Gardens - all shapes, sizes, colours and scents

Sue's invitation to Jenny G to stay the night was readily accepted.
Sunday 22 September we visited some spectacular prize winning gardens in the morning with Sue and Jenny G, and looked around the (now extended) chapel at Concordia College which Mum's father had helped to build. After another picnic lunch we met Ruth who took us to see (cousin) Flo, and then Auntie Annie and her daughters Ruth and Robyn. That evening Sue's sons Hunter and Flynn came over for dinner, and Sue also kindly invited Ros.

This Grand Champion garden at Vale View was huge

Jenny's cousin had a wonderful floral display around her retirement home

Concordia College chapel

Cousins: Ruth, Florence, Bronwyn

Robin, Ruth V, Auntie Annie, Bronwyn and Ruth H

Next morning on her way to work Sue dropped us off to see Beryl, a tireless charity worker whose handicrafts we admired and a sample of which we happily accepted. Ros promptly collected us to go and view some more gardens; we also drove past Ros' old house and explored mum's old high school (CHSHS) which was hosting an orchid exhibition. During our short visit to Ken and Elsie, who had just celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary, they mentioned remembering looking after me (in 1989)!

Beryl resides in the RSL retirement home, having supported their charity for decades

Jason and Ros and a garden bed featuring orange clivias

Bronwyn with Elsie and Ken in Salem Lutheran Rest Home

We met up with Sue briefly and Alison for lunch in Grand Central, after which we were joined by Ruth and son Josh. Laura made delicious scones for afternoon tea, and Claude regaled us with stories of a visit to Poland with his son at a time when armed guards were frighteningly present on internal flights. Mum was grateful for Sue's ongoing generosity in inviting Ruth and Andreas, Dianne and Brian (unknown to Sue) to dinner - Andreas, Dianne and Mum had been in the same year at secondary school. By now Mum was starting to struggle to keep up with the pace... - there was a lot happening, physically, and especially emotionally.

Allison, Ruth, Joshua and Jason in Grand Central shopping centre

Bronwyn, Ruth, Laura and Claude

Andreas and Ruth, Jason, Bronwyn, Dianne and Brian about to enjoy Sue's lasagna

The Carnival of Flowers = TOOWOOMBA

Saturday 21 September. The time had come to relive mum's childhood memories with the Carnival of Flowers. After a spot of quadbiking, we drove into Toowoomba and looked around Laurel Bank Park. The previous week SEQ had experienced much hotter temperatures than normal (and above those Mum was enjoying in FNQ) so the city's gardeners had struggled, mostly successfully, to have blooms at their best for Carnival week. We had lunch on a picnic table in Queen's Park before making our way, via floral and handicraft displays, and a concert, at St James', to the chosen site for the carnival procession. Sue's office being along the route allowed the luxury of hot drinks (for those who did not go on investigative walkabouts!) while we waited for the action to begin, and kerbside chairs gave an excellent view of the approaching spectacle. The 3pm start of this year's parade was later than in previous years, seemingly to miss the heat of the midday sun. The parade included floral floats, community groups, animals, cars and machinery, marching bands - I think there were more pipers than could be found in the whole of England! There was a much larger turnout than I had anticipated and we returned home through the most traffic I expect I will ever see in Toowoomba; the roads were clearly not designed to cope with this once a year event...

Jason and Sue at 'Waydon', Westbrook

Historic windmills opposite Queen's Park, near what was the entrance to the old Show Ground

Ros, Jason, Sue and Jenny G in Queen's Park

Enjoying the parade wait in shade and style outside travel agent Sue's office :)

Traditional floral float by Toowoomba Regional Council

After catching our breath briefly back at Westbrook, we were chauffered to the home of Sue's sister Jenny S and husband Noel. Jenny G came with us to avoid any chance of getting lost amongst the country roads of Biddeston! The evening's get-together was thoughtfully suggested and organised by Jenny S to help Mum see some of her many friends and family in Toowoomba. An unexpected bonus was to be able to see the distant lights of the new airport somewhat controversially under construction.

Jenny S, wearing 'appropriate' apron, was dedicated to fundraising for 'Brisbane Weekend to End Women's Cancers' at the end of October, hence the pretty pink!

Mum's party

L to R: John Graham Delmay Noel Jenny Judith John Trevor Keith Jason Alan Thelma Andreas Richard Trudy

Seated: Sue Ruth Bronwyn Judy (holding Trev and Judy's grand-daughters)

Travels with Mum

Friday 20 September. We left early in the morning to place Kimba 'in care' before Ros began her last day of the school term. After a brief hello with Robin and Melinda before their teaching day started, Ros whisked us off, via the trophy shop, to rendezvous with some more people! At Trinder Park we saw Dulcie (matron of Katherine House when Mum lived there, and recently discovered to be a second cousin of Mum's father!) and admired her red hippeastrums in full bloom.

Mrs G near her front door

We walked together to Lydia and Ed (who had worked hard to create a flourishing garden), pausing along the way to appreciate some orchids. Mum's cousin Joy met us there (I was still getting used to the way everyone seems to somehow know or be related to everyone else!) and took us to her home in Runcorn for lunch. Joy's brother Colin and wife Lorraine visited in the afternoon; family history books were viewed, and one even purchased!

Lydia, Dulcie, Ed and Bronwyn under flowering bottle brush

Jason and Dulcie enjoying morning tea with Lydia and Ed

Jason, Joy, Lorraine and Colin

Ros collected us after school and we drove to Toowoomba to mum's cousin Ruth and husband Andreas. After a quick hello, Sue met us here and took us to our Westbrook home for the next days where her partner John, a butcher by trade, had prepared a delicious BBQed dinner.

Once again we were to have the company of an active 10mth old kitten. Percy, missing his owner Zoe who was away a few days, had a quaint habit of ambushing Mum as she walked along the hallway. Not quite as frightening I felt as the Australian magpies which I first encountered in Adelaide.

Percy, a determined explorer

Magpie

All things bright and colourful

After so long living in Europe I was now very conscious of the colour and brightness of this environment, a realisation eloquently expressed in a recent interview by Clive James: "After shivering in England for years I could see clearly in my memory what a bright and healthy wonderland we had been privileged to grow up in". I was not fast or clever enough to photograph any of the Ulysses butterflies, but I did find a wing under the step into my cabin. I found this interesting curved seed pod beautiful, but have not properly experimented with the black or 'burnie' bean...

A curious and colourful collection

Thornton Peak, Queensland's third highest mountain at 1374m, had its head in the mist for much of my stay, and proved tricky to photograph. I was grateful to hear that Steve had dissuaded Jason from attempting to scale this and other peaks in the vicinity.

Cabin-dwarfing Thornton Peak

Wednesday 18 September arrived all too quickly and it was time to drive back to Cairns before the day became too hot. Tanya showed me the magnificent paperbark gums at Palm Cove and then dropped me in Cairns while she went for lunch with her daughter. The Lagoon was closed for cleaning (this and so much more I discovered from the eloquent NZ manager) so I resolved to paddle there on my way back. I walked along the esplanade, looked at the hostel where Jason had stayed, discovered the fruit bat tree near the library, looked at souvenirs (eventually buying only a tin of tea back at the Tourist Information where Tanya had dropped me), walked into the Reef Hotel Casino and up to the Wildlife Dome to chat with the koala on duty near the entrance to this city zoo. Time passed so quickly that I needed to rush, without paddling, to meet Tanya. Enroute to Delma's home in the Cairns suburb of Manoora I commented that I half expected Del to be no bigger than I am, and soon found that was indeed the case. We waved Tanya good bye, and I immediately felt at home. I had already mentioned to Del that looking at old photos was something I was keen to do, and in no time we were absorbed in the collection of albums she had selected.

Delma in her front garden

It was  a pleasant walk up the road to the pub for dinner. Back home we continued to learn more about each other and our far flung families, Del's European travels and interest in jewellery. Next morning my taxi to the airport arrived about 2 mins after Del had phoned. Views over turquoise sea and golden sand were a highlight of the Qantas flight, along with a tasty light lunch, and soon we landed in hot and sunny Brisbane. Ros was there to greet me, and I was pleased but not too surprised to find Jason with her. And now, patient reader, follows a month of Jason travelling with me in south east Queensland, meeting friends and relations, many long unseen, and some completely new acquaintances!