Bunya nuts

Our latest Hash Weekend Away saw 19 of us heading back up to the Bunya Mountains for the first time in a few years - and imbibing (amongst other things) a healthy dose of culture at the Jimbour Opera festival.

Jimbour Cool: What do you think? Is this more like a Country Road ad or an album cover?

On Friday evening Payback presided over one of his traditional cheap-wine-tasting competitions, which we took very seriously. Alas! Most of us had not put in enough practice, as our woeful scores indicated. Memories of school reports came back to us as Payback made his comments: "a disappointing effort"..."could do better"..."results indicate a lack of commitment". The starring performance was by Eweshggr, who scored a massive 5 out of 10! A lifetime of dedicated plonk-drinking clearly pays off!

On Saturday we headed off to Jimbour Homestead. Some were early enough to catch the orchestra and soloists in rehearsal, as well as having a wander around the manicured gardens.

A couple of hours of serious music appreciation followed, with both Superhacker and Shockjock getting into the spirit of things - each in their own way.

In a slightly truncated Christmas in July celebration Payback played Santa on Saturday evening.

And some of us did find time over the weekend to take to the national park trails:

Meanwhile, in Alaska, Charcoal sported a Samford Hash shirt in the foreground while Denali sported an ice costume on the horizon. He was later snapped wearing a Yaraka shirt (acquired during our 2016 excursion) on an Alaskan glacier. It's a long way from Yaraka!

Here's a great glacier shot by Strine:

And here's a view of an Alaskan beaver dam for those who didn't realise that beavers are also swimming animals:

Back in Samford, a hardy and jolly group of stay-at-homes staggered to the pub after a bit of a circuit.

Next run details
When: Sunday 4th August, 4 pm
Where: Mungarra Reserve, Affleck Avenue, Petrie. A map!
Hares: Budgie and Miss Behavin'

On, on!

Downhill all the way

"Downhill all the way," said the hare. "Story of my life," muttered Payback. Neither statement was true. On a typically crisp and clear Dayboro afternoon we enjoyed a circuit that went up and down and up and down and back and forth along false trails, ending up with an inspiring ascent of the hares' driveway. Was this the first time we'd had the route completed by both bike and horse as well as Shank's pony?

A beaut Thai curry - served out of one of the biggest pots you've ever seen - was followed up by apple crumble, ice cream and custard. Many, many thanks, hares, for the walk/run and your hospitality!

Miss Demeanour couldn't resist trying out her skills as an equestrienne:

Home on the range:

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world...

Hugandkiss and Mile High were drinking champagne on the platform at St Pancras Station:

Upstanding and Idle Vice were drinking in the music of the hills:

And Charcoal and Strine were beer-drinking and bear-watching in Alaska:

The culture vultures among us will be walking/running in the Bunyas next Sunday. The stayathomes will meet at John Scott Park and repair thereafter to a neighbouring hostelry.

Next run details
When: Sunday 28th July (4 pm for the stayathomes)
Where: The Bunyas for the Bunya crew. John Scott Park for those still in town.
Hares: M. Promptu. Those meeting in Samford will follow up with a pub meal.

On, on!

Soup of the evening - beautiful soup!

"Who for such dainties would not stoop? Soup of the evening - beautiful soup!"* Redbreast and Feral between them produced three tureens of beautiful soup this Sunday - all very welcome on a cold evening. Feral also helped Jamesbondage set the trail, and was evidently responsible for some pretty tricky checks. Thank, hares, and well done!

[*There's a fun rendition of the song by someone who looks a bit like Alice Liddell here; and another good version by New England band The Frost Heaves here.]

Our route took us through a mix of familiar and unfamiliar territory. Culture snapped these dozing bats along the way:

Like the bats, we wrapped ourselves up against the conditions. It will be colder in the Bunyas in a couple of weeks, though...Dalby recorded -4.8 degrees overnight, and the Bunya Mountains would have been colder.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Where's the Beef? and In Your Dreams continue to fly the Samford Hash flag. He says that members of the Sumo Hash are serious Hash fashionistas ("They all love to dress to the nines"), so it's flattering to find that our shirts make the cut. He notes that it's still rainy season in Tokyo so they are pictured at "a wet run with a live hare." In Your Dreams is "quite busy helping to gear up for 2020 Olympics and we've also been busy with helping organize 2019 Nash Hash Japan which will be outside Tokyo." They send greetings to everyone in Samford.

Next run details
When: Sunday 21st July, 4 pm
Where: Banger and Make an Offer's hilltop hacienda in Dayboro
Hares: Make an Offer and Banger

(If you need directions to this run, please email us.)

On, on!

Wonder woman wander

In the absence of Scratchit, Wonder Woman Floater not only set a varied and interesting trail, but served up a meal incorporating home-grown produce, home-made cheese and home-made sauerkraut. Talk about raising the bar! Many thanks, and congratulations!

It was a cold, wet, raw day, which may have discouraged some members from turning up. But it didn't discourage parents of the bride, Cadbury and Shaggy at the end of a big week and weekend for them. Congratulations to Tatty and Squelch! Here are a few shots from a lovely wedding:

Oi, oi!

We welcomed a visitor - Robinson Crusoe - from Thirsty Hash:

And someone who has been turning up for a while received his hash moniker with the usual ceremony. Welcome, Ramjet!

Next run details
When: Sunday 14th July, 4 pm
Where: Richard Lee Reserve, Flinders Way, Albany Creek. A map!
Hares: Redbreast and Jamesbondage

On, on!

Been a while....

It's been quite a while since we visited the area that Le W*nk and Lax took us through this last Sunday. A trawl through the archives shows that Jamesbondage and Redbreast set a trail around there back in 2011 - the day after an elegant evening of competitive cocktail concocting. And in 2013 Le W*nk took the runners on a smelly trail that actually went up the bed of Kedron Brook. Ahhh - those were the days, eh? Before anyone thought it was wrong to chuck garbage in a creek?

As you'd expect, things have changed a bit in the area. There are lots of new houses on smaller and smaller blocks. But the hills haven't got any less steep....

Around 28 of us (including a couple of newbies/visitors) gathered back at the park for some traditional snorts, snags and salads. Birthday boy Leave Pass provided dessert for the masses.

And it was just 6 sleeps to go for lovebirds Tatty and Squelch. Hope your preparations for getting hitched go without a hitch!

Meanwhile...a couple of wandering hashers, Idle Vice and Upstanding, have been enjoying the European heatwave. Here they both are, looking for some lonely Alpine goats to herd:

And here he is, living up to his name on a pristine lake:

Next run details
When: Sunday 7th July, 4 pm
Where: Collins Road, Everton Hills (Alfredson Park - near where the pie van parks). A map!
Hare: Floater

(Expect to see you there, Tatty and Squelch.)

On, on!