WARNER’S CORNER
Dave Warner | STAR 102.7
Mother Of Nature!
A former boss of mine used to bang on
about the 5 P’s of breakfast radio; Proper
Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
That little nugget of wisdom can be rolled
out for any endeavour really, like family
camping trips.
Every year in the dry season we pack the
camper trailer, the kids, the dogs, an
over-bloated Esky and head up into
Cape York for a week to disconnect
from the internet and reconnect
with nature, ourselves and each
other. No facilities, no amenities,
no people, no worries! But this
year was going to be different,
this year we were going to be so
prepared that for the first time
ever I wasn’t, at the end of the day,
going head to head with that big red
angry ball in the sky. It’s not like
the sun’s unpredictable; it’s been
disappearing in the same spot at
the same time for oh, I don’t know,
BILLIONS of years. But this year
with proper preparation there will
be no race between setting up and a
setting sun, we’ll leave at 7am and
drive straight through, no stops!
We left at 12pm. Only five hours
after our ETD. First stop was
three minutes into the journey
at Brinsmead Mobil, trailer tyres
needed air. Second stop Smithfield
shopping centre, forgot towels.
Third stop Smithfield Macca’s,
kids were starving. Fourth stop
Koah roadhouse, needed fuel. Fifth
stop Mareeba Coles, left meat in
freezer. Sixth stop Lakeland Downs
roadhouse, forgot milk. Seventh
stop Laura general store, ice had
melted due to frequent stoppages.
We stopped in at more places than a
Seventh Day Adventist on a Sunday
morning. On the plus side we
arrived just in time to watch the sun
set behind the hills. Oh, and we also
forgot coffee, which is no big deal,
just replaced it with beer.
Going off the grid and getting a bit
feral with the family is my favourite
week of the year, and if you don’t
come home with scratches and
bruises, you’re doing it wrong.
Those little nicks and cuts are
earned like scout badges, that sew
themselves onto your skin. You’re
not a NapiSan poster boy for Mother
Nature, so shut up and get dirty.
CAIRNS SHOWGROUND
Zarraffa’s Coffee Cairns Showground
157 Mulgrave Rd, Bungalow
Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 5.00am – 10.00pm
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zarraffas.com