•  The Sunlander I was booked on (7th February) was cancelled due to all the rain down south east.
•  I went on 13th. 
• It was a slow trip because the rail lines were under repair in a lot of places.
• I travelled in a 3 berth sleeper.
• The cost to me as a pensioner, combining 2 free fares was $69.00 all up.
• There was a Dining Car, where the meals are reasonable and a Club Car where one can partake of Alcohol and soft drinks.
• Although, the train was not packed, I think that once the system gets sorted rain wise there will be a lot more room on the train.
• I was booked to get off at Caboolture, but the lines were flooded after Nambour so I departed the train there.
• Fortunately Barry & Daryl Webb were able to pick me up there and took me around to Tony Ashby's where I stayed for a couple of days.
• Tony has been a friend since we first met in Darwin way back in 1960. Still practicing religiously every day, Tony showed me an exercise on the Clarinet that should put me in front of Ian Horn in due course. 
• OK Ian, I'll show it to you when I get back.
• I stayed at Bethania, a suburb of Brisbane just past Beenleigh for two nights with my son, daughter in law and my grand daughter. It didnt rain whilst I was there and I was conscripted into treating their Citrus trees which were under attack from various diseases and nasties. I left on a bus to connect with the Country Link Train at Casino (there is no rail link between Queensland and NSW) and then to Coff's Harbour where I will stay with my sister for few days.

STATS: Train departed Cairns Central 9.30 am Saturday got to Nambour following day at 4.30 pm.

            A sitter carriage will seat 45.

            Pensioners are allocated four free train trips per annum.

            They can be combined to give you an economic sleeper,

            first class sleeper, etc.you pay a reduced price for a sleeper as I did above.

            Electric Train from Sandgate to Bethania $3.80 for pensioners. Change at Central,  be aware of the Elevators, they caught my rolling suitcase and nearly brought me to grief. A young lad pointed out that I could have taken a lift.

            Bus from Beenleigh to Casino (No direct Rail Link), Casino to Coff's Harbour XPT Country Link train (NSW) First Class Seat all up $49.57. (Pensioner Concession with and aged Senior Concession card. )

Enjoying a couple of days at Coffs. My old mate Ted is back on line with the oysters and I picked up 2 duz live Sydney Rocks (plate size). I'm trying to figure out how to send some to Cairns. Its not raining.....Yet.

UPDATED Saturday 13th March -- I'm back said Robbie, or was it Arnold said that..

• I wont bore you with the whole trip, but I made it down to Nowra NSW and was picked up by Peter George.
  
• We travelled right down to Narooma, up over the Mountains to Cootamundra and back.
  
• The train trip from Sydney to Nowra was very interesting and worth a big look.
  
• Probably better by your own vehicle so you really can stop and see the Coal pits, Kiama etc.
  
• A drive over the Cambewarra Mountains through Kangaroo Valley is nice.
  
• The Hume Highway is very smooth 4 lanes right through to Melbourne.
  
• All the Riverina was my stamping grounds when I was a young man.
• I flew back to Brisbane from Sydney and picked up my Son in Law and Daughters Wobego Van as it had two of Jacksons Motocross Bikes and a lot of gear they will need when they fly to Las Vegas on Tuesday. (14 YO Jackson is Aust Motocross Champion). The young fella has gravitated to a 250 cc Honda with as much grunt HP as my Honda 1200 cc Shadow.)
• I left Brisbane Thursday 12 noon and arrived in Cairns Friday at 12 noon after driving straight through, 1700 kilometres. The road in the SE is terrible because of the rain. But Main Roads are doing a sterling job in repairing it. Anna wont have to worry about filling the dams. But I digress.

The Sunlander is definitely a goer next year when the Australian Jazz Convention will be held at Bundaberg.  I will let you have more on that when we get closer to the date. In the meantime we have a lot of Jazz and functions to attend to in the next 2 years.

Yours in music.

  BARRY & DARYL WITH ROBBIE AT A SEASIDE JOINT WITH FISH CHIPS AND OYSTERS.

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