Oh boy, do I have a story for you! When I was just a wee lad, my family and I embarked on an adventure to Brisbane to visit my Uncle Bill and Aunty Mavis for our school break. And guess what? They had a house right by the beach! We had never seen so much water before, it was absolutely wild!

But let me tell you, going on a holiday with my family was no easy feat. My dear old Mum would spend days getting ready, running around like a tornado and getting all worked up about forgetting something. Meanwhile, my Dad knew better than to get in her way and just let her do her thing.

We were going to catch the famous Flying Flea train to Charleville, and let me tell you, my Dad was absolutely stoked about it. He kept saying that this train was so fast, it only touched the tracks when it crossed them! It was the fastest passenger train in Queensland, and the driver would speed up just so he could have a break and some tea and biscuits before the next leg. Impressive, right?

Now, getting to the train was a whole other story. We had to drive for two hours on a dusty and dry road, and my Dad was just hoping that our car wouldn’t break down like last time. We spent just as much time waiting on the side of the road for it to cool down as we did actually driving. When steam started coming out of the bonnet, it was time to pull over and let it cool down. My Dad would cover his hand with an old shirt and attack the radiator cap like he was storming a hill. It was pretty epic to watch, but he knew if it was too hot, boiling water would go everywhere!

Eventually, we made it to Quilpie train station around lunch time. It was hot and dusty, and there wasn’t much shade to be found. But let me tell you, when the train arrived early, it was like an invasion with all the people getting off and unloading their bags. My Mum was freaking out, telling us to stay together and making sure we didn’t get lost in the chaos.

But you know what? Despite all the craziness and mishaps, that trip was one of the best adventures my family and I ever had together.