It was a trip down memory lane for a group of Baby Boomers who grew up in Gunnedah and have now spread their wings far and wide.
The annual Awesome Sixties reunion was held at Somerset Dam in Queensland from March 25 to April 1, with former locals gathering for a few days of fun and recreation.
Tuesday and Wednesday was given over to meet-and-greet and ‘happy hour’ at the camp kitchen with lots of stories to tell, smiling faces and putt-putt golf won by Graham Coombes, Dave Smart, Sue Smart and ‘Chop’ Elphick.
With a Hawaiian theme, or loud shirts, there was an explosion of colour with lunch at the Kilcoy Exchange Hotel, just 26km away, where they were joined by several day visitors who lived in the area. A country music show at the pub added to the enjoyment.
Back at camp, happy hour included music with former local Dave Walters, who now lives in Cairns with his wife Judy, and a fun social evening.
On the Thursday, the serious punters were out in force for Bingo, while Friday was a ‘chill out’ day, for catching up and old memories, or a spot of fishing. Some of the visitors were farewelled.
Music, happy hour and bingo filled Saturday, with putt putt golf and, bingo again on Sunday and happy hour.
There was another trip to Kilcoy pub for some great music on Monday, with keen punters geared up for the Kilcoy race meeting but it was washed out due to the wet weather conditions.
When Tuesday came, it was time to say goodbye and head off in other direction, some returning home while others ventured into new places following the tourist trail.
The reunion has often been held at Lake Keepit but Somerset Dam is a popular as many former residents now live in Queensland, some as far away as Cairns and Darwin.
Somerset is a mass concrete gravity dam, known for its role in water supply, flood mitigation, and recreation. The dam also provides water to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Logan City. It’s a popular destination for fishing, boating, and other water sports.
On land the park is a great spot for stargazing at night.
