Heading North on Tour
On the road again, and how nice it was to revisit Rockhampton, a town famous for being situated on the Tropic of Capricorn. Vanessa was previously at boarding school in Rockhampton, so we took some time exploring her old school, with a head full of floating memories. We were booked to play three childcare shows in Rockhampton, and as ever, we soon discovered the kids really love to dance.
Our next stop was Sarina where we were booked to perform six concerts at the Sarina Show. Our first evening was spent at a welcoming reception for the performers organised by the Sarina Show Society. Clearly the Sarina Show has a proud history, and we were grateful to meet some of the other entertainers and mix it up with some of the local crew. I was then invited to do a brief (and unprepared) presentation as to what to expect from a Lemon Drops show. The Sarina show proved to be a magnificent event, so many things to do for the kids, and amazing entertainment throughout the day. The weather was also kind to us, with bright sunshine and a gentle breeze.
We left Sarina in a pretty upbeat mood, and headed north to Airlie Beach. Arriving just in time for the Whitsunday Reef Festival, we reflected on how lucky we were to visit such beautiful places, and none more beautiful than the Great Barrier Reef. The day after the gig, we took a boat trip out to explore the islands, and even managed to spot some whales on the way. We would have loved to stay longer, but we were booked the next day to perform in Proserpine, and had to hit the road again.
Wherever you go in this great country, it seems the children love music. In fact, the further from the capital cities you go the more they seem to appreciate your performances. Proserpine proved to be no different, with arguably the best show of the trip. Once again we took advantage of the location, as Cape Hillsborough is only about an hour away from Proserpine, so we made our way towards a spectacular holiday destination. We booked accommodation overlooking the beach, which was deserted most of the time. However, at sunrise the next morning we were fortunate to witness the amazing sight of kangaroos hopping around on the beach. An unforgettable experience which we managed to capture on video.
We then headed further south towards Bundaberg where we performed at the Bundaberg Library. We love playing libraries because the staff are very helpful, the audiences are lively, and we generally play to a full house. Inspired by our surroundings and recent experiences, we played a set of our favourite songs, which went down well with an appreciative audience who were also particularly generous, digging deep to bolster our fundraising efforts for Sane Australia. It was then time to head home to prepare for our next trip - South Australia!