An Unexpected Journey

I was almost finished updating my weekly diary.

Placing my pen down, I sighed, well that’s that.

Another task crossed off my “To do List”.

The phone rang, I was going to ignore it as I was having problems with scammers, however, I picked it up gingerly to check the number only to see it was my daughter.

Joanne asked if I wanted to join her on “An Unexpected Journey”.

I reacted with a firm “Yes please”.

Jo had a short notice Charter Group trip, a busload of guests who were “Young at Heart but with Weary Bodies”!

The brightly designed bus with the energetic, enthusiastic Tour Guide arrived Wednesday morning.

Jo warmly greeted her guests as they clambered aboard, her quick wit kept us, in the moment.

As we travelled out of town Jo was telling us all about the places we were driving through and what the town’s names meant, warning us about trivia questions later with prizes to be won.

A ploy to check whether we were listening!

At one stage Jo played some music and we had to all count to see where in the order of towns, Gin Gin, came in the song, sung by Johnny Cash, “I’ve been everywhere man”, so fast and such good fun.

“Morning tea time”.

A couple of volunteer workers welcomed us at our next stop they were at the front of a beautiful Native Land-Care Nursery, they had the urn boiling and before we could blink, we had the most delicious spread. Sausage rolls, quiche, fruit, and other goodies were spread out before us!

A gentleman spoke to us about plants and gardens, he even gave us a propagation demonstration.

Time to board the bus…

Arriving at our next destination, a disused mine site, we were given samples of the mineral Molybdenite to pass around, our driver showed us how to “speck” for the shiny specimens.

Well…what a sight, a photographer's dream…

Here, we had people of all ages bent over staring at the ground, backsides in the air, looking for this interesting and sparkling mineral many of the guests spotted successfully, getting samples to take home, evidence of a newfound skill.

Back on the bus for one more stop before we reached a well-known country pub, dating back to the late 1800’s.  

This pub was snuggled in a mountainous area surrounded by majestic gums and native shrubs.

I stood on the verandah absorbing through every pore the beauty of the massed red bottle-brush their branches swaying with the movement of the colourful crimson parrots.

Suddenly the smell of the home-cooked country meal called me.

On our trip home, we had trivia competitions, it was so much fun.

Jo announced one more special visit, next, we turned into a farmer's packing shed. He showed us the fruit being graded and packed, the shed was buzzing with seventy-eighty workers, forklifts and complicated technologically manipulated machinery going in all directions.

We heard amazing stories of the life of a farming family and the roller coaster rides they undergo.

Oh, what a day!!

All aboard…

With Willie Nelson singing, “On the Road Again” we shared experiences and made room for the fresh produce we were kindly gifted.

My “Unexpected Journey” was a wonderful day.