Two Families and a Weekend in the Country!
FAMILY ONE makes the drive from Toowoomba
Arriving in Roma on Thursday evening, we experience the Outback Tucker under the Stars at the famous Roma Saleyards and what can we say but – wow! The record crowds, big bright moon, crisp temperature, and amazing local produce cooked by celebrity chef Matt Golinski made this event a great evening to kick off the weekend celebrations.
Before bed we enjoyed a quiet drink at the Royal on Ninety-Nine (which became our second home over the weekend). What a great pub and venue for evening entertainment for all ages including the two kids!
First up Good Friday we had a sleep in (the first time in a while) and discussed what we were going to do that day – thanks for leaving the festival program in our room Helen and Charlie! What a challenge this proved to be – we ended up with a boys team and a girls team, but one thing was for sure; we would ALL be at the Easter Egg Hunt at the Big Rig Parklands that afternoon!
FAMILY TWO joins FAMILY ONE
Our family friends arrived in Roma late Friday afternoon and excitement levels amongst the now four kids was extremely high. We packed them up and headed to the Extreme Bulls at Bassatt Park – perfect!
DAD from FAMILY TWO is an avid bike rider and MUM from FAMILY ONE can’t get enough of long distance running.
Making sure to factor in a run and ride each morning as well as swimming at the pool; we were living like locals. What a fantastic community with great local assets – the undercover 50m swimming pool, the running and bike trails and the lovely bird park…for our two active families, Roma ticks all the boxes. Oh, and the coffee and milkshakes at Queen's Bean and dinner at Royal on Ninety-Nine – great way to refuel the family.
Accommodation at Roma Central was excellent – 5 star! Thanks to Helen and Charlie for their friendly and professional hospitality.
Saturday and Sunday saw us ticking off our bucket lists of firsts. It was so much fun to do something you had never done before and experience life as a local!
Our list went something like this:
1. Mud Derby – the most amount of messy, muddy fun
2. Goat Races – who knew goats were this good!
3. Fred Brophy Boxing Tent – intense but an experience not to be missed
4. Wife Carrying Race – we will definitely be talking about this race for years to come!
The street parade on Saturday morning was loaded with community pride – it was fabulous to see the locals brimming with pride as they showed the visitors what makes Roma and the Maranoa a great place to live and visit. You should be very proud, Roma!
Sunday morning, we missed the colour run, so instead the wives rallied their trusty steads (aka husbands) and saddled up for the Wife Carrying Race. With record entries, the lineup was tough. We didn’t take out the trophy (boo), but we gave the kids an opportunity to laugh at their parents for the rest of the weekend. We will be back in 2018 after an intense training regime next year, Roma!
THE HIGHLIGHTS
FAMILY ONE – Picking one highlight was incredibly hard – we loved getting amongst the activity and feeling like a local, like celebrating with the local community groups in the street parade, helping with the goat races, competing against the locals in the wife carrying race and cheering on the local lads in the Fred Brophy boxing tent.
FAMILY TWO – Extreme Bulls would have to be the highlight – not only the bulls, but the one-liners by the commentators…
‘Safer than a salad in Clive Palmer's lunch box’
‘More air time than Bronwyn Bishop’
‘Nastier than a bus stop public toilet’
‘More disappointed than a Parramatta supporter in September’
KIDS – Riding their bikes around Roma bird park and skate park but who could go past laughing at Mum and Dad in the wife carrying race (the kids will be laughing for days)
OVERALL – The early morning bike rides and the evening walks around Roma followed by dinner at Royal on Ninety-Nine were also highlights.
In summary, the parents enjoyed the easy things and ‘firsts’, and the kids enjoyed the free things and parent time. Roma Easter in the Country could satisfy all of this and more – a perfect family weekend.
There was so much in the program, we missed a few things that will be on top of the list for next year’s event! See you in 2018, Roma!
BOTH FAMILIES make the drive home
On our journey home to Toowoomba on Monday morning, we spent time exploring the Miles Historical Museum. This would have to be the best historical museum we have been to – the staff and volunteers should be highly commended on the quality and cleanliness, and the friendly, knowledgeable customer service by Anne!