Spring Hill

It was lovely to wake up as warm as toast snuggled under a big fluffy doona.  Unfortunately Dave had to get up early for work, but the rest of us spent a lazy morning drinking coffee, watching movies and chewing the fat.

About mid morning Jodie took us to Picnic Point, a lovely spot situated about 700 metres above sea level, with great views over the city of Toowoomba and the Great Dividing Range. 

We enjoyed a coffee and the kids had fun on the really awesome playground.

 

 

All went well until Fletcher face-planted off the flying fox.  Poor kid has had a bit of a tough time of it lately!  We were really sad to say goodbye to Jodie and Dave.  We all had great fun and wish we could have spent more time together.  Thanks for your amazingly generous hospitality!

We ate lunch in the car as we headed down the range towards Brisbane.   It was close to 3pm when we arrived at Spring Hill.  Bruce’s old mate from Royal Military College had kindly offered us a spot for our caravan at the back of his house in inner city Brisbane.  Unfortunately, the arrival didn’t go quite as smoothly as we would have liked. 

We somehow managed to get the van ‘stuck’ on the side fence.  With the car completely blocking the road (and a procession of parents lined up in a vain attempt to pick up their kids from the local private school) Bruce, Jon and neighbour Hughie worked tireless with jacks, blocks, wedges and my precious jenga set, to try to separate the van from the fence.  When the van had to get detached from the car for manoeuvring purposes I had visions of it rolling down the steep hill all on its own Shaun the Sheep style.

Thankfully this didn’t happen, and forty minutes later the crisis was averted.  The traffic could get through again, the caravan was in place and the damage was limited to a smashed power outlet cover, a few scratches and a couple of small dents.  Pheww

Jon and Janine were very understanding and didn’t seem too perturbed about the damage we’d done to their fence or their neighbourhood reputation!  In fact, at one point John commented about how much fun he was having!  Bruce perhaps not so much!  He did take it very well, though, and soon enough we were all enjoying a well-deserved beer.

We enjoyed a delicious lamb roast with Jon and Janine and their teenage kids Douglas, Minna and Samuel.  They’re a very sporty family with the boys into rugby and rowing and Minna a champion swimmer.  Minna already holds a bunch of State and National records and is due to leave on Wednesday for the World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore.

We were lucky enough to find ourselves once again in a lovely warm house with lovely warm people!  The rest of the evening was spent laughing and reminiscing about days gone by, over some excellent red wine.