SPIRIT OF THE OUTBACK

I am travelling out to Longreach to meet up with Stuart who has driven out from home in Mackay as he is doing “Westtech” in Barcaldine, but before I board the train for Longreach I have to see the eye surgeon regarding an eye problem I have and It appears that in November I will be lining up for a Corneal Transplant in my left eye which will hopefully give me more vision than I have had in that eye since I was about 17.  This will be followed by one in my right eye next year.  I am really hoping that it will not interfere with our plans to travel next year.

Back at Ipswich and really looking forward to the trip on the Spirit of the Outback tomorrow at 1.00pm, and then on to Winton for the Outback Festival next week.

As the Queensland Wheelchair basketball team “The Spinning Bullets were due to play in the finals this weekend in Brisbane and their first game was to be at 11.00am Brett had to get me to the station by 9.30am to give them enough time to make it to the stadium in time.

Eithen and his big sister Mia ready to go to the finals

Little Mascot Number 1

 Last year the Spinning Bullets coach Tom Kyle made Eithen their mascot and so he has a replica singlet and leads the team out onto the court for their game. Tom is also Eithen’s coach for his basketball and has take Eithen under his wing and is very proud of the way he has improved in the last 12 months.

 Eithen in Prep with friend Charles on left and on right getting end of term awards

Mia and Eithen on Tramp at home

Mia on swing with Molly

After booking my suitcase in at Roma Street Station I caught a train to Southbank and wandered through the markets til it was time to come back and board the “Spirit of the Outback” for Longreach for departure at 1.10 pm.

Spirit of the Outback just coming into Roma Street Station

 About 1 hour into the trip we learnt that the on board computer which backs up the driver has failed and so as we approached Gympie 1 ½ hours late we were told that another driver had to be found for the train to continue.  I don’t know why I travel...............

The pod in which I live for 24 hours is small but comfortable with a very large window so I have a great view of the passing countryside.

The bed folds up into a seat with a full length window

The hall is very tight and zig-zagy with pods going off on each side.

Afternoon Tea of coffee, tea and scones was served at 2.00 pm and dinner will be at 7.00 pm with  choices ranging from soup and salad, steak, stew, fish and vegetarian as well as dessert.  Breakfast at 7am will be a surprise.  There was a choice of continental or full cooked and my breakfast companions were a couple from Brisbane and a nice young man from Italy who is travelling all round Australia and is currently going out to Winton for 3 days fossicking with palaeontologists.  He had some wonderful tales to tell about his adventures.  He also mentioned an Airline which goes all round Europe at incredibly low prices called RYAN AIR.  

We woke to find out that we are now 2 ½ hours late at Anakie and a few sighs in the dining room at this news prompted the waitress to say that we won’t be charged for the extra time on board.  I also noticed a major change in the poor condition of the line compared to the smooth coastal line.  These lines are very rough.

By the time we got into Longreach we were 3 hours late and a lot of unhappy people on board as they had to catch other transport to other corners of the country, but for me it was a welcome smile from Stuart and on to Winton.



IN THE MOOD

Just getting away from home sometimes can be a real battle!!

Thursday night as we were getting ready to go out to the theatre I got a phone call from our bank informed me that someone had tried to access my account and tested it out by trying to withdraw $1 twice.  Consequently my account was frozen and I couldn’t do wages or withdraw money for my trip to Brisbane the next day.  Fortunately Stuart and I have separate accounts and so he gave me his card to bring to Brisbane.   Kylie dropped me off at the airport and I was on my way.

 After sitting in the plane on the tarmac for nearly an hour we were informed that our there was a big possibility our luggage couldn’t be loaded and they would know in another 30 minutes.  We were then informed that it was definite the luggage (which was locked in the pod already) couldn’t be loaded onto the plane due to some glitch with the Mackay airport.  We were allowed to turn phones back on and inform family and friends that we would be late which was ridiculous in my case as Brett had travelled from Ipswich to pick me up and by now was waiting on the road side near the airport with Mia and Eithen for my phone call to say we had landed.  People were given the option of leaving the plane (without their luggage, as they couldn’t retrieve it from the pod) or staying on board and the luggage would follow later in the evening.

Most opted to stay but some got off without their luggage..... Not sure what good it was going to do.

Eventually we got underway and arrived in Brisbane in record time because there was less weight with no luggage I guess.

On landing in Brisbane we were met with ground staff who took our paperwork regarding luggage and they assured us that it would be delivered (even to Ipswich) following a phone call to ascertain a time convenient to us.

Arrived back in Ipswich to go and have a look at a potentially new home for Brett and Katrina and the kids which will give more ease of movement for Eithen and the ability to put in a pool a bit later on.

When my luggage hadn’t arrived by 10am I tried to ring Jetstar to no avail and after 3 other phone calls 2 lasting over an hour on hold with someone telling me how important I am and how they know how busy I am and they don’t want to keep me waiting, and eventually getting 2 foreign persons telling me this office is closed till Monday, I gave up.

Hopefully things will smooth out from now on.

A quick visit to my Orthopaedic surgeon informed me that the right knee replacement that I had 12 months ago is going great but I didn’t need him to tell me that.  His next statement wasn’t so good as I need a knee replacement in the left knee in the not too distance future as well. 

Tuesday I stayed at Michael and Shell’s in order to attend the theatre performance of “In the Mood” by an American Jazz group.

The Show was as great and more than we expected with a stroll down memory lane listening to music by Glen Miller, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter and many more.  3 couples singing and dancing in front of the 13 piece band which included saxophone, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, bugle, piano and drums.

A tribute to the Australian Forces who served beside the Americans in W.W.2 bought the house down with not a dry eye in the house after finishing the segment with a rousing rendition of Waltzing Matilda.