, still with yellow flowers

I know its not wattle but its yellow and pretty.

Met and photographed these two after the run, it rained slightly for most of the run but I was nice and dry as I had bought a puffer jacket a couple of days earlier. I was surprised to see how much/many rain drops were on it and I didnt feel it.

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.

Wondai

 Nice little place Wondai.

Charlotte the emu. Apparently she used to roam the streets of Wondai and when she passed on, they made a statue of her.

Lucy waiting patiently while I took photos.

The start of thd running carnival.

 Bullocky team in front of the Visitors information centre.

Dingoes around z pond at the roundabout.

Next biggest town on the way back to our camp. Wondai was quite busy so we were going to get something for morning tea. Good idea but a, fail, bakery and cafe were closed, it was Sunday morning but still! Took a photo of a mural.

Bird feeding

Each afternoon at 4pm, the owners of the bush park feed the birds just outside their home and office.

Duck or bird drinking little area, these ducks are cement.

Not quite the twelve that they are named after, known as the aposile bird.

Here she has  the ducks from the garden.

 

Bush camp.

 We are 13 kms from Wondai, about 7kms from Murgon and the same from Cherbourgh.

Very nice bush caravan park. The two events we are here for are or were in Wondai. Both have now been completed.

We are alongside a cabin, huh, owners were a bit concerned that as the ute is not a 4wd, we may not have been able to get into no. 2 camp spot. It is not a drive thru, if it was not possible then we could take no. 4 which was a drive through.

Bruce (and Warren)did a good job of getting the caravan up into the nice flat spot.

Had to reverse twice but that was my fault, I thought he wanted it paralell to the back wall but no he wanted it paralell to the side wall. Nice and straight now and a bonus the ladies toilets are just across the road, 35 metres away.

The back wall and the bush, havent seen any creatures around except magpies and a couple of crows.

My cardigan

 I made z cardigan but I dont like it. It fits but the way the colours came out is not the best. I will undo it and repurpose the wool.

However I will make another in plain colour.

I was being lousy and didnt buy the pattern. It was $12.50 and stated that there was no increasing or decreasing. Basic stich throughout so I thought it was rather expensive so I made up my own pattern.

Two panels each 9 inches wide, stitch the two together for the back stitch the sides together. Sleeves needed to be wide enough to around the arm hole left. Single then a double stitch around and Bobs your uncle.

Its the colour that I dont lije and I know I would not be comfortable wearing. I do have enough of red yarn but could I see myself wearing red, probably not.

I want to make the next one longer, this only came to my waist as per the picture I saw. I will use a th8nner yarn as well. On the back burner at the moment but I will try again.

Mothers day gifts

 Long way away seeing that it is in May but good to be prepared. Our crochet tutor's daughter works at a school, think she teaches or admin. Anyway this year she thought it would be good to have a small gift for each mum. She asked her mum, our tutor if she could make a small something. After agreeing, she was then told, 200 items were needed!

Upshot was Robyn asked the group for ideas and some of us made several crochet different key rings. Apparently the mothers were delighted.

Now the push is to do something different for next year and a few ideas were put forward. When I was at the Nest, the craft place, I saw wooden coat hangers. I bought a set and crochetted a cover for them using up scrap yarn. Also played around with making slippers. They were done over about four days.

I do have plastic tubing to cover the handles.

Slippers are for inside use, sizes are adults 6 to 9. Thicker yarn for one on right and probably fit up to a 10. Very quick and basic.