Bribie

Jan, our fearless trip leader, was not 100% well on this adventure, so Jo and I went for an early morning walk to let her sleep in. We walked from in front of the hotel at Bellara, along Sylvan Beach north to Sunset Park.

Partway along the route was a collection of dead trees brimming with rainbow lorikeets, and at the park itself, we were welcomed noisily by four black cockatoos.

We hadn't yet had rain on the trip, despite the depressing forecast for the week, but nor had we seen the sun.  However, while we were walking, some early morning sunshine struck Mount Tibrogargan in the distance, making for some excellent photo possibilities.  

Jo spotted a far-off wreck which turns out to be an old coal cutter, the Avon,  deliberately sunk there to protect oyster beds.  On our way back, the lorikeets were joined by a single duck, not something you see up a tree every day.

We bought coffee and found Jan awake and ready to rock and roll.  We dived into our boxed brekkies and were at nearby Lifeline Bellara, just after its doors opened. A car in the carpark had an OPY number plate, so we decided it must belong to the manager; turned out it was owned by a fellow shopper.  It's a great little shop with good prices.

While trying to get her Lifeline staff discount, Jan became best friends with the manager. I had noticed on the way in that Jan's frock had a tear down the side, so said manager insisted on finding another dress, rather than simply resorting to the safety pin solution (she had also noticed a stain on the shoulder...Jan was definitely not on form).

The dress was found, the day's Get Frocked photo taken, and we headed for Woorim.  It was in the Vinnies there that Jan realised she hadn't paid for the replacement dress!

Vinnies Woorim occupies two shops and an arcade, and is a great op shop.  I think we all found at least one thing to buy there.

The famous, very large, Busy Fingers was next, with the biggest collection of bric-a-brac you will ever see.  It was bustling, but the staff still found time to be helpful.

The next one that had been recommended was the Church of Christ shop at Bongaree, which is a well-hidden secret; up a back road, into the church grounds then round the back with signage that sends you the wrong way.  It is small, air conditioned and somewhat upmarket, but both the girls bought clothes there. I didn't.  Luckily, the propeller hat that Jo desperately desired, did not fit her generously proportioned head. I don't have a photo of it, but I do have one of the goggles she found at Lifeline.

We decided that four shops on Bribie was enough, since time was of the essence, so stopped for coffee and sustenance at Serenity on the Passage.  It is very small, but in the middle of the outside tables was an elderly gent playing a keyboard. This was not only a first for us, but for the regular customers that we consulted. He liked it when we all sang along to "Delilah". We didn't stay for an encore.

Jan negotiated the complicated one-way road system near the bridge so she
could revisit Lifeline and pay for her stolen dress, then it was back to the mainland.