Judy & Brian Tour Oz

Tewantin Qld August 25 - September 4 We arrived in Tewantin after another torrid day negotiating the Bruce - but at least this year you can see positive steps being taken to effect a major upgrade. It's funny how these upgrades always seem to radiate out from the capital city; The New Bruce extends almost into Gympie itself, something like 170km. On arrival, we were given the choice of two en-suite sites: one on the 'right' side, which is the wrong side, and one on the left. It was a no-brainer; you take the site where your caravan and awning are facing the en-suite door. Otherwise you have to walk out and around the front of the van and back down the side to get to the loo, you may as well just walk to the toilet block. So we settled in and quickly came to appreciate how much better this site is over last year's, it's further into the park and thus quieter and more private. Tewantin is like a little village; just down the road is the village itself with sho...

Sorry Ben, Happy Birthday! It being a Wednesday and us being within 200k of Eumundi it is obligatory that we travel to the said township and engage in the tradition known as market crawling. We've been here probably 1/2 a dozen times or more over 20 years and you know, I don't think that anything much has changed. Sure the layout is a bit different but the goods on offer? These people are stuck in a perennial craft based time warp. Life is literally passing them by in front of their stalls. Leather belts, skirts and tops, various food items, 'art' made out of bits of coloured tin or scraps of wood. Perhaps a hat or a piece of jewellery? Maybe a anklet or tattoo? You've seen it all before and you can't help but wonder just how much of this stuff any one person actually needs. I notice a few of the stall proudly claim to be 'original' Eumundi Market stall holders, and some of them look it. We stopped and Judy fondled some beads. The head magically appe...