{"id":6071,"date":"2025-05-04T06:52:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T06:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=6071"},"modified":"2025-12-24T21:52:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T21:52:43","slug":"14-the-end-is-in-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=6071","title":{"rendered":"14. THE END IS IN SIGHT!"},"content":{"rendered":"

One thing Australians do a lot of, is gambling!\u00a0 Every hotel, tavern, RSL (Returned and Services League) club, and surf lifesaving club has a gaming room.\u00a0 I’ve never been in one – you have to be able to prove you are over 18 to enter!\u00a0 Pokies (slot machines) line the walls.\u00a0 No doubt with other hi-tech systems to extract money from the unwary punters.\u00a0 The clue seems to be in their omni-presence!\u00a0 They make money.\u00a0 The general public lose it!\u00a0 That’s how the clubs finance themselves!<\/p>\n

All round the walls of the restaurants and bars there are screens showing the current Keno game.\u00a0 That’s on-line bingo to you and me.\u00a0 The biggest difference between Keno and bingo happens right at the start of the game.\u00a0 Keno players can pick the exact numbers they want in the same way they could if they were playing the lottery.\u00a0 So your cat’s birthday or your kids’ ages are all up for grabs.\u00a0 Bingo players are stuck with the numbers on their ticket.<\/p>\n

Not sure it runs 24 hours a day, but I’ve never been in a club where this is not running!\u00a0 There are, apparently, 480 draws held every day.\u00a0 That’s one every three minutes!\u00a0 Over $50 million in prizes are paid out every month.\u00a0 I can’t find figures for the amount “invested”!<\/p>\n

if you feel tempted, the most frequently drawn numbers in Keno are 1, 4, 23, 34, and 72.\u00a0 But you still need to choose another 15 to be in with a chance.\u00a0 So far, I’m exactly breaking even!<\/p>\n

Another trick they have is to raffle houses!\u00a0 An organisation buys a plot of land.\u00a0 Designs and builds a house.\u00a0 Then sells tickets for the right to own and live in it.\u00a0 It’s big business.\u00a0 I don’t think we have ever visited Australia and not seen this “scam” in operation.\u00a0 We decided to visit Yandina, Eumundi and Doonan one day.\u00a0 The weather was not fabulous.\u00a0 Indeed, it was outright threatening.\u00a0 Leaving Eumundi, we were deviated off our road to Doonan following signs.\u00a0 You got it in one!\u00a0 We had to visit a prize house.\u00a0 We wended our way into the hills to the north of town.\u00a0 Right turn, left turn, right, right, left … for miles and miles.\u00a0 Not one of the signs gave any clue as to the distance.\u00a0 Eventually, at the very end of a cul de sac (albeit a very posh cul-de-sac), we found a cluster of maybe twenty of cars.\u00a0 Parked in front of a $4.5 million mansion with granny flat.<\/p>\n

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Actually, the design didn’t do the view justice.<\/p>\n

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Nonetheless, there was a constant queue of people buying lottery tickets.\u00a0 One lady was investing $50 per month, others were making substantial one off payments.\u00a0 Like I said, Aussies love a flutter!<\/p>\n

(For the record, we won the People’s Postcode Lottery at home this week.\u00a0 Fifteen pounds!)<\/p>\n

We toured the property once and Glenda decided one of the bed cover designs would suit our new caravan.\u00a0 “Take a photo of that, and track it down!”\u00a0 No pressure!<\/p>\n

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As we started to leave the place, the heavens opened yet again, so we went round the house again just to make sure we had identified all the design issues … and to keep dry!\u00a0 We are unlikely to win the property.\u00a0 We didn’t buy a single ticket!<\/p>\n

After unwinding ourselves from the hidden network of country roads, we found ourselves closer to Cooroy than Doonan.\u00a0 It was two o’clock when we arrived in town – all the main coffee shops were already closed.\u00a0 Maybe that’s why the Australians call it “Morning Tea”.\u00a0 Because it’s not really available after lunch!\u00a0 It poured with rain again so we ducked into the Cooroy Butter Factory.\u00a0 Not because of any particular interest in butter and its derivatives, more because it was now an art gallery and suitable for shower avoidance.<\/p>\n

The daily routine of the morning school run (my job) was rapidly re-established after the Easter holiday.\u00a0 Water polo training for Jack started again.\u00a0 And boy did it rain!\u00a0 There’s a bit of a theme running here!\u00a0 Poor kids got soaked.\u00a0 They didn’t have a brolley like Eddie- the-coach!<\/p>\n

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Anzac Day is upon us.\u00a0 Australia’s national day of commemoration.\u00a0 Friday 25 April 2025, marked the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings and commemorated all Australians who have served in times of peace and war.\u00a0 Dawn services are held in a number of places locally.\u00a0 We were to attend the Buderim celebration.\u00a0 But in the event, getting up at 4 am (in the rain) proved a challenge too far.\u00a0 So we settled for the Buderim parade at the more reasonable time of 8.30 am.\u00a0 Jack and Benji were both marching – with the Australian Air Cadets and the Scouts respectively.\u00a0 Very smart turn out!<\/p>\n

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Sadly, while the parade formed up, it started to piddle down – and it didn’t stop until the end of the memorial service which followed the march.\u00a0 All participants got soaked!\u00a0 But the service was a very emotional event.<\/p>\n

I learnt something about medals that day.\u00a0 The etiquette for wearing them allows for medals awarded to deceased servicemen or women to be worn by their direct descendants on their RIGHT chest.\u00a0 This distinguishes them from the wearer’s personal awards – worn on the left side.\u00a0 (See picture two up.)<\/p>\n

Robin had all sorts of jobs lined up for me to assist with.\u00a0 His meteriological station and the local GPS transmitter for the robot mower were to be mounted on the roof, the chicken pen roof and rear wall were to be improved, the front garden fence removed and replaced with a hedge etc. etc.\u00a0 The first of these got done, but the rest of the workload was postponed because the ground was too wet on which to move the digger.\u00a0 There would be hours of work needed to fill in the tracks.\u00a0 So, I suppose that the rain gave me a sort of advantage!\u00a0 But work continued for the boys.<\/p>\n

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Here they are peeling two kilos of garlic cloves.\u00a0 Linda liquidises these and freezes the minced garlic in little cubes.\u00a0 Later, when cooking and needing garlic, she just adds one cube to the pot.\u00a0 This supply should last a few months!<\/p>\n

This year we have seen kangaroos on the field opposite Robin and Linda’s house.\u00a0 I suspect the wetter than normal weather has had something to do with this.<\/p>\n

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You might (or might not) be interested to hear that after two false starts, we did actually track down the duvet covers, pillows and sheets with the eucalypt design (as seen in the prize house).\u00a0 In Spotlight.\u00a0 The down side to this success is that our luggage is now four kilos heavier than it might otherwise have been!<\/p>\n

The last farewell brunch at La Balsa …<\/p>\n

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… and one last sunset on the beach at Twin Waters …<\/p>\n

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And so our time in Australia staggers to a close.\u00a0 And, sadly, I’ve had to miss out so many stories!<\/p>\n

On Monday 28 April, Robin drove us one last time down the Bruce Highway – relatively peaceful as this is a holiday weekend in Australia what with Anzac and Labour Days.<\/p>\n

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And we get one last clear view of the Brisbane city skyline.<\/p>\n

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Glenda’s brother, John, and his wife, Kirsty, have made a huge effort and travelled to Singapore to meet us for a couple of days.\u00a0 For a number of reasons, mainly medical and travel related, we haven’t seen them since last Autumn.\u00a0 All our plans to spend a few weeks or even a couple of weeks with them in Australia have been foiled.<\/p>\n

John and Kirsty homed in on Singapore from London and we from Brisbane.\u00a0 And not only that, but one of our favourite granddaughters, Lauren, was also approaching Singapore on her way to Sydney.\u00a0 We all managed to miss Lauren as she hurtled through Changi.\u00a0 J&K were ahead of her, and we were behind!<\/p>\n

It was dark as we came in to land.\u00a0 There were hundreds of boats moored off-shore.<\/p>\n

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The view from the 20th floor of the Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.<\/p>\n

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You can always tell a superior grade hotel by the complexity of the toilet seat instructions.<\/p>\n

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The other technological “advance” in the bedroom\u00a0 is the replacement of the telephone with an alarm clock sized box.\u00a0 I’m sure it will act as a “telephone” as well as the “alarm clock” and the source of room information – and probably any other information one might require from the internet.\u00a0 \u00a0It’s just I can’t get used to talking to the alarm clock!\u00a0 “Hello AI, get lost!”<\/p>\n

Walking along the river bank we came to unlikely signs.\u00a0 “Beware, otter crossing.”<\/p>\n

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Apparently, the river is home to a family of smooth coated otters.\u00a0 In the middle of the city!\u00a0 Well, with all the joggers and cyclists buzzing about, there’s not much chance of spotting the odd Lutrogale perspicillata<\/em> wandering about.\u00a0 Although some enthusiastic otter-watcher has got bored and left his camera behind.<\/p>\n

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In the afternoon, we hit the Botanic Gardens.\u00a0 It was really hot and humid.\u00a0 Walking was hard work, but the gardens were beautiful.\u00a0 Tidy and well kept.<\/p>\n

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Palm Valley is home to one of the world’s largest collections of palms trees.\u00a0 220 different species – almost 10% of the world’s total.<\/p>\n

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There were massive-leaved water lilies, a huge collection of orchids, monitor lizards (large …<\/p>\n

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… and small), turtles, monkeys and little chipmunk type critters jumping from branch to branch.\u00a0 But no otters!\u00a0 Fortunately, there was a caf\u00e9 though!<\/p>\n

Back at the hotel we were enjoying a quiet rest on the river bank outside our hotel – when there was a disturbance in the water immediately in front of us.\u00a0 Yay!\u00a0 An otter swimming up-river.<\/p>\n

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Then across to a set of steps.<\/p>\n

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Up the bank across the path and into a grassy area.\u00a0 Where it joined three others.\u00a0 Parents and two cubs.<\/p>\n

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This is where I needed the camera pictured above!<\/p>\n

A bit more glamour this evening!<\/p>\n

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On our last day in Singapore we decided to do some high altitude things.\u00a0 From our 20th floor room (about 150 metres) we headed to the marina area.\u00a0 Two targets.\u00a0 The Marina Sands Hotel (207 metres) and the Singapore Flyer (165 metres).\u00a0 Hotel first or the Flyer?\u00a0 Flyer or hotel?\u00a0 We decided on the Flyer – a big wheel which opened for business in 2008.\u00a0 It’s currently the 3rd tallest Ferris wheel in the world.\u00a0 The “Big Roller” in Las Vegas is 2.7 m taller.\u00a0 But the “Ain Dubai” in, yes, you guessed, Dubai, is a staggering 85 m taller at 250 m.\u00a0 For the record, the London Eye comes in 6th at 135 m tall.<\/p>\n

Whatever, there are fabulous views from the top of the rotation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Later we walked part of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix course, crossed the “spaghetti bridge” to the Sands Hotel and entered the hotel via the massive shopping centre.\u00a0 Loads of top-end stores – virtually every one of them empty of people apart from bored-looking sales assistants!<\/p>\n

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Last time we went up to the skypark, we could visit the caf\u00e9 and pool area. (The pool is still the largest roof-top infinity pool in the world!)\u00a0 Now these parts are off limits to casual visitors – and have been, we were told, for at least 15 years!\u00a0 So we decided we had seen enough of the high level views and saved our hard-earned cash!<\/p>\n

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Two globe-trotting girls saying their farewells.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, we headed for London direct, Kirsty set off for London via Hong Kong and John to Bangkok for the weekend before flying to Melbourne.\u00a0 Some things never change!<\/p>\n

Anyway, that’s the end of a super holiday!\u00a0 Thanks for reading about our adventures!\u00a0 I hope Spain has got its electricity supply sorted by the time we get there …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One thing Australians do a lot of, is gambling!\u00a0 Every hotel, tavern, RSL (Returned and Services League) club, and surf lifesaving club has a gaming room.\u00a0 I’ve never been in one – you have to be able to prove you… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thailand-and-australia-travels-in-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6071"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6124,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6071\/revisions\/6124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}