Cheap at Childers

We had visited the BBS op shop at Howard some years before and loved it.  The Burrum Benevolent Society must do well, because the shop is very popular. Possible because everything in it is dirt cheap.  I bought five items, paying $4.20. On this Tuesday, all clothing was half-price, possibly because the dressing rooms were closed because of COVID-19.  This was situation normal down our way when the shops first reopened after lockdown, but now they have all reopened.  We were to learn that the further we travelled north, the more dressing rooms remained shut.  

Childers meant two more oppies and morning tea. Vinnies is on the western side of the highway, among the heritage buildings. I was searching for a second trophy, as this year we had decided to activate both categories - quirky object and quirky book - so the perpetual Expo 88 spoon trophy needed a friend.  It was at Vinnies that I found it, a little wooden thingy that simply says "Winner".  It cost $1.  If you wanted, you could also buy a knitted Mr Squiggle at Vinnies... or a knitted Scotsman.  I didn't.  I did love the change room there; there were two hooks, one marked Maybe and the other marked Yes!

Over the road and through the highway traffic to the Salvos we ventured, it being another brilliantly organised store that we remembered fondly from our first visit.  Here I found a true treasure. It is a wooden box divided into four sections, each containing a different Very Hungry Caterpillar wooden puzzle, of varying levels of difficulty. They are marked with the numbers 1 to 4 on the back, and I had no way of knowing if there were pieces missing. For $3, I took the chance, knowing that my granddaughter would love them.  I also bought some little round cakes of soap for 20c each, because we have a round soap dish in our laundry.

The girls headed for the Ladies, while I headed for the coffee shop and grabbed a table for three. This was my big chance to check out the puzzles.  I almost had the first caterpillar finished when a voice behind me said "Lesley, what are you doing here?" and there were Adrian and Marilyn from our 4wd club. And there was me playing with wooden puzzles for three-year-olds!  Anyway, before long all five of us were having morning tea together and Adrian kindly took our daily group photo. Tuesday's dress theme was red, white and blue. Oh, and no puzzle pieces were missing.

We don't do a lot of touristy things on our road trips, because we are Women on a MIssion, but we decided to visit the art gallery memorial to those killed in the fire at The Palace backpackers.  The art in the gallery was restricted to little photos and tiny works, because of artists working from home due to COVID, but it was still interesting.  The memorial is moving and includes a large group portrait of all who died, painted from their individual photos.  I can't show you because photography wasn't allowed.  There is also a lovely quiet courtyard out the back.

Jo was supposed to fuel up the car in Childers, but decided to continue to Apple Tree Creek, because "it's usually a bit cheaper there".   Lucky that it was, because we wouldn't have had enough fuel to get back to Childers.  I should point out that all the fuel on the trip was way cheaper than current Brisbane prices.