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Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Qld (Inc) |
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Brass Monkey - July '07 |
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Brass Monkey Weekend Goomburra Valley – 7-8 JulyKing Monkey – Graham Thatcher Queen Monkette – Ann Thatcher Monkey families – Dan Thatcher and Danielle Paroz; Matt and Elisha Thatcher; Ken Winders; Paul Bates and Zoe; Dave and Bev O’Hara; Alan Hughston; Jeff and Jamie Sparks; Graham and Jan Corbett; Geoff and Christine Moller; Mike Farrell, Stephanie and Lucy; Bernie and Judy Cox; Adrian and Marilyn McDonnell; Richard Murphy; Tony Richardson; Greg and Liz Moller; Errol and Jenny Gordon Our base for this weekend was the Goomburra Valley Campground. We arrived Saturday morning after a beautiful early morning drive up over Cunningham’s Gap. The weather was crisp and clear. Our car thermometer hit -2oC on the flats just past Amberley Air Base – brrrr! OK in the car though! When we arrived the campground owner said that they had -4 oC when they got up that morning. Everyone was well and truly rugged up when we arrived just after 0800hrs. Real “brass monkey” weather.
Incidentally, does everyone know what a brass monkey is? and the inference for cold conditions? You’ve heard of the saying “cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey”, well it’s not being rude or brash to use that term. Apparently the racks that were used on old sailing ships to hold the cannon balls were referred to as brass monkeys. The cold weather would make the brass contract more than the iron cannon balls and squeeze the cannon balls off the brass monkey – hence the saying. Those that had vans, were very cosy with their heaters on full blast. It was so cosy in the Thatcher’s van that we didn’t see the Queen Monkette come out of her nana-van until well into the morning. The campground was pretty good and caters for large groups. There was a group of motor homes sharing the grounds with the Mitsubishi club, but there was plenty of room. Back up the road into the valley a couple of Ks, is Janowen Hills 4 Wheel Drive Park. Graham led a trip into the park. This park has a variety of driving challenges from easy/scenic to extreme. Not all of us made it up the challenging hills, in fact a lot of us figured that it wasn’t worth the try, however those that did have a go at the hard stuff, made it in most cases. We visited the park twice on Saturday. Damage to vehicles was minimal, however Errol did notice some grease on one of the tracks that had us all looking under our vehicles. Tony Richardson found a boot on one of his CV joints was ripped and had spewed out its grease – the vehicle was still driveable. While the boys were out playing, the ladies relaxed around camp, although a few went for a stroll down through the first of Gordon Country camp grounds, which was not far down the road. Saturday night became fairly cool as we gathered around a beautiful fire for happy hour and enjoyed a few drinks and nibbles. This was followed by a communal dinner, which was held in a large shed that bordered our campsite. However the camp fire was very inviting, so it wasn’t long before the dishes were done and we were enjoying the comfort of the glowing embers. I’m not sure how long the gang stayed out in the cold but I was looking forward to a nice warm bed and a sleep in. I wasn’t disappointed. With power available for those who wanted it, the heaters cranked up again to warm up the travelling abodes. Sunday was very relaxed, as we thawed with the rising sun and enjoyed a casual breakfast. A short drive further down the road took us to Goomburra State Forest camp grounds. We zipped up to the lookout which was about 500 metres off the road through a forest walk. A very nice view. A couple of snap shots and back to the cars for morning tea. Most of us packed up as soon as we returned from the drive and headed off to have lunch at Aratula. From there the trip ended, although most of us stayed together until nearer to Ipswich. Now was it really a brass monkey weekend? Here’s the test! From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Brass Monkey is the name of various people and things. In several cases, the people and things were named after, or as an allusion to, the colloquial expression. These are some of them:· Brass monkey (colloquial expression), meaning something solid and inert that can only be affected by extremes, e,g cold. Those with vans were probably not in this category, however I heard that some had to find extra blankets so they would not become brass monkeys. · Brass Monkey (cocktail), two types of alcoholic drinks – Didn’t see any cocktails but there were plenty of alcoholic beverages being dispensed and for those of us who changed drinks, we probably had Brass Monkey’s without realising. · Brass Monkey (band), an English folk band – Pity Greg wasn’t there to get out his guitar, but there was some music floating out of a couple of the camp sites. · Brass Monkey (film), a 1948 film – Don’t remember this even if it was the year I was born! Lots of photos and video clips taken by wanna-be cinematographers . · Brass Monkeys, a UK men's underwear brand. – Alright own up – who was tough and didn’t wear undies? On behalf of all of the those that attended, thanks to Graham and Ann for a good balance of relaxation, challenging driving, good company, and time to socialise on a refreshingly cold brass monkey weekend. Bev and Dave O’Hara Back to Top
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