Expect the unexpected

After Easterfest, we really weren't sure which way to turn?  We decided to spend at least a day in Brisbane for our wedding anniversary.  This turned out to be fabulous for the adventure, but also created a trip altering event that now has us hauled up in Marychydoore for the week.
South Bank in Brisbane was full of fun activities for the kids.  We enjoyed a city cafe in the morning with the kids having little baby chino's.  They came in minature ceramic cups and saucers with marshmallows at the side.  A giant tea party for Amy, she spent the whole time stirring her little cup of frothy milk with chocolate sprinkles.   

We planned on spending the rest of the day at the museum because there was an amazing dinosaur exhibit for young kids there, but on arrival there was a man dressed up as a dinosaur out side he looked so real and had a ferocious roar - the kids were petrified.  Sam just stood there screaming.  Needless to say they didn't want to go inside.  Josh spent the next few days looking into our eyes and whispering 'don't take me back to the dinosauars ever again'.

So - change of plans - (which is something we are getting use too as part of the adventure) - we headed for the art galleries and library where there were also lots of amazing activities for the kids – and all free.   Sams favourite was a giant table of all white lego where you could sit and build towers!  He was there for over an hour and it was hard to pull him away.   Joshua and Amy's favourite was a giant playroom in the state library.  It had an oversized play kitchen with a giant oven you could climb into, and a giant pot you could sit inside – it had big pillow ingredients you could use to make a soup.   Amy happily crawled in there and didn’t want to come out.  In the mean time John and I enjoyed a chance to read the paper and other bits of reading in the library while the kids were playing.

The biggest change of plans for the day came from parking the van in the side streets of Brisbane, we clipped a tree and damaged our awning.  Thinking initially it was just minor damage, a few days later we found that the awning would no long work and needed repairing.  This was initially frustrating on top of a number of other challenges we have faced so far (yet to be blogged).  Thinking things through we called our insurer - the repairs are covered under our policy and in the mean time while we await the repairs they are paying for us to stay the week in a lovely holiday park with fabulous facilities.  It really is a blessing.

On the music front we stopped off at the Urban Country Music Festival in Caboolture - we were passing through, and didn't want to miss an opportunity.   While John's music isn't country we registered him to do some street performing during the festival and was talent spotted by a a team from a secular radio station who happened to be having coffee in the cafe he was playing in front of.  They asked him to do radio interview and play one of his songs live on air.  This was a fabulous opportunity and John was able to share his story and talk about the christian music industry.  Meanwhile I was keeping the 'twinkle stars' occupied in the media hub.  It felt kind of odd being surrounded by all these funky country artists with their support crews, and here was little me - my dress covered in tiny hand prints - my little ones looking very grotty from a day of festival fun - trying to keep them away from the water fountain and out of the sound recording bay.  Thank heavens for play dough, colour pencils and a bag of lollies I had stashed away at the bottom of the bag.

The Urban Country Music Festival was a such a great experience.  We camped in the show ground like carnival people, and enjoyed giant bonfires, live concerts and fire works.   It was so muddy though, that I had to invest in some gum boots.  John and the kids all had them, so now I fit right in - plus it was a country festival in boggy QLD, everyone was wearing gumboots.   I'll treasure my new gumboots with great memories.

On other good radio news, John has had 3 of his album tracks selected for airplay on Rhema FM Newcastle.   And while in Brisbane we had the chance to meet the music director of Vision FM a large christian radio network across Australia based in QLD.

For now here we are at Maroochydore waiting for the van awning to be fixed, enjoying the pool, feeding the ducks at the pond, the park, the palm trees, Sheraton hotel style showers, water on tap in the van and the luxury of electricity!  (Thank you AAMI insurance).