7 January 2014 - Caboolture Showground, Caboolture, Queensland

By morning, the flood creek had disappeared, as expected, as had the humidity. Today has been a much more pleasant day that the previous, despite the brisk breeze that came up causing many to take in their awnings. We were unaffected altogether, and decided to secure our spot by paying for a second week, even this prematurely. So the die is cast as far as our whereabouts for the next ten days; hopefully we will find ourselves leaving the country from here, but then pigs might fly as well!

During the morning we checked out the local information centre where we found a plethora of information about public transport, airport transfer transport and detailed information about the D’Aigular Range to the west, an area I am keen to explore further.

We also checked out the Caboolture Regional Art Gallery and found several exhibitions worth the visit. We were both taken with Kathryn McGovern’s exhibition titled “Marking Time”, a collection of work inspired by bush fires, with dramatic use of black and gold. Here too we enjoyed a large exhibition of prints, lino cuts and etchings by artists of Torres Strait islander background, Joel Sam and Brian Robinson, although Chris would not count this particular technique amongst his favourites. The work was titled “Lagau Dunalaig – Island Lifestyle”; for me it highlighted the fact that Torres Strait Islanders should not be thrown in the same basket as mainland Aborigines. There is a decided difference between two groups, despite skin colour.

Needing some printing done, we found the local Office Works, where great queues of parents and children were waiting to pay for their annual school stationery; the advertising has been effective. I was glad to have my special card so that I could do my printing without requiring staff attention.

Opposite, we explored the Morayfield Shopping Centre, a large but aging complex, today packed with crowds of shoppers and the accompanying noise. This was compounded by a display of cycle tricks on a half-pipe installed in the mall. I found a small hairdressing salon where I had my hair trimmed by a young Asian woman whose English was absolutely appalling, but adequate enough to leave me looking better groomed for half the price I normally pay. I would be happy to return to The Hair Club for a repeat performance, should we still find ourselves about the area in another two months, God forbid!!.

Back at camp we enjoyed the sedentary non-travelling retired life most of the population enjoy, burying our head in novels, raising our heads from time to time to identify the busy birdlife about. I have discovered that the small weka-like birds keeping the ibis in check are crakes; it is always a hoot to see small critters put much larger ones in their place.