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!