Bus to bush
There were 41 club members and friends who set off for Yarraman, along with our coach driver Graeme and his wife Lorraine, with the aim of
injecting cash into a small, drought-affected, country town of 1,064 residents.
We had a coffee stop at Woodford where the sight of our Cleveland Sharks uniforms wandering around was a point of interest for locals.
Yarraman Bowls Club welcomed us for a barbeque lunch and a game of bowls in the afternoon.
To boost their playing numbers, members of other nearby bowls clubs took part, we filled their green with eight rinks playing fours.
Of course, we had “drink breaks” and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon.
Members were then dropped off at their accommodation – ensuite cabins in the caravan park, and the Yarraman Gardens Motel – before joining up again at the Royal Hotel for dinner.
What a great night we had there, the kitchen staff were slightly overwhelmed with the numbers compared to their normal Thursday night trade.
We ate, drank and played on the poker machines – with the stayers in the public bar drinking Baileys over ice until late.
The owner of the hotel expressed her appreciation to us for visiting Yarraman and how it’s really assisted her business.
The motel proprietor provided breakfast Friday morning for all of us ($12 a head for continental and hot breakfast, as much as you could eat!).
Trish, a member of the Queensland Country Women’s Association, met up with us at the motel where a donation of $450 was given to the QWCA on behalf of members of our club who were unable to join our bus trip but wanted to contribute.
Trish gave us an insight into how dire the situation is with the effects of drought being felt by not just the adults but also the children at school.
We then set off for Nanango for another game where Nanango/ Kingaroy/Yarraman/Cleveland bowlers filled their green with, again, the obligatory “drinks breaks”.
Nanango provided a ham salad followed by jelly/fruit/custard for lunch.
Speaking with our bowls country cousins over the two days gave us an insight into the extreme difficulties being faced by these people.
We drove home via Toogoolawah & Esk and saw first-hand the dwindling water supply at Wivenhoe Dam, before we stopped at Fernvale where we picked up their famous pies to take home for dinner.
Story by Cleveland Sharks Bowls Club Men’s President Des Hedger
