Hello everyone,

Just a quick post to let you know about the Cairns Ukulele Festival.

The Cairns Ukulele Festival core dates are the 3rd of July and the 4th of July. I am sure you are all aware of what a good time of the year it is to be in North Queensland, and with other events on this time of year (Mareeba Rodeo for example), it's worth planning to be here in July!

The Festival on the 3rd is a community style event on the Esplanade with free performances by schools, community groups and the legendary Seaman Dan! On the 4th, the activities take place at the Tanks Arts Centre, set in the rainforest. International ukulele artists such as Daniel Ho from Hawaii and James Hill from Canada will be performing and there will be workshops for players of all levels all day long!

For the art lovers, there's a ukulele art exhibition benefiting charity held in the Cairns Regional Gallery.

The festival web site is: http://cairnsukulelefestival.net - which is being updated all the time.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Gaby

Hi Gaby,I'm a relative newbie here too....welcome to the mob here, they are  very helpful, supportive and talented folks.

I have seen uke artists and groups at the Byron Blues Fest and they're amazing. I particularly remember a woman from US who had a whole collection of ukes , one being steel like a tiny dobro. It certainly is an added incentive to go north...I used to live in the seaview range and haven't been back for a very long time!   Cheers and thanks  Denise :)

Welcome Gaby. That sounds interesting. I missed it last year, and it looks like I'll miss it this year too. Accommodation my be a minor problem in the peak of the tourist season, but if people plan ahead I'm sure there will be a space for them somewhere. Some van parks are cluttered with annual nomads sitting out winter, but with a phone call a day or two ahead, there should be a place somewhere. When I arrived here in July 08 I just called the park a day before I was to arrive, and I'm still here. Maybe Gaby you could contact folks you know around town to see if there's room in their driveways during the festival. Or else they may be able to get a space up at Mareeba at the Rodeo Grounds where there are hundreds of powered sites, even during the rodeo. I hope the festival planning goes well, and the festival is a success. It sounds fun.

Sounds great Gaby, should be very entertaining. Still remember George Formby (Ukulely George) the British comedian singing and playing his Banjolele singing his songs, although he started on the Ukelele, he mainly played the Banjolele later on, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Formby,_Jr.  

Other links for George Formby including video links here;
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=George+Formby&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-au:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&redir_esc=&ei=h7GIS9n0FM-HkQWXx5SdDw 


I Prefer Banjo's myself, especially the dual scene from that movie Deliverance, that was fantastic! Golden Banjo's was great to listen to as well.

-- Edited by Wonker on Saturday 27th of February 2010 03:40:11 PM

-- Edited by Wonker on Saturday 27th of February 2010 03:47:58 PM

We're still early in the peak season but you're right, it's better to plan ahead. It'd be worth trying to get a spot at the city parks as they are fairly close to where the action will be. Thanks for your feedback though and I will take your comments board, Cruising Granny. I will see if any of the ukulele club members are able to have a few guests. If they do I will be sure to let you know here!

 A very warm welcome to the 'Grey Nomads Forum' Gaby and many thanks for the festival dates. Sounds like it will be a fantastic show. As our treasured 'Cruising Granny' has mentioned, it would be great if you could put the feelers out for any available sites, for those of us who would like to be there for this special event.
My Queen Jenny and I have just completed our 'Southern Sojourn'  and will be making our way up to Cairns during May. We are planning to be in Northern QLD for about 4 months, so we will definitely be at the festival.  

I thought it was only Tiny Tim who had one of those things, you mean to say there is more than one, god help us all!! "Tip toe, through the tulips"!!!! welcome to the forum, Gaby, I hope you get mobs of folks up there!

Hi Gaby - I'm a newcomer to the lifestyle - will be on the road april 25 and heading up to Cairns or Mareeba for Christmas in July - not sure what it is all about - but I'll be in it anyway!!  Didn't know it was a rodeo (I hate rodeos!!!)  but maybe I can miss that and just listen to the ukes.  I'll be looking for a site for the van maybe when I'm closer - or just take a chance.  Maybe see you there.  Cheers Rainey

Thanks Gaby.........I'll have a look..........Dave...Tiny Tim......good for a laugh even if he was really only a one hit wonder ! (Ugly Bugger).

A uke played well by a Maori or anyone for that matter is a lot of fun. Add a guitar and mandoline and it's a lot more fun. Singalong to your heart's content. Much toe tapping to be had by all.

Hi Gaby, I remembered the name of the woman at the Blues fest who played uke, its Del Rey, playing with Steve James.

If you go to 'You Tube' you can see them play "Dance Hall Shuffle " and other stuff.  She's pretty amazing.   Cheers Denise

yes Wonker he was a big mongrel as well! was that the only one he had!!

dave06 wrote:

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yes Wonker he was a big mongrel as well! was that the only one he had!!

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Yup Dave, it sure was, thank goodness. 
My band 'The Bushmen'  had the misfortune of supporting him in Italy back in 1966.
We would have preferred listening to cats mating instead of having to listen to that dreadful wailing voice of his. 

Do you still belong to that Band, if so do you have CD'S, I like a good bush band, we came across one in morgan during the "river ramble" hell they were good, another one was a Ballad based group, they had a song for the miners, had me in tears!