Well after a quiet home time since Alaska, I was really keen to head off to Woodford in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland of Queensland for a couple of Folk Festival days to farewell 2018.

My generous brother, sister-in-law and niece shared the  Tent City two-room tent with me and we arrived after a smooth ride and a stop for a teenager’s thirst for frappe to the 400 tents for the slacko campers like me who value a bit of off-ground sleep – though with the thin camp stretcher mattresses we were glad that the 2 nephews had ended up staying back home, so we (well 2 of us) were able to double our protection from the wire frame.  I felt very privileged not to be in one of the smaller 600 tents in a different section of the revitalised former dairy farm.

Woodfordia offers a diversity of people-watching, music, food, and delicious thirst-quenching healthy drinks, street performers, comedy, cultural lectures, eco offerings, stalls aplenty and workshops.

Families and friends and fun-lovers and fairly alternate gather for this week of wonders each year.  The outfits were amazing.

Day 1 was really laid-back and spent searching for shade.  People-watching was the highlight – while sipping (no straws) the fruit punch pineapple/ginger under the cascading fig tree was second only to the discovery of funguys gf tempura mushroom dish.  OH MY!  Trying to recreate back home…..a BIG winner.  Congratulations on such a delicious combination.  LSM was back home missing it all….cricket was beckoning.

The challenge of the highlighter and the app was off and running!  I preferred the feel and smell of the printed program, while the family thought the app was a godsend and a must.  At least I was able to help pad my backside with the program while on the hill watching the Grande venue artists…and after a few hours, the crush and the fall of night, my tailbone was wailing for the relief of the chairs.  But what a view to see Irish Mythen, The Waifs and Dan Sultan!  And Govinda’s vegetarian curries were not hard to take for dinner.

Day 2 was a hoot after the meditation and call to the Day with the Tibetan singing bowls – and continued with meandering to all the venues on the highlighted page, a few purchases and Thatchers Cider and chatting with friends.  So many artists and Ukelele Mix was such fun.  More of funguys plates……SO mushy good!

Nightfall and the lights cast a mystical twinkle.

The countdown to NYE and the partying on in to the wee hours was enjoyed from the tent….LOL!  I was using the sore tailbone as the excuse.  Then all too soon it was the Tibetan call to the New Year sunrise and the farewell to Tent City and back to the unsurreality of Brisbane and home.

Bucket list ticked!

With this experience glowing in my head, it wasn’t long before I was googling accommodation for our February trip to Victoria and looking forward to the next travel adventure.

Happy Travlyn