Queensland Term Abroad

Lamington National Park

Lamington VI — 17 October: Return to Brisbane

We've had a lot of laughs on this trip, but I (Nan) haven't laughed so hard as we did returning from Lamington for a long time. To set the scene, imagine a large tour bus creeping down a winding mountain road. The road was narrow, only one lane in some spots, and there were few places to pull over or pass. Those with sensitive tummies were hunkered down with Dramamine and discmen. About half way down, our leisurely progress was further slowed by a car creeping along ahead of us. At first, we thought the car might be having mechanical trouble, but as we rounded the next bend, the real problem came into full view. Just ahead of the car were three lost sheep: a ewe, yearling and lamb. They trotted down the road ahead of the car with no real idea where else to go. The poor things were trapped; the bank to our right was too steep to climb and the drop off to the left impossible to negotiate. So down they went ahead of us on the road. We followed along for several twists of the road, hoping that the sheep would not meet an oncoming car. However, this didn't seem safe for any concerned and the passenger in the car ahead of us decided to try to herd the little flock off the road. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, one of our students, Tom Vacanti, decided to lend a hand. The first few attempts only drove the sheep farther down the road, and the car's passenger soon gave up. Not Tom! He disappeared from view along another bend in the road and the next thing we knew, the sheep came shooting out at lightning speed with Tom pumping furiously behind them. In another second, they had disappeared from view again. But before any of us could recover, the sheep came flying back up the hill toward us with Tom close on their heels. At last, the sheep were out of our way and a triumphant Tom boarded the bus to cheers. Not to worry about the sheep, however, we warned the oncoming cars to be on the lookout. Thanks to Sarah Steuer for two pictures.