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We've been on to Tullamore about social bowls and staying at the club. We decided to come on Friday for a rollup. Hmm, not so! There was nobody about. We couldn't find a tap to fill up with water. Jean got a pic of the clubhouse through the glass. The club has a covered outdoor area. A plaque commemorates the 1963 opening. Tallis the Greenkeeper drove up. He said the green hadn't been touched for three months. We could see that. It's mown but full of weeds. Mal didn't want to roll up on that. There were also other things on the green. There used to be a second green but it's used now for other sports (sometimes it seems). Tullamore - we gave it a miss!

We drove today f rom the nice stay we had in Gilgandra to Narromine. We'd heard on the grapevine that there's Men's bowls on today so Mal's here for that. Narromine is in Jean's old stomping ground from when she lived in Gulgong but when she hears the name of the town all she can think about is the poem ' C ity of Dreadful Thirst' by Banjo Paterson which is about a man from Narromine. Banjo Paterson We parked our van in the carpark then met Robbie the Greenkeeper. He told us the Bowls Coordinator lives next door and has a bowls-themed house. Robbie introduced us to Club Manager Paul. We asked if we could camp overnight. He said yes! The clubhouse is quite spacious. In the foyer there's a seat in memory of an old member who has passed. A foundation stone from 1937 is out the front. There are two grass greens. There's a third green out the back. Robbie said it hasn't been used for ten years. There are not enough members to warrant its upkeep. We bowled on the front green which Robbie rolled as we arrived. He said he's been off a few weeks and struggles to remove the winter grass. We came inside and chatted with Cliff and Bill. Richard called the cards. He's the guy with the bowls-themed house! Jean got a game with the boys. We went out for three-bowl triples. There were four games. It was Danny, Rob and Jean. Against Cliff, Col and Frenchie. Mal played with Ian and David Against Bill, Kevin and Peter. With her very first bowl Jean took kitty for one. Then Rob consolidated. The boys talked about ' The Nyngan draw shot'. Jean recognised it from playing with Rod at Nyngan. It 's a wick! Danny's black bowl did it beautifully! Jean got a Resting Toucher out on the left. Col took it. Then Rod got it back for two! Jean kept walking over to watch Mal's bowls but he didn't do any photo-worthy bowls while she watched but he sent her a couple. The way the boys were playing Jean was surprised when she came down the other end to see she still had shot! One of the guys came over and gave Jean a Narromine pen and a badge for her hat. Mal finally put one in. Unfortunately next bowl his opposition Second drove it out! Jean's team won by eight. Mal's team lost by four. Third day running Jean won the day. Banjo Paterson, a win and a loss for us at Narromine.

We had such a lovely time staying two nights at Nyngan . We said a sad goodbye this morning and drove over to Gilgandra. They play at 1:30 so hopefully we'll get there in time. Though she's never been there, Gilgandra is pretty familiar to Jean from when she lived in Gulgong in her high school years when her Dad Roy was the police Sargeant there. The small clubhouse is nice. It has a Chinese restaurant like many do. There's an impressive trophy case. And a painting of bowlers. With some cartoons of members. With some horse 🐎 racing memorabilia. The photos belong to Bruce who's a champion horse trainer. There's a cool outdoor area. And one down the side. When we arrived we met President Noel. Mal sat and chatted with the boys. They were pretty funny. They teased each other and behaved like larrikins. Jean met Steve from Engadine and told him all about our trip. Garry looks after the money. " Because nobody else will do it! " He said. Garry called the cards. Out the front is the 1938 Foundation Stone. There are two nice grass greens. The green has just been rolled. It seems there were once three greens. Now the old one is a playground. Green 1 is dedicated. There were enough players for two games of Triples and one Pairs. Garry decided to make it sixteen ends because it gets cold after four. It was Angus, Dylan (Greenkeeper) and Jean Against James, Bob and Larry. Mike, Larry and Mal Played Bruce, Ed and Steve. It took Jean three ends but she scored shot. She did it again - then they scored a seven! Jean was always up the other end when Mal bowled but she managed to catch when he knocked up his teammate's orange for shot. A lot of trucks went past. They said it's because Gilgandra is on the main highway between Melbourne and Brisbane. They didn't deter Mal. Jean was able to get a photo on his last end. He almost did it. Jean won her game with two shots, Mal won by one shot. They came in to spin The Equaliser. Every winning team has a chance. Dylan's team won with Highest winning margin. Jean (Mal) won two schooner tickets. Gilgandra - all the larrikins!

We drove over six hours today - Monday - from Cunnamulla to Nyngan. They have social bowls on Tuesday morning so we wanted to be here in time for that. Jean's been in touch with the club via Messenger to find out about social bowls and arrange for us to park our caravan here. It's a tiny little clubhouse. With a bowler clock. And a quaint outdoor area. Manager Jacob and Rose were expecting us. There are two grass greens. It looks like there were once three. The old one seems to now be a Footsal court. We're here a day early so don't know which we'll play on. Jean picked the inside one. Tuesday morning before bowls we met Rose's husband Rodney who is the Greenkeeper. Our teams were Greg amd Mal Against Kane and Sully. Jean and Rod Played Don and Sis. Our opponents were all really friendly, accommodating people. There were enough players for three games of three-bowl pairs - sixteen ends. We both did well first end. Jean got two. Mal did a beauty. Jean apologised to Don when she stole shot! On the second-last end Mal up was 13 -11. Mal took kitty to take his team from six down to one up! Nevertheless Jean and Rod won the day! Jean gave the voucher to Mal because he always pays the green fees (and is more likely to drink the proceeds!) After the game Sis found Jean a couple of badges. One from Bowls NSW 1980 and a Nyngan badge. Jean was over the moon! Rose gave Mal a can holder and Nyngan cloth. Late in the afternoon Mal met Jim who said he's a State Champion. They rolled up. Nyngan - we will miss them when we go.

Our last stop in Queensland for 2024 is Cunnamulla. It's in the Outback - just above the NSW border. They have social bowls on Thursday and Friday so we've missed it. We've come for a rollup though. We drove nearly five hours to get there from Quilpie . There was nobody around when we arrived early afternoon. Jean got a photo through the glass. There's a nice, big paved area out the front under cover. With the Neil & Lyn Hatchman barbecue area. The town's swimming pool is next door. Unfortunately for us, the greens were being watered on a timer when we got there. They went off but were too wet for our rollup. Dogs and cats guarded the green. The backboards seem a little worse for wear. So we didn't get a rollup - we got a look at the club anyway! So we took a look at Cunnamulla!

We're almost done in Queensland for this year - we spend our last couple of days in The Outback. Today we came to Quilpie for a little rollup. Inside we met Danny (Manager) and Kate. We asked them if there'd be any bowlers around this afternoon. They said unlikely as they've all gone to Roma for a carnival. The inside of Club Quilpie is nice. It's tiny. Out the front there's a good outdoor area with chairs and tables. It has a playground beside the green. There's one grass green. Kate told us they were supposed to have a carnival this weekend. We saw information about it at Charleville . The carnival had to be cancelled because of an inch of rain that fell quickly. It caused some damage. They've had to redo the ditches. The green is surrounded by the red dust of The Outback. Jean had first go. She did ok. Mal went a little wide. Mal was determined to get it right. It was close but he got the shot. He did it again. Jean tried to drive him off but picked up the kitty instead. She was happy with her bowls after a few ends. Quilpie - bowls and Outback dust.

We left Mitchell this morning and drove a couple of hours to Charleville. There's no social bowls on today but the club is open from 4pm so we'll go for a rollup. There wasn't anyone there when we came earlier in the day so Jean took a window photo of the Clubhouse. We came back at 4:30 and got a proper pic. Bar attendant Vicky (who didn't want a photo) asked about our favourite club. We said our favourite Qld club is Herberton but or overall favourite is Skipton. She said " We have people fron Skipton here! Stacey and Jed! " Vicky organised a mat and jacks for our rollup. There's a nice outdoor area under cover. With a large fenced area with picnic tables and a kids play area. There are two grass greens. One seemed out. The other one looked ok, if a bit brown. Mal went out. It was super slow He did ok but at the start we couldn't get our bowls up there. Jean nervously took the mat. She did alright but gave it too much and got one in the ditch. Geoff turned up to check out our rollup. He picked some lemons 🍋. Jean said " I've never seen lemons on a bowling green before! " Geoff said " And limes. We use them behind the bar! " Mal complained " This green! I bet if I take a little bit off it will be six metres short! " Not so! Jean worked out the weight on our last end. We both did! Jean asked Geoff about the small four-rink green which looks like it's out. He said they don't use it much but will bring it back for their tournament - first weekend in May 2025. Jean was in the car ready to go. Mal came out and asked " Do you want to get a photo of the greenkeeper? " Jean went back inside and met Lincoln. Mal told him it's a bit slow He said " After I mow and roll it, it will be perfect! " We believed that. Charleville - a little slow but will get better!

Jean contacted Mitchell Qld a couple of weeks ago to find out about social bowls and whether we can park our van there overnight. We did and bowls is today - Thursday. We drove from Injune , arrived about 11:30 and met Neville. It's a nice little clubhouse. Light and airy. Everyone sat at the bar before bowls. There's an impressive array of past Presidents. In fact we were very impressed with the President's Chair! Our van is parked out the back. The club has just one grass green. Mitchell is a tiny little town but it was a good rollup. Enough for three games of Triples and one Fours. There were a few Indigenous players which pleased Jean no end! Jean skipped the Fours. It was Jean, Bruce, Herschel and Sissy. Against Clayton, Ron, John and Meisch. Jean remarked to Clayton " They're a happy-go-lucky bunch! " He replied " We're all mad here! " Minnie, Janice and Mal. Played Doug, Richie and Lorraine. We didn't get any photos of our bowls because we both skipped. Jean got a pic of Mal's last end- he was in the vicinity at least! Mal had a bad game, he lost 9 to 17. He said " Every time we had 5 or six shots Richie came in and took it off us! " Jean's team was 11 all, 12 all then 13 all going in to the last end. They got a five (with everyone's bowl in the head) for a good win! We came in for drinks. Mitchell- we bowled with a happy mob!

Jean's been in touch with Injune Bowling Club via Messenger. She found out that on Wednesday night they have social rollups. We don't know what that means but we'll be there! Injuneis a tiny little town with lots of trucks! The little clubhouse is nice. With psst Presidents on the wall. There's an Australia map of badges on the wall. Jean was envious. Down the side where the entryway is there's a nice outdoor area. We came at 2:30 just to take some photos. We met Andrew. He couldn't hear us but had this great app on his phone that listened to what we said and translated it. Cool! We interrupted him rolling the green. When we came back we met Jo who's been chatting with Jean on Messenger. She runs the motel across the road. Jo told us they got a grant to get the shade. There's just one grass green. It looks very nice. Can't wait to try it! There are some old-fashioned shades made of corrugated iron. And a very old wind vane. There were only two people there. Bruce joined us and we rolled up. Jean had a go. Everyone was short. She jagged a shot. Mal went next. He was on it. Beating Jean of course. Some more guys turned up for a roll. Jean liked the pace of the green. It's not too fast and not to slow. Mal hadn't done a second photo-worthy bowl so at the end Jean sent his bowl back. He didn't disappoint. He took shot off Jean! We came inside for a quick drink and to pay our green fees. It was after 5:30 so Jerome would be upset - it's way past dinner time! Jo found Jean a badge for her hat. It has bowls, beef, sheep and timber. Injune - sorry Jerome we'll be home soon!

We left Rockhampton this morning and drove down to Biloela. Jean's been in touch via Messenger and told them we'd be here Monday for a rollup. We got permission to park our self-contained caravan there overnight. There's nobody here. They don't open until Wednesday. Jean got a photo via the window. There are two grass greens - they look well-kept. They are the Eric Wilson and Len Jenkinson Greens We rolled up on the outside green - Eric Wilson. It looks like it used to have a roll-over cover. Now it just has a bird and streamers. The box for mats and jacks was locked - lucky we have our own! Jean stepped out. It was really windy but the green was pretty true. It took a while but she did ok. It was Mal's turn. He did his best to outdo Jean. Two young guys turned up for a roll. We didn't speak much except to remark about the wind. Mal had three. Jean tried weight to dislodge him but was unsuccessful " Good grass! " she said! Jean had the last word though! Biloela - would have been good to meet some people but we understand about small towns! POST SCRIPT As we were leaving we met Noel the Groundskeeper and had a nice chat while he mowed the grass.

On our last day in Rockhampton we'll visit Gracemere for a Sunday game. We dropped in on Saturday to put our names down. There was an inter-club competition on. All the clubs were here. We saw some guys we knew - Dave and Al from Diggers and Neil from Yeppoon. The clubhouse is cute. The plaque says it was opened in 2015. The Selector's Office is adorned with past Presidents and Pennant winners. They are proud of their Pennant winners. They have a Bowls cartoon teatowel we haven't seen before. With a painting of the club on the wall. There's a verandah out the back with chairs and table at the end. Vice President Rod introduced himself to us. We met Garry who saw our blog from Emu Park the other day. President Garry from Victoria Park came. He wore his Towradgi jacket (though he didn't know how to pronounce it. Ex-Wollongong girl Jean set him straight!) He was President here for three years. There's one grass green. With a pull-over cover. And a solid permanent shade. We played triples. Rod, Jean and Chris Played Dave, Michelle and John. Mal, Sam and John Were against Ken, Anne and Garry. First end Jean had shot then got knocked up. Mal played brilliantly! Chris got two but Jean made it four. Mal made it two with a toucher. We came in for an awesome smoko. We came back out and Jean did one more for good measure. Mal got up after being 15 ahead - by seven. Jean had plus 11. Jean's opponents won the jackpot when minus 11 came up. Gracemere - two wins for us with nice people.

Jean found out on Messenger that Victoria Park has bowls on Saturday - our second-last day in Rockhampton. MONDAY We dropped in to get our names down for a game on Saturday. We met Garry the President who was mowing. Tony at Rockhampton told us he's a huge Parramatta fan which pleased Mal no end. It's a small but long clubhouse with Lambo's bar taking pride of place. We're sure it's a peace sign - not the other way! They've had some good Pennant results back in the good old days. There are two grass greens. The front green looks good. It's the Gardener OBE Green. The seats are donated. SATURDAY We came back on Saturday for our game. We stopped in at Gracemere on the way to get our names down for tomorrow. We saw some Victoria Park guys playing there. Apparently they're 'Victoria Park by the River'. We came back and we met Mick the Selector who looked after the money. Jean was impressed with the curtains. Then we met Ant - originally from Gippsland. Barry wore a North Rockhampton shirt 👕. That club closed a couple of years ago. Garry awarded Gordon a Veteran's badge because he turned 70. We played triples. There were three games. It was Skip Mal, Jean and Michael Against Maureen, Kerry and Ant. Mal knocked his own bowl up for two then did it again for three. We'd won the first three ends then Jean got two and Michael consolidated. They got four on us as we went in for smoko. We were one down. Then we lost five ends in a row. Jean finally scored. It wasn't enough. We all lost the plot after smoko. We lost by eight. Of course Mal had to buy a blue and gold club shirt 👕. We scored some honey and passionfruit. Victoria Park - can one have fun getting smashed?