Christmas in the Bush

The Western Downs is really getting into the festive season this year with an amazing number of community events scheduled over the coming weeks. There is everything from Christmas Street Parties, Christmas Concerts, and special Christmas Markets to make sure everyone can experience a very special Christmas in the bush!

Christmas Markets

Our Lady of the Southern Cross College will be hosting a Christmas Fair, Markets, and Carols on  Sunday 27 November.

Saddle Up Santa

'Saddle Up Santa' Street Parade and Party will be held in Dalby on Wednesday, 30 November in Cunningham Street from 5pm.

Mayoral Christmas Carols

Celebrate the holiday season in Chinchilla! Join the celebrations on Saturday, 3 December from 5pm at the Chinchilla Museum.

Carols in the Park

Hosted by Combined Churches of Dalby and the Mayor of the Western Downs, join the fun from 6pm on Sunday, 11 December at Thomas Jack Park for a night of festivities.

Miles Christmas Street Carnival

The Miles & District Chamber of Commerce Christmas Street Carnival will be held on Thursday 8 December from 5pm in Anzac Park. 

Carols by Candelight Jandowae

Don't miss the beautiful Carols By Candlelight Jandowae on Friday, 9 December. Bring your best voices, picnic rugs & chairs and enjoy the Christmas Festivities.

Chinchilla Street Party

The CCCI Christmas Street Party will be on Thursday 15 December from  5pm – 9pm at Heeney Street, Chinchilla.

For more detailed information about these wonderful Christmas events click here.

If you’re planning a visit from outside the Western Downs, pick somewhere convenient like Chinchilla and use it as an overnight stay point. With plenty of facilities and great accommodation options like Kings Park Accommodation available, you know you’ll get your bush Christmas off to the best start possible. Contact us today to book your stay!

Fusions on the Field

Fusions on the Field will be the first of its kind for the small rural town of Chinchilla.

An entertainment event to rival the capital cities of Australia. Think music under the stars plus the best festival atmosphere in regional Queensland. Modern music, fresh sounds, local music competition and festival foods all coming together in Chinchilla on Friday 4 November.

The local council thought Fusion on the Field would be a fabulous way to kick start the horse racing season and the team at Kings Park Accommodation agree.

Host MC Alex Dyson will introduce the headlining act Kingswood and other great bands such as Clea, Good Boys and Gawurra.  

Tickets are selling fast, so click here to secure yours now. Then make sure you call Kings Park Accommodation or book online   to make for a perfect weekend of music, horses racing and luxury accommodation in the outback.

Celebrating 120 Years of Campdrafting

Grab your hat, your cowboy boots and head out to Chinchilla this month for the annual Grandfather Clock Campdraft. Every year people travel vast distances all over the country to meet and compete in this thrilling contest that’s unique to Australia. This year marks the 120th anniversary of Chinchilla’s rich history with this rural Aussie sport.

The Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Campdraft is one of the most prestigious campdrafts in Australia and is one of the 'big three' that make up the Triple Crown series of campdrafts in October. This year the event will be held from 20 – 23 October at the Showgrounds.

The four-day event will attract some of the best horses and competitors there is, all vying for over $60,000 in prize money and a shot at the $30,000 Triple Crown. The Grandfather Clock trophy was first donated almost 50 years ago, and the social, cultural and historical significance of the Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Campdraft is second to none.

In 2016, with an anticipated 300 plus competitors, along with their families and spectators, more than 1000 people are expected to pass through the gates. To make sure you are part of all the action in Chinchilla during the campdraft weekend book your room at Kings Park Accommodation today. You don't want to miss out on watching the best of the best trying to stake their claim on the Chinchilla Grandfather Clock!

So what exactly is campdrafting?*

The sport of Campdrafting in Australia was born in the bush. Men of the country pitted their riding skills and horseflesh against one another as entertainment in harsh conditions. Stock "camped" for the night, were "drafted" to demonstrate who was the superior horseman and who had the best horses. From this simple beginning, the uniquely Australian sport of "Campdrafting" developed.

Today, Campdrafting involves a mounted rider riding into a "camp" (corral or yard) which has six to eight head of cattle in it. The rider (cuts out) one steer or heifer from the cattle in the camp and brings that beast to the front of the camp and block and turns that beast at least two or three times to prove to the judge that they have the beast under control. The rider then calls for the gates to be opened.  The cut out is worth a total of 26 points.

The rider then proceeds to draft (work) the beast around a figure of eight in a larger arena. 

Generally, the course is set to the left and once the beast has gone around the left peg, it must then be drafted around a peg on the right.

Once that is completed, the rider then guides the steer through the "gate" which is two pegs placed apart.

Once gated, the campdraft is complete and the rider can be awarded up to a total of 100 points.  Points are awarded for horsemanship and control of the beast... within set time limits (usually 45-47 seconds). 

*Information provided by Australian Campdrafting Association

Surviving The Ride - Road Tripping with Kids

The flowers are blooming, the weather is warming and the school holidays are just around the corner. If you are hitting the road this spring we can arm you with entertainment ideas, survival strategies, and practical advice to help you plan so getting there really is half the fun.

Road Trips: Packing

Long road trips with kids aren't always fun but they are doable, and at times even enjoyable. Some things to pack in the car:

• Pack one small bag that contains clothes for the next day, an extra change of clothes (for spills), PJs, a toothbrush, and anything else you need for that day and night. It will be much easier than going through the big suitcase. 
• If you are travelling with small kids, take their comforter, blanket and/or pillow. This is really important if your road trip includes an overnight stay. Kids like their own stuff, particularly at bedtime in a strange place. The pillow comes in handy for when the kids want to take a nap in the car.
• Kids, but especially babies and toddlers drop, spill, and spit up. Keep a roll of paper towels and a box of wipes in the front seat for easy cleanups. Keep a plastic bag handy too.

Road Trips: Surviving the Ride

• Pick the best time to drive. This can be tricky as it depends on so many factors like how long you plan to drive for and how old your children are. You also need to consider which direction you are driving to factor in the sun rising and setting as this is a safety issue.
• Snack, snacks and more snacks. Pack healthy snacks that the kids will want to eat and a few little treats. You don't want them to have a sugar high in the back seat! 
• Beat the boredom. Load some kid favorites onto your iPod or take some of your child's CDs. Portable DVD players can be a lifesaver, too. New DVDs they haven't seen are a bonus. Kids often have a hard time with headphones, though, so make sure they're comfortable before you go, and have at least one backup pair.

Road Trips: Making Stops

• Build in extra time. You know how hard it is getting out the door in the morning with a baby? The same laws of nature apply to trips in the car. You'll have to stop for feedings, diaper changes, and stretching breaks. You'll be much less stressed if you accept that it may take twice as long to get there as it did in your pre-kid days and plan accordingly.
• Stop often -- for little and big breaks. Yes, you want to get there, but letting your kids burn off some steam will make the time in the car more bearable. 
• Be aware that 20 minutes after your longish lunch stop, your toddler will need to stop again for a bathroom break.

 If you are road-tripping with the family these school holidays, pick somewhere convenient like Chinchilla and use it as an overnight stay point. With plenty of facilities and great accommodation options like Kings Park Accommodation available as a launch point, you know you’ll get your outback experience off to the best start possible. Contact us today to book your stay!

Light up the Sky

This weekend the best meteor shower in a decade will light up the skies, with parts of the display featuring debris from a comet that passed us 1000 years ago.

The annual Perseid meteor shower typically peaks in August and is due to pass our skies early Saturday and Sunday morning. 

This year experts have predicted there will be a special "outburst" which means viewers will get more than the usual showing, with the best places experiencing up to 200 meteors per hour.

Watchers in Queensland will not have as good a display as those in the northern hemisphere, but keen watchers warm clothes and patience will be rewarded. There is no need for binoculars or anything other than the naked eye as the meteors are arriving over a reasonably large area of the sky.

The Perseids occur each year when Earth's rotation intersects with the trail of the Comet Swif-Tuttle. The reason for this year's extra showing is because as comets deposit particles when they go around the sun, and over time, the gravitational influence of Jupiter and other giant planets (but mainly Jupiter) changes the particle orbits, and as a result, their close approach distances to Earth will vary.

So if you're keen the best time to see them will be after 1:30am Saturday and after 2:30am Sunday. Being west away from the light pollution will help also.

Chinchilla has some fabulous viewing spots and is certainly away from light pollution, so come and stay with us this weekend to watch this amazing light show. Call us now to book or click here to book online.