The Great Aussie Road Trip Chapter Two
Without Prejudice
We arrived at our destination and relaxed and "visited" with Helen and Robert. Robert not aware we were staying a few days and he was a bit overwhelmed with us all but we had a great Christmas Dinner. It was sooooooo hot and Helen loves a good hot Dinner on Christmas Day, so it was to die for that Christmas Dinner. She;s a great cook, cooking as she does for four big boys and hubby.
We had lots of laughs as Roberts Mum and Dad gave some of Helen's boys, sarongs as presents, not being the ideal present givers in the world, and when one of the boys lost their temper later, Scott said,
"You're just jealous because you didn't get a SKIRT, for Christmas"
Helen was working shifts so we amused ourselves taking all the kids to the pools in Caboolture and spending most of the day there.
Everywhere was stunningly hot, the heat beating a tattoo on your head and you could think of little else, except to escape it.
My brother saying he loves Queensland but for 3 months of the year, it's unliveable.
I find that too, you can adjust to it, but it's mainly just too hot.
Give me Melbourne with it's unendingly different weather. One man, a former Melbournian saying Queensland was beautiful one day and as boring as bat shit the next. I just laughed.
A mid winter break is good, when Victoria is cold and grey and grim, it's great to get away then.
So back to the road trip.........
Kyle stayed with his Uncle and we called in and picked him up for Dreamworld, the big kid wanted to go too. We went to Dreamworld for 2 days in a row, the boys did not stop bouncing the whole time. Their eyes darting everywhere when we spoke to them at the entrance,
"Don't get lost and meet us here if you do"
They didn't hear a word, not a word and were lost within minutes, we trying to trail them. I said to Yvette in the end they would find us and we went to explore the Big Brother house and the rock pools.
They found us whenever it was time to eat or check on us. We lined up with them for the rides, so many and so many people all happy and joking in line. Yvette bloomimg with her 7 month pregnant belly in a long dress. Kyle was scared of a lot of the major rides so I insisted we go on the Tower Of Terror.
All the way in the queue saying'
"Nana, I don't want to do this"
And me insisting he at least try as I was going to, his decrepit old Nana.
So we boarded and I literally cringed, looking at the Tower 150' in the air, had I forgotten my fear of heights and speed. I tried to clamber back out and Kyle urged me back.
And that god awful thing took off and I just shut my eyes and screamed. It was agonising, it rocketed off at something like 500 miles an hour and raced to the Top of the Tower, hovered, for 30 seconds and then descended, backwards.
I was never so terrified in my life, never!
My lips were plastered to my lips in a sort of semi snarl and I couldn't let go of the bar for a while.
My legs shaking as Kyle helped me out, saying,
"That was amazing, lets line up again"
and I couldn't get one word out of my mouth for half an hour.
They kept the park open extra late that night and we finally were back at the Beenleigh motel by 9pm and the boys bouced on the beds, bounced all over the motel, swimming in the pool, and no matter what we did, we could not wear them out.
Snapping at them in the end and threatening no return visit the next day, so they went to sleep at last.
There was a nice man next door, who was a single dad with an eight year old son.
His name was Darren and he looked and talked like the original Crocodile Dundee. He was laconic and dry and funny and so absolutely himself. What you saw was what you got with "Dazzling Dazza".
He was like all those old Aussies you meet up North Queensland, boiled down to essence of raw cowboy. I had never met a more calm and contented man. He showed us all his albums of crocs and fish and hunting and roos.
he was a Rigger, working at different loactions all over and he showed us those photos too and he loved his Son, work, a beer, a smoke and of course his horses. He had one called Elle McHorsen and when he spoke of them his whole face lit up.
The Outdoorsman, skin wrinked around his eyes when he smiled and he gave us good advice about our lives. Calling Yvette's doomed relationship with Simon, a Merry Go Round and that one day she would have to get off.
Mine too, with Nifty, and we listened to him as he filled the night with his stories of the bush and crocs and fish and horses, and we felt like we were around a Campfire, listening to Banjo Patterson or perhaps Clancy Of The Overflow.
And we still hear from him, he ended up with a new girl and he's very happy, he only cried once he said, when his favourite horse died. Says a lot about the Man.
So we returned to Dreamworld again the next day, the day being a repeat of the first, and the gates shut on time. We arranged to meet my sister Jackie and her hubby at La Porchetta in Surfers for Pizza and catch up.
The boys were still bouncing around, none of our methods of controlling them, working. So we met sedately at La Porchetta and the boys were out of control, getting in the ball play area and hurling them at each other and others.
We were mortified and made a quick escape and they still would not settle, one setting off the other. and Zach confessed that "I don't belong in this family' and cried.
Turned out Kyle was totally jealous when he was born and picked on him. So we had to get them counselling and now they are close. Zach a very calm polite boy and Kyle working now and an adult of 22.
And we went to Dave, my brothers, and he had no small kids then and we were sparing in our visits as the boys were a handful, and he was already taking care of Kyle for us. Dean, Dave's son being the same age as Kyle.
Dave could not imagine being a grand parent then, he had a stunning architectural home right on the beach in Redcliffe and was going through a few painful personal years. But this year I went to see him again and he has two adorable little girl grandchildren, Evie and Layla and he worships them, loves having them at the house. Times change !
We arrived at our destination and relaxed and "visited" with Helen and Robert. Robert not aware we were staying a few days and he was a bit overwhelmed with us all but we had a great Christmas Dinner. It was sooooooo hot and Helen loves a good hot Dinner on Christmas Day, so it was to die for that Christmas Dinner. She;s a great cook, cooking as she does for four big boys and hubby.
We had lots of laughs as Roberts Mum and Dad gave some of Helen's boys, sarongs as presents, not being the ideal present givers in the world, and when one of the boys lost their temper later, Scott said,
"You're just jealous because you didn't get a SKIRT, for Christmas"
Helen was working shifts so we amused ourselves taking all the kids to the pools in Caboolture and spending most of the day there.
Everywhere was stunningly hot, the heat beating a tattoo on your head and you could think of little else, except to escape it.
My brother saying he loves Queensland but for 3 months of the year, it's unliveable.
I find that too, you can adjust to it, but it's mainly just too hot.
Give me Melbourne with it's unendingly different weather. One man, a former Melbournian saying Queensland was beautiful one day and as boring as bat shit the next. I just laughed.
A mid winter break is good, when Victoria is cold and grey and grim, it's great to get away then.
So back to the road trip.........
Kyle stayed with his Uncle and we called in and picked him up for Dreamworld, the big kid wanted to go too. We went to Dreamworld for 2 days in a row, the boys did not stop bouncing the whole time. Their eyes darting everywhere when we spoke to them at the entrance,
"Don't get lost and meet us here if you do"
They didn't hear a word, not a word and were lost within minutes, we trying to trail them. I said to Yvette in the end they would find us and we went to explore the Big Brother house and the rock pools.
They found us whenever it was time to eat or check on us. We lined up with them for the rides, so many and so many people all happy and joking in line. Yvette bloomimg with her 7 month pregnant belly in a long dress. Kyle was scared of a lot of the major rides so I insisted we go on the Tower Of Terror.
All the way in the queue saying'
"Nana, I don't want to do this"
And me insisting he at least try as I was going to, his decrepit old Nana.
So we boarded and I literally cringed, looking at the Tower 150' in the air, had I forgotten my fear of heights and speed. I tried to clamber back out and Kyle urged me back.
And that god awful thing took off and I just shut my eyes and screamed. It was agonising, it rocketed off at something like 500 miles an hour and raced to the Top of the Tower, hovered, for 30 seconds and then descended, backwards.
I was never so terrified in my life, never!
My lips were plastered to my lips in a sort of semi snarl and I couldn't let go of the bar for a while.
My legs shaking as Kyle helped me out, saying,
"That was amazing, lets line up again"
and I couldn't get one word out of my mouth for half an hour.
They kept the park open extra late that night and we finally were back at the Beenleigh motel by 9pm and the boys bouced on the beds, bounced all over the motel, swimming in the pool, and no matter what we did, we could not wear them out.
Snapping at them in the end and threatening no return visit the next day, so they went to sleep at last.
There was a nice man next door, who was a single dad with an eight year old son.
His name was Darren and he looked and talked like the original Crocodile Dundee. He was laconic and dry and funny and so absolutely himself. What you saw was what you got with "Dazzling Dazza".
He was like all those old Aussies you meet up North Queensland, boiled down to essence of raw cowboy. I had never met a more calm and contented man. He showed us all his albums of crocs and fish and hunting and roos.
he was a Rigger, working at different loactions all over and he showed us those photos too and he loved his Son, work, a beer, a smoke and of course his horses. He had one called Elle McHorsen and when he spoke of them his whole face lit up.
The Outdoorsman, skin wrinked around his eyes when he smiled and he gave us good advice about our lives. Calling Yvette's doomed relationship with Simon, a Merry Go Round and that one day she would have to get off.
Mine too, with Nifty, and we listened to him as he filled the night with his stories of the bush and crocs and fish and horses, and we felt like we were around a Campfire, listening to Banjo Patterson or perhaps Clancy Of The Overflow.
And we still hear from him, he ended up with a new girl and he's very happy, he only cried once he said, when his favourite horse died. Says a lot about the Man.
So we returned to Dreamworld again the next day, the day being a repeat of the first, and the gates shut on time. We arranged to meet my sister Jackie and her hubby at La Porchetta in Surfers for Pizza and catch up.
The boys were still bouncing around, none of our methods of controlling them, working. So we met sedately at La Porchetta and the boys were out of control, getting in the ball play area and hurling them at each other and others.
We were mortified and made a quick escape and they still would not settle, one setting off the other. and Zach confessed that "I don't belong in this family' and cried.
Turned out Kyle was totally jealous when he was born and picked on him. So we had to get them counselling and now they are close. Zach a very calm polite boy and Kyle working now and an adult of 22.
And we went to Dave, my brothers, and he had no small kids then and we were sparing in our visits as the boys were a handful, and he was already taking care of Kyle for us. Dean, Dave's son being the same age as Kyle.
Dave could not imagine being a grand parent then, he had a stunning architectural home right on the beach in Redcliffe and was going through a few painful personal years. But this year I went to see him again and he has two adorable little girl grandchildren, Evie and Layla and he worships them, loves having them at the house. Times change !
