Wet welcome to Sydney
BRIGADOON AT BUNDANOON TOUR
[INCORPORATES THE DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER]
THURSDAY, APRIL 4
Dungog-raised Neil Bidner is not your run-of-the-mill tour guide. Neil is also a noted comedian, whose mischievous sense of humour elevates our ‘Funover50 Holidays’ experience above the ordinary. Russell Wilcox from Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, is our coach driver, who once toured with rugby union’s mighty All Blacks.
It is Neil, now based at Landsborough in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, who meets my wife, Marie and I and the other 13 members of the Tour Group, at Sydney Airport, ahead of a Harbour cruise. All but one couple – Eddie and Margaret Smith, former dairy farmers from Echuca in Victoria – are based in Queensland.
The Queensland based people are: Ricki and Bob Dumbleton, Burpengary; Cheryl and Don Fee, Yeppoon; Myron and Julie McCormick, Yeppoon (Julie is ex-Charters Towers and all four Yeppoon people are former school teachers); Ken and Lynda Grant, Maroochydore; Lorraine Hellyer, Theodore; Dawn Hope, Bouldercombe; and Stella Murphy, Cairns.
On the flight, I sat beside a married couple, in their 50s, I suppose, and she berated him for needing a pee on such a short flight. They rubbish the appointment of Samantha Mostyn as our Governor General elect, and I am of the same view. Mostyn is a ‘woke’ appointment.
Our group has lunch on board a Captain Cook cruise vessel, which boasts paintings of ships from the First Fleet. I can’t believe they can still use the name Captain Cook, and that someone hasn’t labelled the First Fleet as invasion ships, and asked the company to take down the pictures. It’s only a matter of time, I suppose. Margaret Smith is proudly a descendent of a First Fleeter. As we leave the cruise to board our coach, a nearby bar has FoxSports League channel on, with Mitchell Pearce being interviewed. Out on the street, a bus advertising Cronulla Sharks’ NRL side, cruises by. Sydney is still League heartland, despite the presence of the Swans and Giants’ AFL teams.
We leave Sydney via the 15km long West Connect Tunnel, and Kev Grant is particularly interested in our coach, given he owned a fleet of buses at Palmwoods, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Kev is interested in anything capable of driving on our roads, or, for that matter, anything on four wheels or more, rusting away in a paddock or shed. Our accommodation is Briar’s Country Lodge, just outside Bowral, with our room overlooking a man made lake. There is a warning notice – don’t leave the balcony doors open, or the ducks might get in. In reception, a gentleman of Middle Eastern appearance, hands out Tim Tams to our group, and says he will be at the Brigadoon Highlands Festival tomorrow, wearing his kilt, but will have something on underneath. He is definitely not Scottish. One of the ladies in our group says she will check out whether he is telling the truth, about the kilt.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5
Wake to the ‘Battle of the Borough’ (Wigan Borough) between Leigh and Wigan, two rugby league clubs from Greater Manchester. Champions, Wigan win, with 19-year-old St Jude’s product, Junior Nsemba scoring his first try in Super League. Of Cameroons heritage, he looks a fine prospect. Wigan winger, Adam Keighran, a former Penrith player, scores a try in the corner and then crashes into the wall. He is OK, but the fields in England are downright dangerous, and I would hate to be a winger.
Breakfast in the atrium is excellent, with a great variety of fruit, including mulberries. It absolutely pelted down overnight, but there is only very light rain as Russell takes us to historic Berrima, where one of the locals asks if we have our passports, when he finds out most of our group hail from Queensland. In a local park there is a tree which was planted in 1890 by the ‘Father of Federation’, Sir Henry Parkes. No doubt our high school graduates are fully aware of Sir Henry’s role in our history.
A guided tour of the (Sir Donald) Bradman Museum at Bowral follows, with Eddie proudly detailing the cricket exploits of men from Echuca, including his son, Jason, a graduate of Assumption College, Kilmore. Jason played AFL for Richmond, and Eddie represented Victorian Country in Aussie rules (not AFL) in a ‘golden oldies’ match against Melbourne City in Launceston. Country won. Eddie is a Life Member of Bamawn Lockington (hope I got that right, Eddie), after playing 300 plus games, and also giving back as a volunteer groundsman. Neil knew ‘Mrs Walters’, the mother of cricket great, Doug Walters. Neil and Doug both hail from Dungog, in the Hunter Valley region. I saw Doug make his Test debut for Australia, in 1965, at the Gabba. The statue of Sir Donald in Bowral is a great likeness, unlike other tributes by sculptors. Eddie Smith has 60 caps – not from Test cricket – but one from each country he has visited.
From the museum, we head to Harry’s On the Green for lunch, where Marie and I sit with Bob and Ricki, both dedicated fans of the Brisbane Broncos. Bob is a former underground coal miner, who has been to the village of Dumbleton in Gloucestershire in England. Ricki is related to Victoria Cross winner, the late Sir Roden Cutler, a former Governor of New South Wales. I saw Sir Roden at the 1968 Rugby League World Cup final between Australia and France at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He presented the Cup to Australian skipper, Johnny Raper. After lunch we escape the heavy rain by exploring the amazing Dirty Jane’s Emporium next door. The warehouse carries on the tradition of ‘Dirty Jane’ Dumphrey, who ran a prosperous general store, and had a colourful past.
After dinner, I have a good chat with Neil, about what it’s like to be a tour leader. I don’t have his long experience, but I did lead four tours through Britain and Europe (1990, ’92, 98 and 2002), all of around 35 days duration, with 44 people on the ’94 trip. Neil and I had hairy experiences, although I didn’t have anything near as bad as one particular incident he had to contend with on a trip to Roma. It was an ‘off the record’ conversation, so I can’t go into detail. Neil had his spleen removed as a youngster, after he was thrown by a horse in the Hunter Valley. A medico from Maitland, had to be flown in to deal with the emergency. Neil tells me he will be missing from the trip tomorrow, as he is starting to feel unwell.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
The sun is shining, but The Scots Festival is off – no surprise, given the extraordinary amount of rain which has fallen, and caused widespread flooding in the region. Such a shame, but the ground which was to host the games, marching bands etc., is waterlogged. Round 1 of the Northern Rivers Rugby League (Cudgen in the north to Yamba in the south) is abandoned because of the rain, that’s how widespread this rain event is. There is no Neil at breakfast, but there is a chap from Glasgow, called ‘Jock Strapp’, who says he will be our tour guide. Could it be Neil? if so, he remains in character all day, spreading good cheer and outrageous humour wherever he ventures. Jock starts by wooing Veronica from Briar’s Lodge, and then provides an hilarious commentary as we head to Bundanoon to check out what is happening. There is a giant tree down in a churchyard, and that is one of the big talking points in the Main Street, where kilts abound, and the cafes are doing a roaring trade. Coffee from Primula Cafe is excellent, and only costs $4.
We head to Goulburn for a look at ‘The Big Merino’, and lunch at Goulburn Soldiers’ Club. At the Merino, a young bloke asks Jock to spreadeagle on his prized ute, for a photo opportunity. Lunch (lamb cutlets for most) at the club is excellent, and it’s lovely looking out on sun drenched Belmore Park. Back to Bundanoon where pipe bands and folk singers are entertaining a packed house in the local pub and its beer garden. It is such a lovely atmosphere. Jock can’t help himself and recites a poem in the lounge bar. The ending, which features a blue ribbon tied around a Scotman’s manhood, causes giggles among the females in the pub. Eddie Smith loves the fact the AFL is on the big screen in the lounge. He calls it footy, and both rugby codes are just rugby. Bloody Victorians. Rugby League is on TWO screens in the public bar, where the patrons are largely blue collar locals – rugby league people.
Newtown announce the passing of former points scoring ace, Bob Lanigan, who was a NRL Ground Manager for many years. As a rugby league writer for News Ltd., I had a lot of dealings with him and he was always patient, reliable and friendly. Former Redcliffe hooker, Troy Evans is present at Brookvale Oval in Sydney when his son, Daly is centre stage as he breaks the club appearance record previously held by Indigenous star, Cliff Lyons. Dean Ritchie reports that Manly-Warringah great, Graham ‘Wombat’ Eadie is in hospital on the Gold Coast, with meningitis, and the effects of a stroke. I saw ‘Wombat’ at former Cudgen, Brisbane Brothers, Balmain and South Sydney centre, Graham Roberts’ 70th birthday party at Chinderah Pub on the Tweed River, on February 3, and he wasn’t in the best of health then.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
Neil is back to lead us across the Blue Mountains to Mudgee. A service is just concluding at St Canice’s Catholic Church, Katoomba as our coach makes its way down to Echo Point for the iconic view of the Three Sisters. My parents, Jon and Lola Ricketts honeymooned at Katoomba after they were married in St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore, New South Wales. Neil and Russell set up a footpath morning tea table, confusing several Asian tourists, who think the goodies are on sale.
Next is a guided tour of iconic Hydro Majestic Hotel, where a couple of Bandidos’ bikies look out of place in the car park of this glorious old lady, founded in 1901 by Mark Foy. We are taken on a guided tour of the hotel, followed by High Tea in the Wintergarden. So much food. There is a comfort stop at Bathurst Tourist Information Centre, beside Carrington Park, where I covered a National Panasonic Cup match between the Broncos and South Sydney, in 1989. Brisbane won. Jeff Wittenberg, the son of Test Rugby League prop, John Wittenberg, played in the curtain raiser for Wynnum High. Elaine and Dawn know all about John Wittenberg, given he was first chosen for Australia from Theodore, in 1966. Dawn says John’s brother, Ron was also a good player, but should have concentrated more on footy, rather than taking opponents’ heads off. The ladies also know former Redcliffe lock, Chris Holmes, who now lives in Theodore, his home town. Bathurst’s CBD is adorned with banners promoting the April 20 NRL game between Penrith and Wests Tigers.
Russell takes us on a lap of Mount Panorama, and while I am not a motor racing fan, I have a new respect for drivers who negotiate this circuit at ridiculously high speeds. It is the 100th anniversary of Martial Law being declared in Bathurst by Governor Brisbane, following incidents in what is termed by some, as the frontier war between the settlers and aborigines.
Sofala, Australia’s oldest surviving gold town, is our next stop, and what a gem. We couldn’t walk past the pub without dropping in for a quick Tooheys New, and the locals seem delighted that we had done so. I must confess, I thought they might display animosity to tourists coming in and treating them as ‘quaint’. One fellow is enjoying a beer on the front verandah of his house, which has an Australian flag at the entrance, below a sign which reads ‘Goodies Rest’. He says his dad fought for the flag and what it stands for, during World War II, and was lucky to return to Australia in one piece.
Check into Parklands Resort, just outside Mudgee, where dinner in The Vine Restaurant, is up there with high standards set by Briar’s Lodge. My eye fillet is superb, way better than the last one I had at Brisbane’s iconic Breakfast Creek Hotel.
MONDAY, APRIL 8
Neil has told a joke about a three legged chook. Today our female guide at Gooree Park Thoroughbred Stud and Winery, tells us of a stallion with five legs. I think I know where she is coming from. Her commentary, as we tour the property on our coach, is informative and funny. Lunch and local wine at Gooree Park cellar door and pantry, and Marie orders a carton of Shiraz Rose. On the way back to town we stop at Honey Haven (which is not an adult nightclub) before a walk around Mudgee’s CBD, where there is a statue of Louisa Lawson, mother of famed bush poet, Henry Lawson. Louisa was a suffragette, who played a big role in women getting the vote in New South Wales.
TUESDAY, APRIL 9
Over breakfast, Stella Murphy, a former nurse, tells me her husband, who could not make the trip because of ill-health, was a butcher, who played rugby league, and was also a boxing trainer.
Morning stop at extensive Gulgong Pioneers’ Museum, an absolute gem, regarded as one of the top four folk museums in New South Wales. There is even one area devoted to slide projectors. I think I spotted ours. With its narrow streets, Gulgong has retained much of its gold rush atmosphere. Gold was first discovered by Thomas Saunders on Red Hill in 1870.
Morning tea stop at Dunedoo, opposite its iconic pub, and beside silos painted with the image of champion race horse, Winx. Winx’s foal went for a record $10 million at auction today. Our Gooree Park guide had tipped a top price of $4 million. Dunedoo is the home town of Dave Irvine, a former top professional sprinter, who played rugby league for Parramatta and Penrith, and is still widely regarded as the fastest man to play the 13-man code. Dave is no relation to North Sydney’s prolific try scoring winger, the late Ken Irvine, who was also a notable professional sprinter.
There is a comfort stop at Narrabri and after crossing the border we check into Best Western Ascot Lodge Motor Inn in Goondiwindi, where we have drinks and dinner in Cascades Restaurant. Neil and Russell give farewell speeches and I believe they are sincere when they say we are a friendly mob, who understand the difficulties associated with the inclement weather, and are happy to go with the flow (excuse the pun) when there are changes to the itinerary. Myron McCormick responds beautifully on behalf of the group. I enjoy one final dram with Myron and Don, two men with Scots’ blood (or, if not, a love for Scotland) who have proved great company, and are wonderful conversationalists. They are involved as volunteers with the Coast Guard at Yeppoon. Myron is a good singer, who was on radio and television in his younger days. He also represented Queensland in Australian rules, as a schoolboy. His wife, Julie, took the part of a nurse in a stage production of South Pacific. Cheryl and Don Fee ran a newsagency in Yeppoon for some time, after finishing as teachers. One of Don’s former students is noted women’s basketball coach, Sandy Brondello.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
The final day starts with a tour of a cotton farm – owned by the Coulter family – where a crop duster is spectacularly defoliating the crop. Next stop is the Goondiwindi Cotten fashion store, followed by morning tea at the open-air museum. Our guide, Mike talks to a mate about the time he went to a rugby league trial at Newtown, in Toowoomba, and forgot to take his warm clothes. Never again, as, despite it being peak summer, the weather was freezing.
On the coach, Neil starts ‘Truth, Truth, Lies’ as we encounter road works on the way to Toowoomba, from Yelarbon, where we saw more silo art. There are some interesting truths. For instance – Stella was harassed by a buffalo, as she swam nude in a Northern Territory lagoon; Margaret Smith left school to marry Eddie; Neil spent a night in jail on the Gold Coast when he was mistaken for someone else; and Russell DID tour with the All Blacks. He drove them during their 2021 visit to Queensland. He said even without their gear – which was on another bus – the playing group and support staff (52 people) nearly put the bus over its weight limit. Russell took them to the NRL Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium, before returning them to the Gold Coast, where they had played South Africa in a Test the day before the NRL. He said the All Blacks enjoyed the NRL experience, because they were largely anonymous, and could have a few beers without being pestered. One of my wife, Marie’s “Truth, Truth, Lies’ was: “I was congratulated by Prince Charles for a good day’s work”. True. Marie was a volunteer at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the then Prince Charles thanked Marie and other volunteers on duty in the Sheraton Mirage.
As we hit Toowoomba’s CBD, Russell, who in a previous life was a real estate agent, points out Rutledge Street, which is named after his great, great grandfather, who was a surveyor from Drayton, the first major European settlement on the Darling Downs. Lunch at Picnic Point, Toowoomba, and then we drive along the Lockyer Way (named after former Australian rugby league skipper, Darren Lockyer. You might like to throw that one in next time, Russell) to Ipswich and then Brisbane. Farewells said at Roma Street Transport Centre. Marie and I catch a commuter bus and people on the peak hour trip are friendly, offering seats to us oldies. ‘Love you Brisbane’. From Lutwyche, we drive home to Samford.
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