We needed to be at the Bowen river pub to start work on or around the 15th of November so we arrived at terrible creek 40 ks from the pub having first popped in to the pub to say gidday and to tell them where we were and had found us a nice camp site down by the river on a grassy patch What a peaceful, quite spot with the only sound the river gently running 20 meters away over a rapid into a large pool. We soon made a fireplace and warren started gathering wood so that we could get the BBQ pig ( babe) out of its stye and into action. Next job was to bait up the fishing rod and head to the river to start fishing, warren caught several nice black bream ( sooty grunter) as the local cal them, so these were filleted ready for the freezer to keep our fish stocks up. Just above our camp on a large flat area was the Bowen river fishing club campsite that had several water tanks that were full, flushing men's and ladies toilets and a hot water donkey.They apparently had just had a fishing comp held here two weeks ago so everything was in good working order especially the flushing toilets. Warren rebated his line and added a float set the rod up then got an almighty strike and the rod nylon broke so the float and leader came away with the fish. I know a fishing story about the one that got away,,, HE came up to the van for lunch and then suddenly we could see the float over the other side of the river, that's strange we thought as it was broken off on this side just a few minutes ago and now it's on the other side, next thing it started moving around the large pool, bloody hell the fish is still hooked to the float! Warren spent most of Friday afternoon trying to hook the float with a barra lure as it went whizzing past without any luck. We got up early Saturday morning and the float was visible again over the other side of the river so the circus went on again with warren trying to snag the float with the barra lure. About lunch time another group arrived and camped downstream and soon they joined in with Warren trying to snag the float as it went past but like warren they had no luck either.
Sunday morning early warren saw the float on the other side off the river so snuck across the rapid around to where the float was and nearly trod on a brown snake in the process, he managed to hook the float first cast cast but "buggar" the fish had got off the hook. He was one very lucky fish that got away I am telling you.
12/11/12 we had the fire going early and babe had the billy on and boiling nicely when a vehicle arrived and it was the publican ringo who said was there any chance we could start work at the pub this afternoon. Instead of Thursday like we had planned? I guess so we replied so we started to pull down the camp and head for the pub. We had a weeks training to run the pub by our selfs plus found out that Clare the owner had also booked in a Christmas party of 26 for the 1st of December so we just would have to do the best we could with only Annmarie the backpacker from England to help us. The week before the Christmas party the numbers had grown from 26 to 33. Add in the others that were staying at the pub and it ended up being 40 to cook a three course meal for. An early start the morning of the party and having to set up the warming trays and cabinets when each time i plugged them in they blew the power fuses, anyway we eventually sorted that out and the roast meats we put on early and cooked in readiness for serving at 7pm for 40 hungry guests. The meal went off without a hitch and everyone seemed happy enough and by the time we cleaned up all the dishes and emptied all the rubbish we fell into bed at 11pm. Up early the next morning morning as breakfast to cook for 7:00 0, after breakfast the 40 guests departed and the pub was back to its normal quite self. Warren went deer hunting with one of the locals as they have plenty of deer on their 55000 acre property and he kindly offered to eliminate a couple for them that's how generous he is. Warren came home covered in blood and on a high with 2 deer on the back of the pub ute. these were boned out the following day then placed in the pub freezers in readiness for taking back to Brisbane with us. We met some great people while running the pub and they were true country people who would give you the shirt off their back to help you. We have been invited back so thats something i guess. We left the pub on the 8th Dec and heading back towards Brisbane to have Christmas with the family and in the 4wd we had a freezer and 2 chiller bags full of venison, the waeco 12 volt freezer we didn't have to worry about but the chiller bags full of venison and ice was the problem. Our first stop for the night was at emerald caravan park so i rang ahead to make sure they had room in there freezer for 2 bags of meat and it was all good so stayed the night there. Second night Nulgildie hotel free camping spot beside the pub, the two young ladies made room for the venison in the freezer and since the girls don't start early and we where wanting to get away early they left the pub back door unlocked for us hOw trusting is that. We arrived back in Brisbane safe and sound with the venison still frozen solid so that was the end of our 2012 travels.
12/11/12- 08/12/12 Bowen river pub
