A YEARNING TO ATTEND A FOUR-DAY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MAREEBA, QUEENSLAND, TURNED INTO A THREE-WEEK EXCURSION ALONG THE COUNTRY’S EAST COAST IN A HIGHLY VISIBLE EXPLORE BY GEMLIFE MOTORHOME FOR AIRFORCE BUDDIES CANDY HARDY AND BARBARA BLAY.
GemLife Tweed Waters contract holder Candy said the friends met during her 11 years as a communications operator in the Royal Australian Air Force and have kept in touch ever since.
Barbara lives at nearby Pottsville, and both go to line dancing classes.
“The idea to attend the festival was Barb’s. It was what she wanted to do to celebrate her 60th birthday and it really appealed to me too, and we weren’t alone,” said Candy.
“There were four other caravans and motorhomes travelling up to the festival, held at Savannah in the Round, as well. We all took our own travel routes and then eventually met up in Mareeba, in the Cairns hinterland, to enjoy four days of entertainment by fabulous country music stars such as Adam Harvey, Beccy Cole, Kate Ceberano and many more.”
Candy and Barb’s road adventure took them to many top tourist destinations including feeding dolphins at Tin Can Bay.
“We did so much in three weeks and that was just the start,” said Candy.
Places visited also included Childers, Gin Gin, and Emu Park on the beach near Yeppoon, which proved so good that the two explorers returned on the way back home.
Next stop was Townsville where they not only visited Magnetic Island but also spotted former professional rugby league footballer Johnathan Thurston riding a bike alongside his two daughters.
“I’m a big North Queensland Cowboys fan,” chuckled Candy, who is also an avid cyclist.
Other highlights included Babinda Boulders – a popular swimming spot and picnic area amid tropical rain forest in the foothills of the Bellenden Ker Range; Mission Beach, Palm Cove with its inviting wine bars; Port Douglas – where the pair dined at four restaurants in one evening and ended up atop the Tin Shed restaurant to view the beautiful sunset. They also took a Daintree tour, went on a crocodile tour and cuddled a kangaroo as well as trying out the local On The Turps restaurant.
Next stop was to meet up with their friends at the country music festival where they not only enjoyed the fabulous entertainment but also took the opportunity to do some line dancing.
A highlight for Candy was receiving a kiss on the cheek from the lead singer of Chocolate Starfish who also joined them afterwards for a drink and a chat.
“Needless to say, we had a fabulous time,” said a slightly star-struck Candy.
Travelling in the Explore by GemLife motorhome was a bonus for Barb and Candy, who found it easy to drive and park. They loved the latest built-in technology and can’t wait to hire it again for their next adventure.
“There’s nothing better than being able to jump in the motorhome and head off to new and exciting destinations. It is definitely the way to go!”