Trip North

These are the two horses I took the bay on the left Rio and the beautiful Diva Fever who has won her classes at halter at A Class Shows.  Unfortunately she sustained an injury to her hind fetlock and is classed as not sound and she was going to a wonderful home.

I sold two of my horses to North Queensland and decided to deliver them personally to Cairns to ensure that the horses fit the requirements of the people who purched them the delightful Simone and her supportive husband Scott.

We set off at about 8.30 pm at night as is summer and tends to get very hot and travelling the stock at night was much more comfortable for the animals.

I drove the inland route with my good friend Lynelle.  I had a little stretch and walk about at Gayndah, then on to Monto where I was beginning to get a little weary and saw a sign that indicated Saleyards. Arrived at the Monto Saleyards off loaded the horses in beautiful soft yards so they could have a stretch and walk about and I crashed in the back of the float on fresh straw and slept for a few hours until the eastern sky began to lighten and then on the road again like a band of vagrant gypsies.  Lynelle was very concerned someone would come along and kick us out of the saleyards and I suggested what were they going to do as I was not moving and if we were thrown in jail would at least have a rest!!Lyn gets a little worried and scandalized sometimes at my behaviour as has led a very sheltered life and am sure her husband and family can not understand why a well brought up concertative girl would be a friend to a wild and uncontrollable bolting woman, as described by my x husbands!!

On the road again and through some beautiful cattle country, somewhat dry and quite a few skinny cattle trying to survive under drought conditions.  Took the wrong turning and was forced to descend to the coast down the steep range west of Rockhampton through the old gold mining town of Mt/ Morgan which was quite interesting.

The results of the raging fires three weeks before was evident just before we started to drop down the mountain into Rockhampton at about 7.30 in the morning then out on to the major Highway 1 up the coast to Cairns.  I had installed a two way radio so I could listen in to certain bodies transmitting along the highway determining the best options and finding out about the road ahead and getting plenty of warnings as to where they were "flashing for cash" for old Anna Goanna.  I will learn the jargon. He he

Drove until I began to come into the sugar country with the cane harvest in full swing and pulled into the Sarina Showgrounds unloaded the horses for four hours,tcrashed for a couple of hours and then on the road again, Townsville, by dark, unloaded the horses after dark and walked them for a long time stretching their legs.  Had a quick snooze for about half an hour drawing the attention of the local constabulary who parked in the bushes quite near to check what we were doing, by this time I am sure Lynelle was wishing she was snug in bed with hubbie instead of cruising all over Queensland with a mad woman who was beginning to say things like I hope he arrests me then he will find a place for the horses while we are locked up for loitering or whatever.  I think the two policeboys were just skiving off working and were parked doing what I was doing snoozing while Lyn stressed a lot.

On the road again and drove through to Cairns and arrived at the dawn.  I had grown up in North Queensland and had been many years since last seen the place and fair dinkum it resembled lego land as compared to the tropical city with atmosphere where I used to play work and live.  Swank hotels lined along the Barbary Coast which used to be wild men and tropical hotels and a few exotic houses lining the wharves of Trinity Bay a no go zone unless you were particularly looking for a stouch or trouble and if you did not want trouble you just did not go there, very clear demarkation lines in this far northern city in those days.  

The physical beauty of the area is still the same except where once was jungle in some areas are housing developments which is such a shame.  This is where I waited out the morning for our guides to arrive to take me to the pastures where the horses were to be unloaded.

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