Aussie geezers go bush

We’re city people – not sun-bronzed croc-wrestlers like Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin. Some of us ‘go bush’ occasionally, but not often. So it came as something of a surprise when two of our group recently bought 26 hectares in a place none of us had ever thought to visit. They did it impulsively too. “Ring and make them an offer,” Helen said. Dutifully, Hugh made a phone call. Minutes later he had bought Teviot Brook, outside Boonah.

http://www.boonah.net/tourism/home.htm

A little background

In 1989, award-winner journalist Hugh Lunn published a book called ‘Over the Top with Jim’, the story of his childhood in Annerley Junction. A number of us who went to school with Hugh attended the launch of the book, held in the old Boomerang Theatre (cinema) where we took in many a Saturday matinee all those years ago.

It was a magical evening. Most of us hadn’t met for 30 years. A group of us decided to organise a school reunion the following year (which was also magical) and we’ve been meeting regularly ever since.

I got just a one-line mention in the book, but it’s been quoted often … ‘Carmel Sherman, who knew more than the nuns’. To date, this is my only claim to fame.

Back to the story

Last weekend we all went to Teviot Brook for a picnic. We were advised to wear “broad hat, long sleeve jerkin, long pantaloons and sturdy boots as talismans against leaping muddy dogs, biting horse flies, constrictor snakes and stinging nettles.” We were further warned that “horse flies are attracted to the royal colours of blue and purple.”

Suitably attired (more or less), we sallied forth, or hence, or something.

There’s not a lot to tell. It was bloody hot and humid, but reasonably cooling breezes found us on the verandah, and the house itself is air-conditioned. We laughed a lot, enjoyed a sumptuous lunch, then walked it off by means of a tour of the property.

Let it be known that the muddy dogs were kept well under control by Helen, we didn’t see a single horse fly or snake (even of the non-constricting kind), and nobody was attacked by stinging nettles. I did brush a tick off Sam’s neck though … before it had a chance to burrow in. Ticks are amongst my most loathed creatures. I suppose they have a purpose in the overall scheme of things but I can’t think of one.

I’ll let the accompanying photos substitute for many thousands of words.

We’re still puzzled why Hugh and Helen decided to become ‘country people’ in their geezerhood, but we intend to enjoy visiting them.