Brisbane, QLD


Saturday, July 29, 2017

BIRTHDAY BEAR RIDES "THE GHAN"

Apologies to Birthday Bear, Mary and the Birthday Bear Group. I forgot to post about our celebration in June for Mary's birthday. (That dementia is creeping ever closer). If you are not familiar with our Birthday Bear tradition, read here. Anyway back in June we all went to the Power Boat Club in Caloundra for lunch. Caloundra is about one and a half hours drive from home. However, Chris and Bob have bought a property north of Gympie which is even further north than Caloundra. So we thought this would be about a half way place to meet.
Back row: Mary, Chris, Helen, Ann.
Front row: George, Bob, Bill and me.

The view from our table was very relaxing. We were looking across the Pumicestone passage towards Bribie Is.

Birthday Bear was happily waiting for us in a train. The train is 'The Ghan" a famous Australian train, which travels from Darwin on the north coast to Adelaide on the south coast. It travels right through the centre of Australia from top to bottom or the other way. It takes 3 nights and 4 days. It also stops for you to take side excursions to Katherine, Uluru, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy outback towns. "The Ghan" is named after the Afghan cameleers, who used to take camel caravans along this route before roads and trains were there.


Chris on the left dressed Bear for Mary on the right. Mary has just been on "The Ghan" for a trip with Ann, George and Helen. I would have loved to be with them but we had other plans. We had booked a photographic trip to Hawaii at the same time. It turned out we had to cancel as we both had medical problems at the time.

We all had a good time except I managed to knock a full glass of red wine all over Ann's top and pants. We went to the bathroom where she rinsed her top and dried it in the hand drier. Sounds funny now but I was ashamed at the time. It was a long, slow drive home because there had been an accident.

22 comments:

  1. I think everyone who drinks red wine, and be it carpet or a person, has been careless. Even the most perfect people like me. Good to see birthday bear goes on.

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  2. everytime I see Bear I think how many different ways can they come up with, without using the same one over. then Bear shows up in a train. so cool. that would be a great trip

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  3. I love the idea of Birthday Bear. It looks like a great bunch of buddies that get together.

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  4. Red wine can be difficult to get out so you did the right thing by washing straight away, what we get up to with hand driers!! Sounds like you all had a great time. T'other Diane

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  5. Hello, it has been awhile since I have seen a birthday bear post. It is such a cute idea and way to celebrate a birthday. Happy belated birthday to Mary. Looks like a great group of friends having fun! Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

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  6. the landscape is beautiful and birthay Bear looks interesting

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  7. Good celebration, in a fantastic place

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  8. Haven't seen Birthday Bear for a while, good to see he is as active as ever.

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  9. A splendid celebration Diane. Did I ever tell you about Gregg spilling several wine glasses at once, when he knocked a table with several of us ladies sitting around it dressed in our long evening gowns? You have never seen so many ladies push themselves away, in complete synchronization from said table. If it was a swimming competition we would have won first place. We laugh about it too now.

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  10. A perfect setting for a mid-winter birthday celebration. That birthday bear sure gets around. He looks very comfy in his Ghan, with camel along for company. I once saw a woman drying her hijab under a hand drier and am still trying to come up with an explanation for what may have happened to it. And the alarming thing, Di, is I can't remember where it happened?? Might remember by this time tomorrow, perhaps.

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  11. I think Bear is a brilliant idea (I hadn't read the original post) and I know that many of my friends now specify no 'things' or 'stuff' for presents so they usually involve concerts or the theatre or meals. As for the Ghan I have always wanted to travel on that or on the Indian Pacific across the Nullarbor. The bucket list gets longer.

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  12. Hi Diane, I loved the post on Birthday Bear. I also marvel at the many different and suited to the birthday person ways Bear is dressed. I also feel bad when I knock a glass of liquid over and we shouldn't. No-one would do it on purpose. Did you know that pouring salt onto a red wine stain helps to draw the stain out? Glad you all had a great time. I've not been blog visiting and trying to catch up. I had a week where I was in the doldrums, something that never happens to me. I've snapped out of it now. So thanks for the cheery post as well. Jo

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  13. I love this birthday bear tradition! And hé is always so nicely dressed!

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  14. I always enjoy seeing what Birthday Bear has been up to. You and your friends are so clever. It's such a fun tradition.

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  15. What -=- wait, that last little episode sounds like something I'd do ... Grace being my wholly inappropriate middle name. These things happen and I'm sure your friend just laughed about it, but I so know how you felt!!! That train is an interesting thing -- BB always teaches me something new .

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  16. It sure looks like y'all had fun. What a neat sounding train ride....a route camels used to take.

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  17. Hi There, I now know what "The Ghan" is!!!!! I'd love that trip --since I love trains!!!!! Sorry you didn't get to go to Hawaii.... Hope your medical problems were minor and that you are okay now....

    Great Birthday Celebration!!!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  18. Loved seeing Birthday Bear again - well done with the train too!

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  19. The bear in the train is too funny ! I didn't celebrate my birthday at all with my friends, just didn't feel like it and I was my last day in Ireland.

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  20. I love the idea of Birthday Bear. It looks like a great bunch of buddies that get together.
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  21. Hope your medical problems were minor and that you are okay now....


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