TPI Trip to the Australian Out Back Spectacular

What a great time we had at the Gold Coast last week.  Charlie is a great organiser and every detail was dot pointed and ran like clockwork.

Jono picked us up and dropped us at the Railway station by 0630 on Monday the 10th.  TiltTrain left at 0715 on the dot and we were off to Roma Street.  The journey down is quicker than driving, plus you can have a bit of a sleep on the way.
At Roma Street we quickly got to platform 4 and caught the 1504 train to Helensville, about another hour.  Two maxi taxis picked us up and took us to the Royal Pacific Resort and our accommodation for the three nights.

That night we all walked up to the Grand Hotel for dinner about a good quick 10 minute walk from the Royal Pacific.  Good meals.

Next morning we all walked up to the Metro and had a $5 breakfast at Cafe Uno.

Most of us caught a bus to Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and spent the day trudging from dress shop to shoe shop to dress shop, but we did have lunch and caught the bus back at 1430.  Had a bit of a rest before catching the maxi taxis again to the Australian Outback Spectacular The hype getting in and the souveniers for all nations of people get you into the outback mood and that something Big is about to happen.  As you check in you become either a red or a yellow hat holder and thus belonging to an Australian camp on each side of the fence.  Watch a promo video of the show from this link.  You are not allowed to take ANY photos of the show, but this one is on the official site.

So the gates opened and in flocked about 1000 people.  Seating was arranged so that no one had blocked vision.  In front of us was placed our entre, a wrap with vegetables and mango sauce.  The wine flowed, red or white, beer, lemonade and water.  Then the main meal, eye fillet steak and veges with damper followed by sweets of pavlova and cream.  A cup of tea or coffee and plenty of water through the night.

The show was literally fantastic and made you feel proud to be an Australian.  From the days of the outback cattle drives and the sheep stations, the cattle dogs and the horses.  The Cobb and Co coach and the Royal Mail run to the Light Horse Soldiers during the First World War, the home coming and the telegram for those who were not coming home. 

The greasy pig at the show, trick horseman and the cattle men and to top it all off suddenly the back wall opened up and in flew a Robinson R22 helicopter (attached to a rail) but rotors and engine going and a pilot to be flying the chopper.  A magnificent show!

The 12th was a free day and we did a bit of walking.  In the morning at 0630 we walked along the Broadwater footpath with many other locals on skates, bikes and foot.
Then Helen, Robin and I walked to Harbour Town near Runaway Bay.  It took a about 50 minutes but was an easy walk and we saw a few good shops along the way.  One was Cooks Supplies or as it trades as a Hospitality outlet.  We need one of these in Rockhampton.

After spending a day walking around Habour Town, Robin wanted to find a craft shop in Oxley Drive, so we headed off on foot again and finally got to the address to find it closed down.  So we caught a taxi back to the Royal Pacific Resort.
A quick walk down and even quicker walk back after dinner at the Grand Hotel and an early night because it was an early start in the morning.

13th May - Up at 0600, taxi to Helensville Rail station and the train to Roma Street.  The QR Security were on board and booked one traveller that we saw with a $250 fine for not holding a ticket.  How many others they got I don't know. 

We had 45 minutes at Roma Street before loading up on to the Tilt Train for an 11am departure back to Rockhampton.

Jono picked us up again and we went back to Jono and Marys for dinner.

Thank you Jono and Mary
Thank you Charlie for organising a wonderful 3 days