62 - Still at Goondiwindi

Well as the heading says, we are still in "Gundy."

Been here near on three weeks now, with another ten days to go, making a departure date 1st April. A liitle more news further down on "where do we go next."

In the meantime, a little more on Gundy........well to mine it is one of the nicest, and most friendly town we have come accross in our travels.. The town is pretty, the streets are clean, and the folks are good old fashion country folk. I just love it here out west.

I read a million stories about how the Geriatric Gypsies, like us, who pour monety into the local community....and we are no different. Sure the town is quite wealthy, just in its own infastructure. However I am having the Val getting a full work over, mechanically next week, four new tyres on the RetroLiner, the bride as she does supports the local newsagency with the never ending stream of scratchies and lotto. She has also spent money on new uniforms for our next gig, as well as yours truly also to spend a motza also on new uniforms next week. More on that again later.

The motel as I have mentioned before has, and is a good gig. However this will be our last one, as we are retiring from these unforging hours to do...................................stay tooooooned.

This is the view from our residence overlooking the reviver driver park . Only one better view was the one at Bermi a few years ago.

This is the view taken also from the balcony looking left. The motel in the back ground is the Ascot Lodge, the sister building to the one in Kingaroy. Strangely enough we have been asked to manage this one.

A few distances from Gundy

The bridge over the McIntyre

The Gunsyn Memorial

Gollow the history of Gunsynd

Our Gunsynd
Gunsynd was one of the most courageous and charismatic horses to race in Australia. He loved the crowds and the crowds loved him.



Gunsynd was bred in northern New South Wales, and bought for $1,300 by a group of friends from the Queensland border town of Goondiwindi – which forever put that town on the map and earned for the horse the affectionate nickname of the “Goondiwindi Grey”. Under trainer Bill Wehlow, Gunsynd won his first three starts in Brisbane and his first start at Warwick Farm, ran sixth in the 1970 Golden Slipper, and a week later won the Fernhill Handicap.

In his three-year-old preparation, Gunsynd won twice in Queensland before being placed in the Rosehill Guineas, the AJC Derby and the Queensland Derby. His last start for trainer Wehlow was as a four-year-old when he won the Doomben Flying Handicap.



Transferred to trainer Tommy Smith, Gunsynd realised his full potential. Under Smith Gunsynd had 32 starts for 17 victories and only one unplaced run. In the spring of 1971 he won the Epsom Handicap, the Toorak Handicap, the George Adams Handicap and the Sandown Cup. In the autumn of 1972 he recorded 5 straight wins including the Futurity Stakes and the Doncaster Handicap. In the spring of 1972 he captured the Cox Plate, ran a magnificent third in the Melbourne Cup under 60.5 kgs, and won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. In his final campaign in the autumn of 1973 he won the Blamey Stakes and a second Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

On his retirement Gunsynd had 29 wins from 54 starts, with the then Australian record prizemoney of $280,455.




Visit the Gunsynd Memorial Statue, located near the Visitors Information Centre, then take the time to browse the Gunsynd and Rodeo Memorabilia Display.