Over 60s go north
Over 60s waiting to board the Larc
The intrepid Rainbow Beach Over 60 group set out with great expectations on the much planned trip on the Larc and extended stay in Agnes Waters.
On the way up we had a lunch stop at Bundaberg Botanical Gardens and the Hinkler complex.
Helen and Don Hill had sussed this venue out and their enthusiasm was well vindicated. It is really a place worth visiting.
The Aviation Museum, Hinkler’s House and Fairymead House are well worth the entry fee. The Aviation Museum, which charts Hinkler’s life story, is absolutely a goldmine of facts and mementos.
For example, one display includes a portion of the wing of Hinkler’s last plane which was included on the ill-fated Apollo 11.
Fortuitously, it was retrieved from the ocean after the explosion by the US Navy and returned to Bundaberg.
Also, did you know that after landing in Bundaberg on his return from his 1928 flight between England and Australia, Hinkler then taxied the plane through suburban Bundaberg and parked it in his mother backyard?! And there’s lots more. But onto Agnes Waters!
As it happened, lunch at Bundaberg proved to be one of the highlights of our trip. On Tuesday morning we arrived at Larc headquarters, all 15 of us, only to find after several cups of coffee that our trip could not go ahead, courtesy of Cyclone Debbie.
The storm had chosen Tuesday morning to cross the coast further north, and cyclonic gusts were being experienced at Bustard Head Lighthouse, our destination.
So after a bus tour of the town, we all gathered at The Gift, a house that we had rented, and had a shared lunch.
The advice was that the town was about to be cut off, so most of our group decided to return to Rainbow.
A small group of us stayed for what proved to be a very pleasant few days. The weather was showery but did not really curtail our activities and we enjoyed the time together, walking, chatting and dining. Hoping for better weather for our next major excursion!
What’s next? For more info come to First Tuesday Morning Coffee at the Surf Club 10.30am, May 2.
May 16: Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, 31 Mungar St, Oakhurst. BYO bbq lunch. More info Therese and Vaughan Skuthorpe; 54883659
August 22 Tuesday 10am, Seniors Week fun and games, morning tea and lunch at the RB Community Centre.
