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Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Qld (Inc) |
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Gympie Muster - Aug '07 |
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GYMPIE MUSTER 18-25 augustLeaders: Garry and Pam Broadhurst Participants: Lou and Pam Wolf John and Penny Heath Don Williamson Lew and Joy Davidson We met at 8.30am at BP Morayfield on Saturday morning and arrived at Amamoor about lunchtime. This was my first visit to the Gympie Muster and it was to be the wettest one in the 10 years Garry and Pam had been running trips to the Muster. We set up camp with thousands of other campers in one of the large paddocks. Semi trailers with shower and toilet units were in place. Don took me over to the venue area for an orientation afternoon. Sunday was a rest day with Garry heading back to work and Lou and Pam off to Kingfisher Resort for a couple of days. That night the fun began with wind and rain. Many of the camps blew down. Luckily we survived. Monday was a fine day and Pam and I spent time in Gympie shopping with Don to buy door chimes for his new Nana Van (try it some time!!!). Tuesday the entertainment commenced and on Wednesday the rain started. Pam’s camper leaked on Thursday night and she awoke to find her suitcase and everything else floating in water. Garry had to bring back a new set of dry clothes. He and Joy arrived back Friday morning after travelling through the heavy rain along the Sunshine Coast. Only four wheel drives were getting in at this time. The creek between our camp and the venue also flooded and everyone had to queue up to catch the bus to get across the river to the venues. We were lucky our campsite was high enough not to be muddy but we were surrounded by a sea of deep mud. The muster was cut off and some of the acts had difficulty making it in. Friday was the wettest day but the entertainment continued full-on. All the venues were surrounded by mud but it didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying themselves. By Saturday night it had stopped raining and the main shows were able to go ahead in the Main Theatre. Overall we found it a great week and could recommend this trip to all members whether you like country music or not as there is something to suit all. Thanks Garry and Pam for organising this trip again. The company was great and we will be going again next year. Hopefully without the mud!! Lou Davidson GYMPIE MUSIC “MUDSTER” 18-25 august Yes, the spelling is incorrect but that’s the way it was. Most of the regulars were prepared for the rain and mud with gum boots, driza-bone etc. ready and available based on previous experiences. That’s the background now to the trip report. Met the Broadhursts, Heaths, and Lew Davidson as outlined at Burpengary on Saturday, 18 August. Don Williamson went up early in the day and had already picked out a spot. Good spot, relatively high ground that would prove beneficial later in the week. Quiet social night that evening and the following morning Pam and I were off for two days at Kingfisher Bay. Gary left as well to finish some real work and with plans to return on Friday. These two days account for a number of myths that transpired during the course of the week. On Monday, the remaining group did the usual local shopping in Gympie. We returned from Fraser on Tuesday after some pleasant walks and whale watching – really fantastic at this time of year. Late Tuesday evening the rain and the winds started and didn’t relent until early Saturday morning. None of us were prepared for the floodwaters. For the benefit of those that have never been to the muster, from our usual campsite to the event there are two choices to get to the main venues. The first is via a footbridge over the creek and the other is via the causeway to the back entrance. First thing in the morning, I got up early to lay out the tarp to reserve spots for the main stage events later in the evening and get the morning papers. I used the footbridge in both directions; the creek was flowing and was higher than normal for this time of year. By mid afternoon the bridge had given way to the floodwaters and the crossing with the footbridge was too deep and treacherous. Conditions at the causeway were similar and security would not allow foot traffic across. The road to Amamoor was closed although Gary accompanied by Joy Davidson made it in Friday morning. The road was closed for standard vehicles however. The organisers arranged for four-wheel drive buses to take patrons across and drop them off at the back gate. Main stage events for Friday evening were cancelled and the performers that made it to the site were split between the Theatre and the Crow bar. Indeed the weather on Friday made things difficult for both the organisers and patrons, however in most cases, the events were actually better. Some entertainers were not able to make it to the site or at the very least were very late. The entertainers that were on hand were extending their shows and once out of their normal presentation were “jamming” and in some cases joined by other groups. Excellent entertainment given the inclement weather. Some of you may have already heard rumours of trip participants forgetting their wallet and others their pillows. And it goes on….. A three-way fridge intended for a gas connection did not have the necessary gear to do so. There are also stories of a misplaced green scourer and peas showing up in the new caravan’s shower strainer, which incidentally provided clues as to the location of the missing scourer. Parking lights left on after packing up in the afternoon and left on for a late evening departure. There was also a purchase of a super duper light that on recharging burnt out fuses and blew circuit breakers. As well there is a tall tale about a door chime being purchased for a nanavan. Did it really happen? Could five long time club participants be so hapless you ask? Come to the meeting and get it first hand from the “myth buster” or is it “busted”? Undoubtedly the 2007 event will be remembered as the “Mudster” and it will be hard to beat. As usual we experienced some really great music, country, western, country rock, blues and some really entertaining musicians and bush poets. There was even the musical “Grease” put on by the local theatre group. It was very professionally presented and a fantastic effort; Pam and I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere, especially given the weather was magic, the company entertaining with lots of laughs. If you haven’t been there – try it. As they say, if you never ever, ever go, you’ll never ever know. We’ve already marked the calendar for next year. Garry and Pam, thanks for organising a great week. See you and the other regulars up there again next year. Pam and Lou Wolf Back to Top
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