What goes on tour, stays on tour

Or something like that anyway.  And because Secret Women’s Business is so secretive, the list to join the chosen few is as long as my arm.  However, we aren’t taking any more members.

This is the 5th time in 8 years that I’ve attended Secret Women’s Business.  It’s been running since 1999 and I got my first invite in 2001 just after I started working with the owner of the accommodation.  I didn’t go in 2001, SWB didn’t happen in 2002, I went in 2003, I missed 2004 because I had to have my wisdom teeth removed (that explains a lot!) and I’ve been every year since then.

The biggest group I’ve been away with was 17 girls in 2005.  We went to the horse races at Armidale.  Can you imagine 17 women getting showered (in one bathroom), dressed, made up, hair done etc by 9am in the morning so we can get on the mini bus to go the races?  It was quite an experience, let me tell you.  But we had a great time and most of us came back with more money than when we left!

I almost didn’t go this year.  In the end I decided that I was going to be worried about my mum whether I stayed at home or went away, so I might as well go away and try to have some fun.  I’m pleased that I did, because I had a fantastic time.

Secret Women’s Business (SWB) is held each year at Walcha Road.  It is about 17km up the road from Walcha.  It is about  a 4 hour drive from where I live, but we stop for morning tea at Gloucester and for lunch, grocery shopping, alcohol shopping and touristy shopping at Walcha so it usually takes about 7 hours.  Of course  getting there is half the fun.

We stay in a renovated church which was the family church of the woman who owns it (along with her brothers and sisters).  The Catholic Church decided to dispose of some of it’s assets some time ago and Jenny’s family purchased the Church for next to nothing.  It was deconsecrated and renovated by Jenny and her family.  We use some of the original pews to sit on at the dinner table, the pulpit is the kitchen and the vestibule is the bathroom.  There is an electric hot water system that gives enough hot water for all of us to shower and an inside, flushing toilet.  A loft has been built just under the ceiling and this is where most of us sleep.  Those with issues with stairs and / or height sleep downstairs.  There is a wood combustion heater that keeps us toasty warm.  It’s kind of like roughing it, but not really roughing it. 

The nights were cold at SWB 2008, but the days were absolutely beautiful, probably about 25 or 26 degrees celcius.  (Check out the colour of the sky in the pics below.)

After unpacking the car, setting up our sleeping bags and stoking the fire, we take the oath of secrecy – what goes on tour stays on tour.  Then we prepare the evening meal and after tea, my close friend Nicki mixes cocktails (Nicki is an ex barmaid, ex hairdresser and ex loans officer).  This year my favourite cocktail was Sex Machine followed closely by Pirates Plunder (phunny that).  I had to sample 10 different cocktails to decide though.  Hard job, but someone had to do it.

Saturday we normally go for a walk in the clear, fresh air.   Lunch is normally at the Walcha Road Hotel about 1km up the road, but this year we over catered (who am I kidding?  We over cater every year) so our walk was up to the Hotel to cancel our lunch booking.

There was more alcohol before tea time, then we cooked tea on a hotplate over an open fire outside.  There’s nothing tastier than steak, roast veges and fried onion cooked over an open fire.

Saturday night brings more drinking (hell, I do love Caramel Mudshakes) and we have entertainment night.  Trivia is always popular and we have skits (this year we had a visit from Kath and Kim – a rip off of the Aussie comedy show) and I always write a stupid poem devoting a stanza to each person present at SWB that year which teases about something funny that they’ve done during the last 12 months since last SWB.

This year I took my video camera and taped the skits.  Because I’m a technological genius I’m going to copy it to my hard drive, edit the “movie” and burn a copy for each of the attendees.  Hahahahaha!

We also have karaoke on Saturday night, but this year we did it without the benefit of accompanying music.  We were fantastic.  And great at the chourses!

Sunday is pack up day and drive home day.  On the way home we talk about what we’re going to do next year.  I can’t wait!

Here are some photos of SWB 2008….

We’ve arrived at Capers Cottage.

Ready for the weekend – this is all of us except Wendy who doesn’t like having her photo taken, so she volunteered to be photographer instead.

 

Taking the oath.  This is all of us except Wendy who doesn’t like having her photo taken and me because I’m leading the oath and taking the photo.

Inside the church.   Dining room to the right, lounge room to the left, kitchen straight ahead.

Reverse view.  The stairs up to the loft (bedroom).  My bed is in the top right corner of the photo.

Outside view of the Church, including the old outdoor dunny.

The Walcha Road Hotel where we normally have lunch (unless we over cater!).