Pies and Movies

Among the highlights of our stay in tropical Queensland was a visit to Bowen, a small town on the coast which was the setting for the film 'Australia' a world war two movie which starred Nicole Kidman and was the third highest grossing Ozzie film of all time after 'Crocodile Dundee' and 'Mad Max - Fury Road'. Bowen is also home of the Big Mango - I think I've posted a picture of it on this blog a while ago.

Smell the popcorn!

Talking of films this is a photo I took of the Bowen Summergarden Twin Theatre which is the oldest operating cinema in Queensland. We met Ben who runs the place - he's 80 and still works a 14 hour day as manager, projectionist and general greeter! Movie for the day was Smallfoot, a Disney cartoon film about Yetis which the grandchildren enjoyed - and so did we. Thank goodness there was air-conditioning in the cinema - it was hot outside. Bowen is also famous for Jochheims pies (see the top picture) - they open at 5:30 am for those Aussies who like an early brekkie and are supposed to be open seven days a week. This was not our first visit to Bowen, a year ago we'd passed through at round about lunchtime and called in, but there was a notice outside Jochheims which read "Closed today for redecorating - open tomorrow." Today we thought we'd be in luck but no! Pinned to the front door was a notice saying "Closed - Queen's Birthday!" As we all know back in the UK the Queen has two birthdays, a real birthday (21st April) and an official birthday (second Saturday in June). Most of Australia celebrates their official Queen's Birthday on the second Saturday in June, apart from Queensland where it's the first Monday on October - well why not!

Give us a break will you!

Last few days in Oz - we visited an amazing display of photographs in Brisbane all of which had figured in a world wildlife photography competition. We weren't supposed to take cameras in - which I only found out after I'd already taken a snap of this astonishing shot of lions attacking a giraffe. Usually giraffes outwit lions by giving them  an almighty kick in the you know where. This chaps hooves must just not have been on form that day!

Are we nearly there yet

And our last parkrun down under? We were planning on going to Noosa, home of the famous triathlons but bad weather meant that our camping trip had to be called off - instead we headed up to the coast outside Brisbane and did the Sandgate Parkrun - here's Vicky in fine style chasing down the runners ahead. Some good times here with MC home in 20:49, VC in 34:06 and Lyndall with one of her occasional energetic parkruns supported by Scout in 26:10.

To return to our Jochheims Pie experience, after two failures in two years we were waiting to catch a ride to the airport when a call came through - Liz was passing Jochheim's Pie shop in Bowen - would we like her to pick up some pies? "Of course we would!" and fine pies they were too. (And a final footnotes - by some odd coincidence Bowen's is the name of a fine pie shop in Wigan, Lancashire - Bowen's have been winning awards for their pies for years! We must go and try when we're back home.)