Rose after morning cup of tea, showered and packed up my things ready for the girls when they arrived, which they did about 7.30am. We had decided to make the most of the early hospital hours for an early start, but as it was, by the time we had filled our water containers, said our farewells to the matron and staff, taken one or two pictures of them and presented our small gift in appreciation of their kindness it was about 9am when we finally set off for Dalby.

Our trip across the Moonee Highway was quite enjoyable. Most of the road was a natural earth road, graded for quite long sections, but generally on the rough side with some stretches of heavy sand, and needless to say, very dusty. The country varied from flat, rather open plains to undulating, beautifully timbered country - sections of which were ringbarked for clearing.

Stopped at roadside ‘stall’ and had scones and tea while answering interminable questions from son of stall-keeper, who we understand is a retired policeman from St George. After a rest of an hour or so we continued on. Noticed quite a lot of prickly pear along the track – we had been told that not so many years ago, all this country was over-run with “pear”, but thanks to cactoblastis most of it is now quite productive.

As we approached Dalby we could see we were also approaching stormy weather. When we hit the bitumen we decided to clean up a bit and don our skirts to greet the Friths in our usual ’respectable’ style. We arrived at Dalby in the rain. Made straight for the Post Office to ring Mrs Frith for directions out to the farm. Nan and her father had just arrived from Brisbane and arrangements were made to meet them at the Post Office and follow them home. Nan finally turned up with umbrella, but without shoes (and we were worrying about respectability) after we had been parked ‘kerbside fashion’ in an ‘angle parking’ area for about l/2-hour. However, no-one asked us to ‘move on’ so all was well.

The Friths live about 4 miles from the township and we had some anxious moments as we had to pass through several flooded patches on the way out. There was water everywhere and it was still raining. Luck was with us and Alfred came sailing through and we skidded to a muddy halt at the front gate. Mrs Frith met us at the door and showed us our rooms and then followed the messy business of unpacking in the rain. No matter how we try we still seem to have to unpack most of the ‘kit’ and look as though we have come to stay indefinitely.

After a hot shower and a welcome drink we had dinner and spent what was left of the evening after washing the dishes, chatting. Got more conflicting reports about the Pacific and New England Highways between Brisbane and Sydney about which we were still undecided. Retired fairly early as we were hoping for an early start for Tummaville next day.

After breakfast Tom, Nan’s brother, mended our flat tyre and checked over the engine for us. And still it rained. Helen rang Tummaville to check on the roads and we decided to go the long way round via Toowoomba. After morning tea we repacked Alfred and set off, in the rain, with Tom accompanying us in the jeep to see us safely through the flooded patches. We thoroughly enjoyed our very brief stay with the Friths and were only sorry we did not have more time to see this part of the country where farming is the main occupation, especially the growing of canary seed!

After stocking up with petrol etc., and sandwiches – oh, and fruitcake from the Motel! we set off for Tummaville via Toowoomba. Bitumen all the way through open farming land, but as we approached Toowoomba the country became more undulating and the girls said, quite similar to parts of English countryside. Toowoomba itself is most attractive, set among the hills.

We headed for the Post Office and had just parked backwards in an angle-parking area when a woman told us our rear tyre was flat. The one Tom had mended! A very kind gentleman offered to change it for us and directed us to a reliable garage for repairs. Thanks to his Austin side-elevating jack, tyre was changed in no time. Garage chap told us he would be half-an-hour, so off we went for refreshments. Came back and discovered our tyre had had it! The inside canvas had all frayed and was thus puncturing the tubes. After much conferring we decided to pool our resources, by this time very depleted, to buy a new tyre and tube. We searched around and found a nice 4-ply one (cheaper!). He gave us his labour free of charge for which we were very grateful. We still had quite a long way to go and only a very poor spare.

Needless to say by this time our daylight hours were almost exhausted, but we set off optimistically for Tummaville via Pittsworth where we were to inquire about the final stage of the journey. Although it wasn’t actually raining the sky was quite stormy and we were a bit dubious about the final stretch on black soil roads. We inquired from the Shell Agent at Pittsworth about the state of the roads via the short route – “Oh yes,” he said “You should be O.K., people have been travelling over those roads today.” “You might strike a shower or two, but that shouldn’t worry you.”

Well! perhaps he just hadn’t noticed the rain during the day, for the further we went the worse it got as we struggled along in 2nd gear. As may have been expected we gradually ground to a halt and with a couple of spins of the rear wheels were stuck fast in the treacherous black soil. It was getting quite dark when the girls set off for Kinkora Homestead which we had noticed just before we were bogged. Back they came in about half-an-hour with Mr Will on his tractor, and in no time at all we were dragged out, back to the all-weather surface, with directions of how to get to Tummaville on a gravel road which was to cover about 25 miles instead of the shorter route of 6 miles. Off we set once more and arrived at Tummaville about 7pm. Mr & Mrs Cruice and their nephew Norman, made us welcome and almost immediately insisted that we stay for a party on Sunday evening.

After dinner we chatted for several hours, swapping experiences with Norman who had just returned from overseas. Retired after hot shower and slept like a log.

Much discussion this morning about our arrangements for moving on. Finally decided to stay on the understanding that we had a 5am start tomorrow. Helen and Norman went riding before lunch while Marye helped Mr Cruice to roll the tennis court and I washed out a few of our things in the washing machine. After lunch Mr Cruice took us all for a swim in the Condamine River while Mrs Cruice did the last minute preparations for the party that evening.

The Condamine is not very wide in this area, but quite deep and very pleasant for swimming. I did not go in (still suffering from the wog) but sat on the bank with Mr Cruice and took a few photos. After our swim we returned home and spent what was left of the afternoon looking through some of Norman’s Kodachromes of his overseas trip, resting and then finally preparing for the guests who started to arrive around 5.30pm. Helen rang Mrs Flanigan to arrange to meet her at Brisbane G.P.O. at 11am. next day. A very bright party ensued in spite of the wet weather and we met, among others, Dell and Don, a young couple who were to be married in February and spending some of their honeymoon in Melbourne. As they have never been there before and were asking about places to go, I offered to contact them and perhaps arrange a trip through the hills somewhere.

After the guests had left we washed all the dishes, glasses etc., while the men sat and discussed each of the guests in turn. Before retiring we girls joined in their discussion and knocked off another couple of bottles. Flopped into bed quite exhausted and definitely not looking forward to our early start tomorrow.

Rose at 5am as planned and for once we managed to get away by 6.30am. Weather was still overcast but not raining. Set off with thermos of tea and some left-overs from the party. Very good trip to Brisbane from Tummaville, via Pittsworth and Toowoomba. We were unfortunate in striking a misty day and hence many of the pretty views in and around Toowoomba were not seen to advantage. Our only discomfort was Alfred belching fumes into the cabin through a blown manifold gasket.

Raced frantically into Brisbane and reached the G.P.O. about 11.30am. There Marye and I jumped out to meet Mrs Flanigan and Glenis, while Helen parked Alfred. To our surprise Joan Munroe was there too, which helped us to recognise Mrs Flanigan. After collecting mail we all went and had a hurried cup of tea. Gave Mrs Flan. all the news we had of the girls and we were all very sorry we could not accept their very pressing invitation to stay overnight. We bade a hasty farewell to Joan and Mrs Flan showed us the way to the Bank where we finally said goodbye to her. Then a busy half-hour visiting shops etc., and at last off down the coast.

We loved the trip to Surfers Paradise which we voted as the best of the lot down that way. Had a drink at the Hotel while Alfred was being greased and had a quick look at the shopping area before setting off once more. When we reached Coolangatta it poured with rain and we sat under a pine tree near the camping area with rain leaking through our carefully applied Bostik and felt thoroughly wet and miserable as we had been caught in a downpour on our way back to Alfred after buying fish and chips for tea, and were wet through.

In copying this diary some 41 years later it is obvious that the last page has been mislaid. Our trip together finished at Sydney where Helen stayed with relatives, Marye went on to Canberra and I returned home by air to Melbourne. From memory the rest of the trip was fairly uneventful (comparatively speaking), but I do remember we were delighted to find a very economical holiday flat to stay overnight at Nambucca Heads in N.S.W. It was very clean, very well equipped and to us just heaven after our grimy trip through Queensland. A trip I will never forget.