Goodbye Gympie, Qld

Our final day at the Gympie Muster, Sunday the 26th of August and Richard had an early start, heading to a Bush Poet's breakfast with Mike & Graham. 

The kids and I woke much later after we all spent the night shivering in our beds, it was freezing - even the thermals didn't help.

We woke around 9ish and sunned ourselves around the campsite hoping to warm the bones.

It worked because by about 11 we had all stripped down to our shorts and tank tops. 

We all headed towards the Muster around 2ish, ready for a big night. 
Along the track to the Muster we stopped to look at how a practical joke had grown. On the first day a few drunk Musterers had set up a grave site - only a joke a drunk would find funny.  

A practical joke 

As the days went by the joke grew, with people signing rocks of condolence, it did become funnier as the muster progressed...

The tributes grow

Closer shot

First band up, was a group called The Pigs, I know... they sound extremely feral and they looked just as feral wearing their wife beater singlets, but they were really good. 

The pigs with Jack & Harry

We then headed towards the main arena given that I wasn't required to compete in the final of the bucking bull competition, phew... I was happy with my own family victory in that competition plus my back was still hurting from my stella effort a few days earlier.

On the main stage was Adam Harvey who was brilliant, the kids all managed to speak to him and get his autograph....

The kids with Adam Harvey

He was followed by John Williamson...

John Williamson

He was the last line-up and autograph for the kids.. They have all had such a ball chasing up these country music singers and getting their markings.

A family snapshot

The Muster Crew, Cheryl, Jan, Graham, Nina, Mike, Jack, Richard, Harry & I

Here we are again, being crazy on our last night

By around 7.. Kenny Rogers hit the stage. He looked unrecognisable  with all the work he'd had done, but he sang his classics, including The Gambler & Lucille. He may have looked years younger but he still walked like an old man.

Kenny on the big screen

By 8:30 he was done... and hobbled off the stage while we headed back to camp to sit around the camp fire one last time. It was hard - but we left everyone to have a sing along without us. It was an early night ahead of an early morning.

This morning, Monday the 27th, the alarm went off around 6, we slowly rose and began the pack up.  By about 7 o'clock we were done and ready to hit the road again...we have a huge few days ahead of us in the car.

Nina's little mate, Elkie called by in her PJ's to say goodbye... Too cute!

Nina & Elkie say goodbye

We then bid farewell to our campsite buddies who all got up to wave us goodbye.. Pete from Coffs Harbour (our official Dessert maker) and his Mum popped in to say goodbye along with Ian, our campsite guitarist and policeman (pig!) from Tenterfield.

Our Gympie Muster crew all emerged from their caravans to say their goodbyes as well..... Thank you to the Branson's and Crazy Kent's for making our Gympie Muster experience so memorable... Thanks also for treating our kids and us like part of your families, we feel blessed to have able to share this with you all..... See you all soon!

Goodbye Muster buddies - Cheryl, Graham, Jan & Mike

We drove out with a tinge of sadness to be leaving our mates but with smiles on our faces for having had this experience.

We hit the road, stopping in Gympie to get some brekky and then at Promax to pick up some spare parts for the car. We were heading as outback as we've ever been... We have more than 1600 Kms ahead of us  before we reach Birdsville for the Races on the weekend. 

It's been on Richards bucket list for many years.

We passed through many beautifulu country towns today including Murgon, famous for its pumpkins, Wondai, aboriginal for Dingo and Kingaroy, the  peanut and bean capital of Australia, certainly not a place where Jack could ever live....

Kingaroy, or Death Valley for Jack

We then passed through Dalby, famous for its cotton. We were amazed by the rolls and rolls of cotton in paddocks and how the cotton had blown off the trees and lined the roads for kilometers and kilometers....

The roads lined with cotton

Rolls of cotton

We also passed through Roma, but certainly didn't feel like we were in Italy, just another country center which produces gas and oil...

Roma, a little different to its namesake

A sign told us we were officially in the Queensland Outback. 

We continued along the bumpy Warrego Highway until we decided to call it a day in Mitchell.

Tonight, we have set up camp at the Major Mitchell caravan park. It's exciting to have power again after 5 days of free camping. The kids are putting on the washing while I clean the van of red dirt. I've also had a chat to ABC local radio who asked for callers who were Birdsville bound.  They plan to call me back on Wednesday night when we plan to reach a town called Windorah, in time for the Yabby races - sounds priceless!!!  It's part of the Birdsville races tourist attraction for those on the  pilgrimage to the races.
Tonight,  I look forward to a shower without the water restrictions that come with free camping.