Gumleaf ’19
How y’going folks
Merry Christmas! December again already. What to buy for the grandkids this year?
I’m at Willoshed, still worrying about bushfires, especially at the cottage. I now have a fire-fighting trailer ready to go. Cleaning up around the house is a priority, but with the heat and little rain in sight, the gums are constantly shedding their leaves to cover the ground.
I was delighted to be asked to do the ABC Brisbane concert last Friday night. Some of you might have been there. What a hot night it was! It was great for Meg and I to catch up with our mates, Graeme and Lyn Connors after the concert. My last concert for the year is next weekend, the ‘Hay Mate’ concert, a Bush Christmas appeal for the farmers, at Mornington Racecourse in Victoria. What a great event that will be. Then I’m done for the year, with Christmas to think about.
Next year is ‘Old Man Emu’s’ 50th birthday. It will be a big year, but also my ‘Winding Back’ tour. We hope to have a special collectors’ edition of a mini-disc CD set featuring twenty-five of my own drawings on the covers. I don’t plan to do the regular touring in 2021, but will continue to do festivals and specials if people want me. Our concerts at ‘Willoshed’ are selling amazingly fast. Saturday has been sold out for some time and Sunday now has less than 45 tickets left.
We love going across to the West. WA has always been good to me. My concert in Perth at His Majesty’s, in March, sold out so quickly, that I’m really pleased we’ve just announced these last touring dates for 2020. I’ll be doing three concerts: Bunbury, Mandurah and Perth, 12-14th November. Tickets are on sale now. Hope to see you there.
I saw what I reckon is a wallaroo in the paddock the other day. With no cattle or sheep on the property anymore, the wildlife will return, once word gets out; especially as there is no grass anywhere else. I have dedicated the property to nature but will keep the grass slashed where I can.
We are desperately worried about the koalas everywhere along the east coast. The Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie now estimate about 2000 koalas were lost in the recent fires around Port. What a shocking tragedy! Donations are still welcome. The money will provide water stations along the east coast and further inland (for all the native animals), but also to establish a koala breeding program. In my opinion, the wildlife are the real owners of Australia.
Australia Day weekend is going to be hectic. I’m in Tamworth for my usual concert on the Friday night, rehearsal for the Opera House on Saturday night, then off to Australia Zoo for their morning concert, then the Sydney Opera House steps in the early evening. What a schedule!
I’m really excited to announce my Vietnam Music Safari trip in March 2021. After doing two fabulous African Music safaris, we thought we’d try somewhere new. These small group experiences are some of the most memorable things Meg and I have done. Matt Collins, who runs these tours, is a real attention-to-detail person, so I know this one will be just as good as the previous two. We’ve always been joined by a great group of people and made some lasting friendships. Hope you can join us in 2021.
Have a beauty of a Christmas, folks; Meg and I will. Keep safe on the roads and especially from the fires. See you along the road of song in 2020.
Johnno