Well we're finally home again and what a great few months it was.
After Tamworth we headed south for Bungendore and man, I've never seen so many cow pats that were visible from the roadside. The ground was so bare most of the way down. Hope there's been some rain since then.
Stayed a couple of nights at Dubbo with an old friend and then had a night as Yass before heading down to Bungendore next day.
Joined in the impromptu show at the Muster on the Thursday night and set up in front of the Wood Works Saturday morning as the town came alive with musicians etc. Chris ducked down and did a poem at the Poet's Breakfast at the Bowls Club.
Sunday morning Chris and I went into the Poet's Breakfast at the Bowls Club with Frank as host and enjoyed doing a poem each and catching up with some old Poet friends and meeting a few new ones as well.
We then headed for Bateman's Bay and headed south when just out of Moruya the six studs snapped on the caravan wheel and it fell off. A new van and it hadn't done 1500 k's. Got that fixed up and headed along the coast and had a night at Eden and then a couple of days at The Entrance. We had a day trip north of Orbost and went up to check out the Snowy. Seen remnants of the fires.
Then we headed towards Melbourne and had a night at Pakenham before heading up to Whittlsea where we hosted a Friday night show with Peter Sheehan and the Bush Poet's Breakfast on the Sunday. Caught up with Reg Phillips whom I hadn't seen for a few years.
Had a couple of nights in Melbourne with some old friends who were regulars at the Bailey Bar caravan park when Chris and I were doing our shows out there through the winter months.
Moved on up to Mansfield for a couple of days and enjoyed a couple of day trips around the district. Beechworth is a wonderful old town. Did a two hour spot down the main street of Mansfield with some songs and was very well received.
Then it was over to Bendigo way and we set up camp for a week at Bridgewater on Loddon and each day we did day trips in different directions. Enjoyed the good roads and the closeness of towns and the wonderful old character they have preserved. Caught up with young Ric Raftis and Jude on one of those days.
We headed over to Sawtell and stayed a couple of nights at the Grampian Gate Caravan park where we did a show one night and caught up with Charlie Kerr who's doing his best to promote bush poetry in the area. Had a day looking around the Grampians as well.
Headed nort-west for Mildura and had a couple of days there and had a great interview on one of the local Radio stations and performed our show at the Riverroad Caravan park. It was here I met a chap whomade Ned Kelly Armour and had an opportunity to try it out.
Moving east we headed for Deniliquin and had a few days with our old friends the Pattisons. Performed down the Main street Saturday morning and then at the local Show that afternoon. Met Alex Alitt and they are keen to start a bush poet's group there. I was guest speaker at the Writer's club on the Monday and we attended a meeting that night to discuss forming a bush poet's group. Chris and I performed our show after the meeting.
Then we ducked down to Koroit for a week and had day trips around the place before performing at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. Caught up with my old mate Bob Magor.
We stayed in Koroit and caught up with my old Balladeer mate Ron Morgan and his wife Jan. We also did a show at the local bowls club on the sunday night and then went over to ron's and caught up with Graham Rodger and Deidre for a late night cap.
We decided to takethe road along the Great Ocean Road to Geelong and had a night at Bacchus Marsh before heading back to Dennyfor a couple of nights.
Then it was off to Narrandera for the John O'Brien Festival and westayed at the Riverside caravan park. Enjoyed an interviewon the local radio station and performed at various spots over the weekend culminating in a show at the Park on the Saturday night. Caught up with Noel Stallard, Frank, Greg North and Jim Angel's wife whom we hadn'tseen for some years. Great weekend.
Then it was off to Gundagai for a couple of nights and a day trip around the Kosiosko Plateau and Tumbarumba. Fantastic country.
We then headed over to Dapto to join Graeme Johson for a Poet's brakfast at the South Coast Music Festival on the Sunday before heading back towards Quuensland.
Easter in the country at Roma was a great weekend and we were joined by Terry and Dulcie Regan, Barry Ellem and Cay Fletcher, Buddy Thomson and Lynne Bennett. The Friday night campfire show has become a big draw as well as the Poet's Breakfast on the sunday morning.
Called in at Boondooma Homestead to give Buddy a hand finishing off a couple of the buildings in time for the Spirt of the Bush weekend there and then headed up to Hamilton Island to performthere on Anzac Day. Then headed back to Boondooma for their big weekend.
So it was a great trip and enjoyed catching upwith so many folk.
We head up to Mt Morgan this saturday for the Golden Mount Festival and the following Saturday we have a show at Agro Trend in Bundaberg.
After that we look forward to a break and to spend some time with the family for a while.
Cheers Merv and Chris
