Charleville to Longreach via Augethella, Blackall & Barcaldine

Day 4 - visit to Springhills Country Craft Retreat

So, here we are on our journey to meet Gay at her Springhills Country Craft Retreat.

Along the red road,

a warm welcome from some of the locals (don't think they get a lot of tour buses),

Turn near the Amby International Airport, (no need for Customs & Immigration today - we cleared in Brisbane ),

turn right at the Amby (no horse) Golf Course. Continue on with the Amby Cemetary on your right - about 4 kms more and there's Gay's retreat.

Greeted in true cointry style with a bountiful morning tea.

 Gay's granddaughters drew welcoming

cards for us. 

Beautiful Australian printed cottons.

Plenty of room to sit and stitch.

Surprise - more fabrics for sale.

Self-catering kitchen.

Room for 4 in this bed room and 3 in another. 

This charming Retreat is set among Wilga trees on 27,000 acres. They currently have 800 ewes about to lamb and 800 cattle. (Gay, if I've got my numbers mixed let me know and I'll edit)

The sheep are grown with their fibre - merino. Wild birds and the trees swishing in the wind were the only noises we heard. An absolute treat.

One of Gay's tales....

A few years back when the drought was particularly bad they trucked in tonnes of food for their cattle. Sugar cane, other dry fed and pumpkins. The following year after a little rain they had loads of pumpkins along the creek where the cattle had been fed.

There's even a quilt to commemorate.

We didn't see the donkeys, but we were told that Dingos(native dogs) were killing the sheep, so someone suggested they got in donkeys. To date, it working!

Going Outback.

Tuesday

Our real Outback Adventure has begun.

David, our driver until we a arrive in Longreach was left-off very lightly, with only 12 suitcases to load. Most of our previous drivers would warn him that numbers will increase!

Our first stop was Kilkivan where we found the Left Bank Cafe. Good coffee and very nice macadamia slice, plus lots of interesting things to look at, including fabric! This charming little town had a little local museum, but unfortunately we had no time to visit.

Then it was up and over the Bunya Mountains to the wide open spaces. A quick stop for fuel in Dalby and we're on the road again. Flat, flat, flat. 50kms of straight road ahead, then another 200kms and we should be in Roma.

Ace Drapery - what a treat. Allan and his team stayed back a bit late, just for us. Like I said, "what a treat"!

1st Golf Course! 

Up and over the Bunya 'Mountains'.

 

Lots of spindly dry grass and that rich red Australian soil. 

L-o-n-g straight roads, with lots of dead wallabies & kangaroo. 

Sun was getting ready to set as we drove into Roma. 

And down it went! 

Ace Drapers, Roma. Amazing!

Metres and metres of every fabric you can imagine. Some of them are a little dated, but still some amazing stuff.

Bedding, dinner sets, table linens, plastic containers, pots and more. A must see!

Day 2 - workshop

Goodie bag time!

Iron-on transfer made it a little quicker. Then the Appliquik Tools & a glue stick and the appliqué is ready to stitch down. Fab, now it's time to get the embroidery started.

Colleen, April, Marion, Paula, Glennys, Robyn, Ronnie, Lesley, Beverley

Stephanie, Alison, Lynette & Annette.

Lynette's sample. We have all got our appliqué done and embroidery started. Expect we'll see these projects again on tour.

#quiltersoutbacktour2016

Fun with Lynette Anderson

H

Some of the fabulous projects that Lynette has designed.

#lynetteandersondesigns #quiltersoutbacktour2016

These very tiny little mini-hoops look great on a neck-chain 

Cute, cute kitties.

Alison won this beautiful tote. 

More great projects.

Goodie bag time.

Day 1 - Auckland to Brisbane

Fun relaxing day after our arrival in warm & sunny Brisbane.

Our bus dropped us at the Riverside Market (quite little, but on the river). Plenty of time to wander the walkways, enjoy the Botanical Gardens, or walk up to the CBD.

The cloud cover made for a very muggy day, so I hope everyone took it easy. At present we're on the highway now heading north to the Novotel Twin Rivers. The traffic heading south to Brisbane is very heavy. 

I'm looking forward to a swim, so I hope that the Polar bears are out of the pool.

One tale I did forget to share happened in Auckland, in fact at the Novotel. Two of my ladies got locked into the stairwell. They were coming up to visit me last night & didn't realise that their 6th floor swipe card wouldn't give them entry to the 8th floor. One of these ladies does have arrack record of being locked in. (My lips are sealed).

7pm local time. Made it to the resort before dark. Cicadas, birds - everything squawking, must be the sub tropics. Photos tomorrow.

Night!

Time to go!

Most of my ladies have checked-in at Auckland a International Airport - just waiting for 3 flying up from Wellington. Lovely to welcome three new travellers this time.

Drizzly grey morning in Auckland, so am looking forward to the warm and sunshine in Brisbane!

The Deartures terminal is under going renovations at present so things are a little jumbled. The room I'm sat in has a bucket to collect drips from the leaking ceiling.