Bundy, Bikers and a Bowls Club

We had to be up and about early to get to Bundaberg in time to do justice to their op shops before they closed in the middle of the day. This meant having to forego Miriam Vale's own op shop which was such a shame. Note to Biloea: Miriam Vale with a population of 361 has an op shop; surely you with a population of 1590 can do better than one!  
On the way out of town, we stopped so I could photograph the Gary Larson Oval.  Jo had told us excitedly that he had come from this little town (just like my friend Margot) so I had to record the fact.  It was hard to see as the sun was behind the sign, so I just snapped and ran. Imagine my surprise to discover when I looked at the photo back home to discover it was not Gary Larson the wonderful cartoonist, but some footballer. 

First stop in Bundy was The Guide Dogs, an excellent shop that even sells plants and where Jo had managed to pick up some Delft pieces while on the recce. This is a most accommodating op shop because it opens at 8.30am, earlier than most.  I picked up a pair of shorts for $3.50 and a K T Tunstall CD for $1.  The RSPCA were next, and there I found one of my favourite bras, unworn, for $2 and a sharp knife for our crusty bread for 50c.

Bundy no 3 was Endeavour, the most expensive shop we encountered on the whole trip, but they just happened to be  having a fill-a-bag-for-$10 day and into that bag went a beautiful pair of R M Williams jeans for Jan, along with two other items.  This was the only shop I had encountered that not only sorts their clothes into colour blocks, but into plain and patterned as well.
Red Cross was next - quite a small shop and I didn't find anything there - and then on to Vinnies, within easy walking distance.

Closing time was rapidly approaching, but Jan and I managed to pose for a high-viz fashion shot.  Jo bought something just as the women were closing off the till. It might have been a lovely little green Japanese Stoneware  jug and sugar bowl that I know she found somewhere in Bundy for $2.  I forgot to mention that in Endeavour I had found the matching sugar bowl for the white casserole that I talked about in my no 2 blog post ('Dressing Up').  It cost me $1.  The op shops of Bundy were now closed and we were done.  

We found the coffee shop recommended by the ladies in Vinnies and had lunch there.  We then headed for the Bundaberg Rum Distillery (as you do in Bundy) and on the way stumbled across the local hot rod show.  There were some remarkable vehicles on display.  There was even a beach buggy like ours (does anyone want to buy it?). 

The cost of a distillery tour was too much, so Jan and I bought gifts for our menfolk and then we moved on, as the sea breeze was calling.

It's an awfully long time since I have been to Bargara, but boy, has it grown!  I was pleased to note that the Don Pancho Motel still exists though.  Back in my youth, there were Don Pancho advertising signs along almost the entire length of the Bruce Highway!

Our destination for the evening was Woodgate, and we were halfway there when we spotted sea of motorcycles outside the Alloway Country Club, which is in the middle of nowhere. 

 
We didn't want to get too close as we were afraid we might be charged with association under the VLAD laws, but just over the road there was a farm shed that advertised sales of honey, avocados etc.  I had been looking for some local honey, so we stopped, bought some goodies and checked out the bikers.  

At Woodgate, we were unloading the car and taking our booty into our cabin, (with its delightful view of both coffee shop and ocean)  when said bikers arrived in town. We counted over 100 as they drove past, heading in the direction of the bowls club.  Our later research revealed that they were on a charity run and 140 of them had signed in at the bowls club for lunch. How tasteful of them: that's where we were going to have dinner.