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[Peter Fitness]

We have recently returned from a 2 and a half week trip in our caravan to south central Queensland. A group of us usually go away together at Easter to a selected place - we take it in turns to choose - and this year it was to Nanango, a small town near Kingaroy in Queensland. We stayed at the local showground, and most of the vans were under cover in a huge shed about 80 metres by 25 metres, our van is the one on the extreme left of the photo. Kingaroy is well known in Australia for being a big peanut growing area. Whilst in Nanango we visited the Bunya Mountains, a magnificent part of the world, and a very popular tourist spot for those wishing to "get away from it all". The mountains are named after the Bunya pine tree, which grows prolifically in the area.


After leaving Nanango, two other couples and ourselves went on to Dalby, St George, Goondiwindi and Tenterfield, staying a few days in each place except Tenterfield, which was a one night stop only to break the trip home. Goondiwindi and St George are on the extreme eastern edge of the "outback", and are very pleasant places to visit, very different from coastal towns. On the way from Goondiwindi (which is pronounced by the locals as Gunda - windy) we called in to the iconic Nindigully Pub, a rural watering hole since 1864 when it used to be a change station for stage coaches. One of its features is the collection of stockmen's beaten up hats hanging on the walls, as well as heads of wild pigs shot in the area.


I have attached a few photos below which include a shot of a blue winged kookaburra in a Bunya pine, some kangaroos at the Beardmore Dam near St George, and some amazing carved emu eggs. The eggs have all been carved by a Greek immigrant called Stavros (????) who moved to St George 60 years ago, and are internally lit by LEDs. Emu eggs are a dark green in colour, and have many layers which can be scraped away with a sharp piece of metal. The colours change as more layers are removed. Apparently, once the eggs are blown and cleaned, Stavros coats the inside with a type of resin to prevent the tool from breaking through the last layer.


I love to go out west as often as I can, as it's so different to the coastal areas where I have spent my entire life. I wouldn't want to live there, as it can be very harsh, but it's wonderful to visit.


Peter.

[Peter Fitness]

A few more -


Peter.

[BFSMP]

What a beautiful part of the world.

I envy you all that wonderful sunshine and warmth.

Thank you for bringing some sunshine into my rainy day today.

I also must ask........what are all the hats signifying on the bar wall, please.

Jim.

[derekwarner]

So from Jim ....." I also must ask........what are all the hats signifying on the bar wall, please"

Not sure what Peters answer will be  ..but my guess is courtesy of the blokes who didn't pay for their seventh Schooner of beer   

See..in day of olde in OZ, beer glass sizes were imperial & Queensland adopted the Schooner [10 fluid oz.] as the largest size permissible, this being that with the high ambient temperature the beer could be undrinkable due to lack of coldness at drops end

However over the border in New South Wales......our Governments decreed men were men & allowed our beer to be served in mens type glasses of 20 fluid oz. & called a pint [we also used to term Queensland beer glasses as sheilers size glasses....naturally this caused many a black eye at the footy matches]

As mentioned Peter may have an alternate explanation for the hats  .......... Derek

[Peter Fitness]

Who am I to argue with Derek's explanation?   All the hats on the wall have the name of the owner on a sign underneath each one, and I can only assume that they are local characters whose hats have outlived their usefulness. Our youngest son worked on sheep stations in Queensland in his late teens and early 20s, and he told us when a new hat was bought you immediately "weathered" it by jumping all over it to remove the new look   I must be getting old as I tend to take good care of mine to preserve the new look for as long as possible


Peter.

[Colin Bishop]

If Aussies all drink beer, where do the traditional corks on the hats come from?

Colin

[RAAArtyGunner]

So from Jim ....." I also must ask........what are all the hats signifying on the bar wall, please"

Not sure what Peters answer will be  ..but my guess is courtesy of the blokes who didn't pay for their seventh Schooner of beer   

See..in day of olde in OZ, beer glass sizes were imperial & Queensland adopted the Schooner [10 fluid oz.] as the largest size permissible, this being that with the high ambient temperature the beer could be undrinkable due to lack of coldness at drops end

However over the border in New South Wales......our Governments decreed men were men & allowed our beer to be served in mens type glasses of 20 fluid oz. & called a pint [we also used to term Queensland beer glasses as sheilers size glasses....naturally this caused many a black eye at the footy matches]

As mentioned Peter may have an alternate explanation for the hats  .......... Derek

Derek,
Steady, steady, whilst I grew up as a New South Welshman, in the big smoke, am  born a Queenslander.
I don't indulge any more, but from my youth, recall pints, schooners and middies, Tooths and Toohey's, etc. Sheila's drank Shandies.

Good to see Peter is exercising Good judgement in his selection of travel areas. It is even more impressive from a light aircraft at 7,000. feet

However, I was most impressed with WA, absolutely amazing. Down side, it is on the other side of the country.

[RAAArtyGunner]

If Aussies all drink beer, where do the traditional corks on the hats come from?

Colin

The all the plonk bottles.

[BrianB6]

After all! We produce the best wine in the world so why should we not drink some?

[Footski]

If Aussies all drink beer, where do the traditional corks on the hats come from?

Colin

An excellent question Colin......Over to you Peter


By the way, that caravan looks a real beauty...

[Peter Fitness]

If Aussies all drink beer, where do the traditional corks on the hats come from?

Colin

Barry's right, it is a good question, Colin, maybe it's only the men that drink beer and the women save their wine bottle corks for their men? The problem is that most wine bottles have screw caps these days - apart from the bubbly varieties that is.


Barry, our caravan is only a small one by modern standards, most come equipped with a full en suite nowadays. The down side of that is an en suite adds nearly 2 metres in length and half a tonne in weight, so we are more than happy with what we have.


I have attached a few shots of our van set up. One shows it in travelling mode, two are of the full park set up, and the last was taken in a dust storm in Goondiwindi in 2009. We were in the dust for 460 km as it followed us all the way home. What appear to be lights on the van are actually reflections of the camera flash.


Peter.

[Footski]

That is a great set up you have there Peter. I am quite envious....A wonderful way to see some of the world...

[RAAArtyGunner]

Footski,

Do they have personalised licence plates, in the UK ?

[Footski]

Oh yes they do and darned expensive they are too....

[inertia]

Oh yes they do and darned expensive they are too....

But they do somehow make a statement about the owner/driver, don't they?   
DM

[Colin Bishop]

Yes Dave, large and heavy....

Colin

[Peter Fitness]

I bought my personalised plates back in 1978 at a one off cost of A$25. My wife gave me the Sydney Olympic Games plates, with the same letters and numbers, in 2000, and I think they cost A$75. Present day personalised plates cost an arm and a leg, and many of them have an annual fee attached. There's no way I would have plates with an annual fee, car registration costs enough as it is without any added charges.


Dave, what sort of a statement do they make?   Mine have my initials, the numbers don't mean anything because when I bought mine only the letters could be specified, the numbers were randomly issued. Nowadays both numbers, letters, and sometimes even colour, can be specified, provided they haven't been previously issued. It's a real money making business by the various state transport departments.


Peter.

[derekwarner]

'car registration costs enough as it is' .......... ??????????? what part of NSW do you live Peter?

GREEN Slip costs the $400.00 arm.....PINK Slip is $34.55...........but in my part of NSW, the rego is free [for oldies like me]  .......... Derek

[BrianB6]

Derek
Please explain green and pink slips for those of us who do not have them.
Only reduced Rego. for Seniors in Victoria. It used to be free but the government got greedy. 
I used to love camping with our family in the bush, taking our son in laws 4WD over the hill tracks however my driving abilities are much deminished these days.

[derekwarner]

Brain............the GREEN slip [$391.32 is actually black ink] is a NSW compulsory 3rd part property insurance every motor vehicle must have...it is officially known as a Green Slip Certificate

The PINK  slip many years ago was printed on pink paper...however is now black ink printed on white..........[we still call it a pink slip]...for the $34.55 + GST = $38.00, a registered motor inspection type person tests the vehicle to ensure it is road worthy......again compulsory

I have all the .docs on hand as my rego is due at months end................

I understand the GREEN slip is to be introduced to South Australia mid 2016?......I assumed you guys in Victoria had both

Derek

[RAAArtyGunner]

Maybe I need to drive over the  border and register my vehicle in NSW. 

No free Rego in Qld but we mature types, do get concessional registration.

There have never been pink slips, AKA annual vehicle inspections, at registration renewal, as per NSW.

However, I feel they should be compulsory Australia wide and hopefully, may be included in the Australian Road rules which all states are working towards. To many unsafe bombs on the roads.

 Am young enough to remember you could not drive interstate unless you had a licence for that particular state.

We have followed WA and dispensed with registration labels. Saves costs but makes it easier for crooks to steal cars and use stolen number plates, which are in big demand.

The irony with personalised plates is that all colours, shades, styles can now be bought.

In Qld it is still illegal to have an illegible number plate, yet there are a lot of personalised plates that you cannot read unless you are up close and personal.

Back to the topic.

[Nemo]

After all! We produce the best wine in the world so why should we not drink some?

I'll go with that! 

[Netleyned]

I received a personal plate from my daughters as a 60th birthday present.
I think it cost them about 250 GBP.
Since then I have had 6 cars with the 7th next month and transferring
the plate costs 80 pounds plus around a tenner for new plates.
My birthday prezzy has cost me over 600 pounds.


I am not large or heavy.
Five Eight and 11 stones


Ned

[Peter Fitness]

Derek, pensioners get free registration in NSW whatever part of the state they live in, but the Green (Compulsory Third Party) and Pink (inspection) slips have to be paid for.


Peter.

[richald]

I received a personal plate from my daughters as a 60th birthday present.
I think it cost them about 250 GBP.
Since then I have had 6 cars with the 7th next month and transferring
the plate costs 80 pounds plus around a tenner for new plates.
My birthday prezzy has cost me over 600 pounds.


I am not large or heavy.

I was given mine by my employers when I retired (better than a gold watch!)

With regard to the 'large or heavy' - no comment !

Richard