From the earliest, I can remember, my dad would tell tales of Australia and Papua New Guinea where he served during World War II. They were a part of the world he had come to love. So much so that he went awol in New Guinea and spent time with the natives. He did go back to building airstrips and eventually came back to Colorado. He swore it was the only place where he was not cold.
June 7, 1987, my hubby won a “free” trip to Australia. So in April of the next year, we wandered from Sydney to Cairns, then off to Alice Springs and Uluru before a short visit back in Sydney. At the time we figured it would be our only chance to visit Australia, and we made arrangements to spend our entire 4 weeks of vacation there. Little did I know that 32 years later I would have Australia once again in my sights along with New Zealand.
The plan is that I will be traveling on my own sharing my love of animals, fabric, color, and creativity with local guilds and quilt groups. That at least is what Brenda Wood, in Brisbane, and I have been talking about for the last year. Now Andrea, in New Zealand and Quilt Norfolk have joined in the conversation. We are trying to make this trip a reality for October 2020.
I hate to admit that I had to get out the Google map and check where Norfolk Island was. Wow! What a beautiful spot. Not to take anything away from New Zealand’s beauty, or the fantastic red of Australia. It is all so different from the dull browns I’m looking at out my window while waiting for spring in the Rockies to arrive.
So now the questions are, will there be enough interest in classes to make it worth the 19+ hours of travel just to get to that side of the world? Who will host classes? Would you be interested in a quick 2-day class or a weeklong retreat where you can possibly finish your animal portrait?
You can help us with our planning by:
• leaving a comment on this blog or my Facebook page
• talking with your local shop or quilt group
• contacting Brenda Wood at TwoSewTextiles@yahoo.com.au
• contacting me at barbara@barbarayatesbeasley.com
I look forward to hearing from you. Let’s give it a fair go mate.