The last day... funny how it feels like we have been away forever AND that it has flown by!

I was woken from my Hogwart's dorm bed by two girls saying "come quick, a bird just slammed into the window". Before I was even awake, I was traipsing on the grass looking for a dead bird who, as it turned out, had only been stunned and flown away.

Badger and gone up to the kitchen to get ready and after packing bags, I joined him for a much appreiated half hour of sanity before the kids arrived for breakfast. The automated toaster and expansive counters made braekfast a breeze and we even managed to eat first!

Our drive this morning was through farms and fields on the way to Kaa's parent's farm. "I don't know the address," Kaa told us, looking at the map. "It's somewhere near the W in Toowoomba." What he failed to mention was it was also next door to a country pub, and right past a couple of huge silos, so he got the dunny brush for that one...

The welcome at the farm was nothing short of miraculous and Veera put mine and Badger's food efforts to shame. The table was set with every imaginable treat... one table for kids and one for adults. Around us ran black and white sheep and the kids got to tiptoe through the chook pen too. Their favourite passtime was picking wool off the fences and spinning it between their fingers. (Of course, this meant it was pretty essential to wash their hands before digging in the sweets!)

We shared stories of our adventures and took pictures at the farm before waddling back onto the bus and wondering if we should skip lunch as Kaa gave us a tour of his hometown. Amazingly, by the time we reached Kilcoy, there was enough space in our stomachs to stop at the Yowie statue and gobble up most of our remaining fresh food (squashed between slices of bread).

As we neared the Sunshine Coast, Kaa put Mama Mia on and the racket in the bus was extraordinary. Then, as we rounded the roundabout in Buderim, the backing track for the Buderim Cub Scouts song blared. We opened the windows and sang at the tops of our voices as startled parents looked on.

Hugs, kisses, stories, water buckets, dustpans, sponges, dishwashing and screwdrivers later, and the trailer as opened for bags to spill. A few more hugs, and we were all on our way back to our respsective homes, the web of connection temporarliy broken but the memories remaining.

Thanks so much to everyone who made this adventure possible... and of course, most importantly Kaa and Rikki who spent six months planning!

Day 8

5am came really early this morning... and by the time I stumbled into the kitchen, Badger had hash browns in the oven and the kettle boiled. We have worked so well together... one day I do more, and one day he does. The kids were wonderfully organised this morning and packed ready to go to the zoo. Once they were packed, we gave them two hash browns in a paper bag and they sat on the stoop, sun rising behind them, eating their breakfast. Western Plains Zoo was only about 10 minutes down the road and we were greeted at the gate by a uniformed staff member who motioned us to a second gate, past the waiting queue. In the parking lot we met our two guides and broke into groups. They led us on an hour and a half walk behind the scenes. We saw the hay barn, breeding enclosures, winter and summer grounds... and heard stories about all the creatures and programs as we went. Unfortunately, many of the animals were lethargic since it was a cool morning. (Must be rotten to be an African animal stuck in a cold climate!). The walk was fun, but probably not as suitable for young kids since the distances are long and the guides keep up a fast past... only one chance for a toilet stop on the walk too, and it’s not stroller or wheelchair friendly. Half our time was spent herding kids, and the other half trying to keep the pace fast so one of them would make it to the amenities. The good side was learning from a volunteer with a wealth of experience , and seeing parts of the zoo off limits to others. We saw some animals we never even knew existed too!

We ended up at the picnic area for a play on the playground... from flying foxes to safari vehicles, I think the kids enjoyed this bit just as much as the walk. Then, back on the bus, we drove round to see a few of the ‘top seven’ that we hadn’t seen: zebras, lions and elephants among them.

While the kids spent their cherished funds in the shop, Badger, Cyclone and I put out lunch, then it was off to Moree for the night. This was the first time we have driven in the dark and Chil found it quite a challenge in the bus. Tiredness set in with everyone today and a few spats between leaders or kids were to be expected (and we weren’t disappointed). The dummy seems to jump from one leader to another for a while, faster than you could say ‘dummy spit!’

First stop at Moree was Subway. We had called ahead and the manager Julie was so helpful... she gave us a special rate AND stopped planting trees to drive into the store to hand make our sandwiches. Topped up with food, we drove to Gywndir Caravan Park and were allocated our cabins. I was very pleased to be sharing a double with Amber tonight... things have been so busy I have missed her!

Bags unpacked, we met at the hot springs (in the caravan park) and steamed away our cares jumping from one pool to another. The water comes out of the ground at 39 degrees, then filters from one pool to another, loosing temperature as it goes. From 39 to 38,36, 35 and a large, cooler pool.

Ah, the luxury of a bed! And we were awarded a sleep in! We didn’t have to be packed and on the bus until 7.45 tomorrow morning...

Day 9

I don’t think I have slept so well on this holiday and woke refreshed. Rather than lie in, I sneaked off for a soak in the pools before departure. Kaa had hinted at a treat this morning and the kids were ecstatic when it ended up being Macca’s breakfast. We commandeered the outside area and, were so well behaved that, believe it or not, a truckie made a special trip over to Baggy to say “in thirty years of driving, those are the most well behaved kids I have come across”.

Today I was in the car with Rikki, Baggy and Badger and we raced ahead so we could get lunch ready. That’s when the fun began... we pulled over at a park in Glen Innes and Rikki drove off the road on the grass. Of course, it has been raining since we left Queensland and it was pretty boggy, so Baggy (not boggy) hoped out and suggested she pull forward out of the grass. Rikki floored it and covered Baggy with mud, which, of course, set us into fits of laughter which lasted through lunch. After lunch I drove and we settled into a recording of Harry Potter.

At Stanthorpe we stopped at the Maze with every intention of going in, but it started raining so we kept going to our evening stop at Warwick. Kaa had found a fantastic group facility which used to be a school. We had booked the dorm. The caretaker met us and showed us to rooms right out of Hogwart’s. The kitchen was a full commercial one which had me drooling, and the grounds made me think of St Trinian’s. The kids were in heaven. While Badger and I took off for some last minute shopping, they played.

Cooking in such a kitchen was a breeze and it wasn’t long before chicken wings, rice and corn were steaming, waiting for the kids to sit down. There were seconds... then thirds... then Rhys spoke up and thanked the leaders for all their effort and we bought out mud cake to celebrate our last night. It seemed like a fitting ending, in such a wonderful spot, even though we still have one day ahead.

After dinner Kaa laid on horse races followed by a movie (with accompanying popcorn). What a great evening!

Day seven

This was perhaps the most full-on day so far... with activities packed from the moment we woke to right now (it’s 9.30 and the kids are all asleep!). The fire had disintegrated to ash and the air was nippy this morning. First task is proving to be putting the kettle on for the adults so we can face organising 20 kids... Then toast goes on, cereal goes in bowls, tables set and bags are ferried to the trailer.
Butterfly left early this morning to do the dreaded wash. She has been looking for a laundry for two days that fit our schedule, but to no avail. Turns out the one in Katoomba opens at 7am so off she and Rikki went. They returned in time to load the car and Badger(used to be Paul) and I joined them for the ride into Katoomba. Midway through folding laundry, the two women tried to find the cash they had bought with them. Each thought the other had it, and a brisk discussion ensued. Neither spat the dummy, but eventually the owner of the place referred to the security camera to prove where the money had gone!!(In Butterfly’s pocket!).
The morning was spent at Scenic World which is a wonderful and busy tourist attraction. We experienced all three of their modes of transport: the steepest railway in the world; the cableway and the cable car. All were magnificent in different ways and I think the kids rather preferred the railway. The view in the valley was spectacular with the Three Sisters and Katoomba Falls clearly visible.
Badger and I went ahead on the last ride and set up lunch in a park near the bus... hot dogs cooked on our camp stove. It was a hit and the kids ran around climbing old machinery while ducks hung around waiting for scraps.
Next stop was Orange where we wolfed down a whole watermelon near the information centre before continuing on to Dubbo. Nearing town we panicked... this was shopping night and it was a weekend... would the Woolies close early? Badger and I were dropped at the shops and made it just before the chicken shop closed. By the time we got to the den, beds were out and they were setting up for a movie. With all hands on deck, we whipped up sausages, mash and peas and gravy which went down a treat. It was followed by ice cream to celebrate the birthday of one of the kids.
Showered and tucked up in their sleeping bags, the kids settled for a movie of Mr Bean while the adults cleared up. Now, as I tap away, there’s not a sound... I bet they will all sleep well tonight – we are up at 5.30 to get to the Zoo for the early morning walk. Hash browns are laid out ready to heat and morning tea brown bags are ready to go too...

Day six

What a fantastic day! We packed up at our den in Canberra and left on time.... we are getting very efficient! First stop was for morning tea at Goulburn, at the Big Marino, where Baggy decided no-one was allowed to buy souvenirs and then proceeded to buy something for his daughter... and Butterfly held the bus up while she shopped! Then it was off to Oberon for lunch and while we ate, some of the boys taught the rest of gang their rendition of ‘the toilet brush’ . It was such a wonderfully sunny day it was hard to drag ourselves off the grass and back to the bus. Especially since we hear it’s been raining at home since we left! What happened to cold southern weather?
We had booked a cave tour at Jenolan Caves for 2pm and after a winding road, and little misshap with the trailer, we arrived in plenty of time.
The cave tour to Lucas Cave was fantastic and all but one of our crew was excited. One, however, is scared of the dark and heights and was really not looking forward to this. What a trooper she was- holding hands and getting strength from her mates, and overcoming her fear. Isn’t this what cubs isa all about? After walking across a very thin bridge, about 50m in the air, she was estatic and well deserved too.
By about 5pm we reached the ‘den of the day’ and I popped dinner in the oven while Butterfly headed off to find a launder mat. No luck for her, unfortunately. But dinner was a success. With a pot belly stove sizzling away, we sang campfire songs at the top of our lungs before putting the beds out and snuggling in for the night.

First five days of Canberra trip

Day one
What a wonderful day...
We left Buderim on time (believe it or not) with 25 in the bus and three in the support vehicle. The first miracle of the day was when all the bags fit in the trailer and we departed WITHOUT kids strapped to the roof. It started raining and the windowscreen wipers worked overtime as we made our way to Ipswich... me riding shot gun next to Kaa in the bus. The kids sang along to “Don’t worry be happy” and shared their excitement.
First stop was the botanical gardens at Ipswich and once the car caught up, we created a “make your own wraps” line with ham, cheese and salad. It went down well. The kids let off steam by running and screaming at the top of their lungs, then braved the log-drop toilets before loading up again.
Roald Dahl came to the rescue for the afternoon when we played The BFG audio book and kept them quiet. Some slept (including all adults) and the rain kept coming.
We called ahead to Stanthorpe den and the organiser dropped a bomb shell... “You don’t need the over, do you,” she said. “Because we just checked them out and they don’t work.”
Cold lasagne nightmares flashed before my eyes. Julie (from the visiting den) said she would think of something so we kept our fingers crossed.
We were planning to stop at the site of Thunderbolt’s hideout but both the Navman and Tom Tom led us astray and we passed on by. We arrived at about 4.30pm and handed over the lasagne trays for billeting at various parent’s ovens.
The den at Stanthorpe is at the end of a dirt road set in natural bush with huge welcoming grassy areas out front. It is a huge shed with exposed metal rafters and wide open spaces for running. Of course the kids did this, while Paul and I prepared salad...
By 7pm the lasagne had still not showed so the kids settled for a movie. Chil was convinced our lasagne was now on the menu at the local RSL, but it did eventually show up...

Day two
It rained hard all night on the tin roof which was surprisingly comforting and drowned out any sleeping noises as we lie top to tail around the den. Come dawn and it started to ease. I woke at about 5.30 and listened for the kids, then Amber came over and snuggled for a while. At 6am we were up and washed, and in the kitchen getting breakfast happening.
One by one, the kids shook themselves out of their sleeping bags and headed for the toilets. When the room was packed we settled down to cereal and toast, hot milo and juice. Unbelievably, by 8.15 we were loaded up and on the road, locking the gate behind us.
First planned stop was Bald Rock NP, but with slippery conditions and a dirt road ahead, the plan changed and we headed straight for Glen Ines for morning tea. Thanks to the talented parents we left behind, we enjoyed a wide range of slices.
The support vehicle (which I was driving today) went ahead to top up supplies for lunch and grab a few other necessities like ‘bone’ substitutes and chocolate bribes (prizes!). We also found a PA mic for Kaa so he could terrorize the kids on the bus as the tucked into their special workbooks.
By lunch were at the Golden Guitar which, I hate to say, was a little disappointing for me. It’s not very big and the gift shop next door didn’t include an info centre.... the kids loved the first chance to spend some of their pocket money, so that was good, and we made sure we took red shirt pictures en mass by the landmark.
Our evening stop was Armidale. Even with two GPS devices, we managed to get lost and follow a wonderful, unplanned tour of town! Eventually, on about the third time round, we realised the scout den was right opposite the girl guides hut we had starred at a few times...
The wonderful scouts of Armidale set to making us dinner while some of us went grocery shopping and our own team had showers and dressed in uniforms. We felt so welcome by this wonderful pack who cooked the most delicious spaghetti and sausages... and even topped it off with ice cream! By 8.30, when the held parade, our youngsters were tired and ready to unroll their swags. As I type now, they have five minutes before lights out and the last one in bed will have to carry the boobie prize all day tomorrow: the dreaded toilet brush!
Tomorrow on to Parkes and The Dish! Yippeee!

Day three
Roald Dahl has been a lifesaver on the bus... until today when the kids begged for the last chapter of Matilda and we realised we hadn’t bought it... Cest la vie, Butterfly had bought another book about a worm and it was just as successful. Along our route we passed the planetary models which are to scale, with the sun being the Observatory at Siding Springs.
The biggest challenge today was keeping the bus a car within 10k of each other and my GPS has been renamed Doris as she gets blamed for everything. Baggy was the first recipient of the toilet brush and clipped it onto his belt until the next person left something behind.
The planets had led us to Siding Springs where we climbed the hill and peered at the huge telescope then spent a while inside the visitor museum learning about the stars which was fascinating! From there we hot-footed it down to Parkes running an hour behind schedule. Unfortunately this meant the centre was closed by the time we got there, but I don’t think it really mattered to the kids. We played in the whisper dishes and took pictures of ourselves with the dish and even discussed what roll it had played in the moon landing.
Our night stop was only a short distance away at Parkes (named after the father of Federation himself). It was the same caravan park I had visited a year ago, on Boxing Day, and bought back memories. Here we had booked a few cabins and these were allocated to groups. The moon was nearly full, and it was this we credited with the following crazy behaviour by all... one cabin (full of boys) stank to high heaven... some of the boys planned midnight meetings with girls, a few tears were shed and countless other adventures ensued... all of which were stomped out quickly and it wasn’t long before lights out. What a day!

Day 4
After our regular breakfast we were on the road and heading towards morning tea at Cowra where we went to the visitors centre and watched the fascinating hologram story about Japanese prisoner escape at the end of the second world war. From there we stopped at the Peace Bell which was awarded to the town for the peaceful way they have embraced and educated about this tragedy.
Things must be getting desperate on the bus... we even broke out a karaoke ABBA tape and sang at the tops of our voices!
Just after lunch, we drove into the ACT and headed straight for Questacon – the capital’s science museum. The rest of the afternoon just flew by as we learned ways to make music, giggled at optical allusions and even some of us hurled ourselves down the giant drop. Heads spinning, we navigated the gift shop and headed for the German Scout den where we were sleeping. Spag bol later, our beds were lined up like a dorm room in Oliver with Kaa walking down the aisle checking for giggles. This den doubles as a child care centre and the furniture is all VERY small! It didn’t take long to fall asleep..

Day 5
This was the day we had been waiting for... Parliment! We arrived on the front steps at 9am and made contact with our guide for the day Nathan who was our member’s assistant until recently. What an amazing tour we were given, and most of if behind the scenes in areas the public are generally not permitted. We saw Julia’s offices, The House of Reps, Senate, the space in between where the bubbling water drowns secret conversations, and even held the whip (which is a symbol of Nathan’s office. It is his job to make sure all the members get to voting on time. Clocks throughout the building are synchronised and they are given four minutes to get to the chamber when needed for a vote. How exciting Parliment was. I certainly didn’t feel let down at all, and neither did three of our team who were awarded their Grey Wolf on the steps of this amazing building. What a memorable experience for them all.
Next stop was the Australia War memorial with rooms dedicated to each of the wars in which Australia has participated. We lunched on the lawns out front, then some of us went in while others had another sort of adventure: grocery shopping in Belconnen. If I never see Belconnen again, I will be happy. Road works ruled, and the shopping centre parking was the worst I have ever seen...
Miraculously, we finished and returned just in time to meet the bus at The Mint. I could have spent far longer here. What a fascinating history of coinage in Australia. Unfortunately, we didn’t realise this fantastic attraction closed at 4pm... so time was short, but I think we all enjoyed it anyway.

On the drive back to the scout den we drove by the Embassies. I hadn’t realised they were all next to each other, and it was marvellous to see the different architecture, levels of opulence and flags flying high. Definitely worth a detour for anyone visiting this area with kids. Back at base, we had one hour to clean up and change before our celebration dinner. Not only were we celebrating the Grey Wolves, but it was Butterfly’s birthday too. We had booked dinner at Zeffarelli’s restaurant and needed to pick up a cake for the event too...
Yet another adventure ensued with the cake... when we arrived to pick it up they couldn’t find the cake. Then, once the cake was located, we hunted for boxes... then the price... eventually Nicola turned into a cyclone (her new cub name) and eventually got it for free!
We are now back in the den. The kids are asleep and it’s time to catch up with the internet... we haven’t had connection for a few days and there has been lots to say! Good night...

Off to Canberra

Well, the day is finally here...
Today Amber and I head off to Canberra with a bus full of other cub scouts and leaders. As always, the preparation has been half the battle and now the day has arrived, we are both itching with excitement.

Yesterday the other volunteer cook and I trolleyed our way through Woolies grabbing all the necessary provisions then stocked them in the den fridge to grab this morning. Let's hope we remember the bread sitting on its lonesome on the counter! Cordial has been mixed and frozen (yes even the red one which might be kept for special ocassions when we need them to bounce off the walls), and wonderful parents have been busily baking lasagne for our first night.

Three hours, with any luck, our band of merry kids will wave goodbye and drive off. For many, this is the first time they have been away from their parents, so it represents a huge milestone. Since she alternates between her parents, Amber is probably the expert among them in handling separation, so I hope she can offer support to her fellow explorers.

Tonight Stanthorpe. Weather looks good... getting colder as we go, and I have just chickened and thrown in a blanket... Wish us luck and read along as we go! Highlights will include The Dish, Parliment House, Dubbo Zoo, The Mint (just to name a few).