Multiple Displays | Oatlands - Longford TAS
Thursday: 2 April
A Day Along the Midland Highway — Six Towns, One Beloved Little Car!
What a wonderful day it turned out to be! From the first golden rays of morning to the last warm farewell of the evening, the Lord gave us one beautiful encounter after another as we made our way through six towns along the Midland Highway. Here’s a peek into our adventure!
Oatlands — A Gentle Start to the Day
The day began with a refreshing drive up the Coal River Valley, and what a treat it was! We arrived in Oatlands just before 9 am, with the morning air still fresh around us.
We unloaded dear little Bubsie and drove through town, eventually pulling up near a café — only to find it hadn’t opened its doors yet! Not to worry. We made the most of it by driving back through town, stopping at various spots along the way to put Bubsie on display and strike up conversations with the lovely locals we met.
We finished our time in Oatlands parked outside the Oatlands Roxy IGA, where we had some wonderful interactions before packing up and pointing ourselves toward Ross.
Ross — Cranks, Coffee, and a Determined Young Lad!
It was only a 25–30 minute drive to Ross, and we unloaded Bubsie right on the main street, then drove her down to the iconic Ross Village Bakery — a perfect spot for a display! We set her up out the front for about half an hour while we enjoyed a warm drink and chatted with the friendly folk at the café.
One of the highlights of the stop? A spirited young lad who was visiting with his family. He had his heart set on cranking the car and gave it a very determined go! He gave it his best shot, and Kevin was happy to jump in and show him the trick to it! What a memory to take home!
With smiles all around, we reloaded Bubsie and headed off on the short trip to Campbell Town.
Campbell Town — A Lunch Hour Full of Life
After arriving in Campbell Town, we took a little stroll through the town first to scout the best spot to display Bubsie. We decided outside Banjo’s Bakery would be just right — if we could find a park!
With a bit of teamwork (and a couple of well-placed cones!), Glenda secured the spot while Kevin brought Bubsie around the corner and tucked her in perfectly in front of the shop.
Our lunch hour display was a delight! We had a wonderful time chatting with the people who stopped to admire Bubsie and hear her story. Two young men had a go for size — one of them about Nevill’s height, and the other successfully cranked her up to everyone’s delight.
Even as we were packing up, people were still coming over wanting to hear more! We love moments like that. We reloaded Bubsie and made our way to Evandale.
Evandale — Bubsie Meets the Penny Farthing!
In Evandale, we were hoping to display outside the charming Evandale General Store. We spotted a good place to park the trailer up the road, and while Kevin went to fetch the car, I headed in to ask the store manager for permission to display out front.
Permission granted! I stood in the reserved space to hold our spot until Kevin arrived with the trailer. We unloaded Bubsie and drove her into position — just as smooth as could be.
We had a lovely time there, taking turns with the display while the other grabbed a bite of lunch. And before we left, we simply couldn’t resist taking a photo of Bubsie alongside Evandale’s most iconic symbol — the magnificent Penny Farthing bicycle. Two grand old machines together — what a picture!
Perth — Success at the Crank!
Our next stop was Perth, where we pulled up outside the IGA X-press store right on the main road through town. We were delighted to find a parking space available right out front — the Lord goes before us!
Cones out, Bubsie in position, and the people came! One gentleman in particular was absolutely thrilled to have a go at cranking Bubsie — and he nailed it! Several others stopped to chat, many of them with their own fond memories of vintage and veteran cars. Those conversations are always such a joy.
Time seemed to fly, and before we knew it, it was time to move on to our final stop for the day.
Longford — A Surprise Reunion and a Grand Finale!
Longford is only a short drive from Perth, and it made for a wonderful last display of the day. We headed to the Hill Street IGA Supermarket carpark, though getting the trailer in was a bit of a juggle — so we parked on a side street, unloaded Bubsie, closed up the trailer, and drove Bubsie in herself.
And what a welcome she got! Children and teens waved from the street as we went by, and their faces lit up when Bubsie beeped back at them. Such a simple joy!
Pulling into the carpark, we noticed a lady finishing loading her shopping just opposite the entrance, with an empty space behind her. We drove around and pulled in just as she was leaving — perfect timing! We were right in front of the supermarket walkway, with Bubsie facing the store. Couldn’t have planned it better!
Then came a lovely surprise. As we settled in, we heard a familiar voice call out from across the carpark. It was Damian Bester — the newspaper reporter we’d met in New Norfolk! Damian had posted our itinerary on the Midland News site and had actually been looking out for us. He spotted Bubsie driving into the carpark just in time!
He came over and took some wonderful photos with Bubsie and a local lady who was absolutely thrilled to see our vintage girl. We were happy to let her sit in the car for some special photos — pure joy on her face! Damian is working on content for his new newspaper serving the Midland towns, and the very first edition had just been released that day.
We also had many warm conversations with shoppers heading back to their cars, and Bubsie held court beautifully until it was time to pack up and head to our base in Devonport.
What a Day!
Six towns. Six displays. Around 100 books shared with precious people along the Midland Highway. We are so grateful for every conversation, every smile, and every moment that Bubsie opened a door for us to share her story.
We’ll be sleeping well tonight — and thanking God for a truly wonderful day on the road.
