2014 – Tooleybuc

Tuesday 8 -9 April 2014 – Tooleybuc

Travelling again – going to Victoria and New South Wales.   First destination was to Lake Benanee.

 

Had decided to leave early and have breakfast at a favorite spot.  Some will have been to the Waikerie Bakery.  Great for coffee plus an egg and bacon roll.    No pies or cream cakes.    For the grandkids – “Balfour pie are square, but Waikerie Thai pie are rectangular”.

Free camping for the first night beside a Lake with flushing toilets.  Must be a popular spot as there were many vans.

We get there and who do we run into but some very familiar people.  Lorraine’s sister happens to be going in the same direction as we are at the moment.  Poor Milton was not well and could not share a bottle of red wine with me!

Beverley had Milton working in the van cooking tea as he has had more practice

We had tea together and then off to bed with the sound of the semi’s going between Sydney and Adelaide in the distance.

The next morning it was off to Tooleybuc.  Stopped in Robinvale for some shopping before getting to our destination

Thursday 10 – 11 April 2014

Off we went for some exercise so that we did not just sit around.  Found the river path and some friendly animals.  Charlie was most appreciative of having his head scratched

Next was some real  exercise

On Friday it was time to paly mini golf

We played exceptionally well, with a couple of people to have a hole in one

A good time was had by all- I think ? Of course I won

Tonight is the reason we came

Saturday 12 – 13 April 2014

We were on our way to buy a couple of glasses and a van had just slid to a halt in the car park.

Walking past it as the driver was getting out and what do you think.  All this way away from Adelaide and someone Lorraine and I (plus her sister Beverley) knew.

From just a side view, plus he had a hat on and I knew him instantly.  My memory cannot be all that bad.

Hello Bruce Manser – and his reply was, well Gavin Lodge how are you.  Had not seen him for say ten years at least.  He was on his way from Bell – Queensland to Adelaide for a month.  He had stopped to just stretch his legs and had heard that they had the old pull handle poker machines in the Club.  Only one was in a plastic display case.  Spent say 15 minutes with him and he was on his way to Pinnaroo to stay the night.

Had to buy a couple of glasses, or what were Milton and I supposed to drink out of.

The music started in the afternoon at 1 pm and went late into the night.  Much of music was provided by the Maryborough Traditional Jazz Ensemble.  What a great group.

Whilst they played, many of the audience got up to dance.  Because of Lorraine’s feet we will have to wait until next year to show our moves.  We expect to be able to be as good as this couple.

The band played on and Milton, Bev and I used our new glasses.

The band consisted of possibly a distant relative, Ken Collins from Ballarat.  Or could it be Milton’s relative.

The trombone player was a real character who was fuelled by VB.  When I suggested to Ken that I would like to see him change fuels, he just gasped.

Milton suggested later in the night, after he and Beverley had danced, that he needed some rest.  He mumbled something about  “Elite Athletes” needing to retire early.

I thought “Elite Athlete” well that is news to me.

The next morning he said he might need to go for a run down to Swan Hill, 41 Km away, to prove to me just what sort condition he was in.

So off we went.

He said he needed to show me how low his heart rate could be after we got down there.

He was right, as at one stage the indicator went from 34 to 23 beats per minute.

At this stage we left the hospital room as the staff seemed to be rather concerned.  Back to emergency he went.  After some frantic calls the Royal Flying doctor Service flew from Adelaide to Swan Hill to transfer him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital Cardiac ward.

Left Tooleybuc early on Monday morning. Saw him last night and he is no longer “Elite” as he had a pacemaker inserted and is now running on 75 beats per minute.  He is looking and feeling a bit sore but needs some more tests.

So the holiday is now over.