We arrived yesterday at Bribie Island as part of an NSWIS team entered in the Queensland Open. I have some great pictures to post. We are right on the beach and the place we are staying in is modern and for sale at around a million. After my Ballina flight to Sydney, I woke up early to catch a flight from Sydney to Coolangatta. We hopped in a hire car and went for a roll up at Bribie Island Bowling Club and Pine Rivers BC for a practice session.
The Ballina Invitation singles event was amazing again. It is the third time I have been and this time I made it to the semi finals. There are 32 entrants (4 sections of 8) My first section included Rowan Brassey (25-17), Steve Halmia (25-24) and Brendan Egan (25-23). After a series of comebacks and close wins I managed to get through my section. In the quarter final I played against Kris Leitfeld and won 25-22. In the semi final I drew David Holt. He started well and kept a 5 shot lead until he got stuck on 20 where on 3 consecutive ends I converted with my last bowl. The crucial end came where I had last bowl and the score was 20-17 and I had 2 good seconds and just missed tight with good weight with my third. With my final bowl I could have ripped the bowl out for 2 or try to sit or trail with the same weight I used with my third bowl. I opted to use 2 metres of weight and as I delivered I instantly knew it was very close to the target. As it came down the breeze held my bowl onto the jack and I trialled it the 2 metres I required. The jack however caught on David’s back bowl, like an intercept pass, bounced forward 2 feet and my bowl continued passed another metre. This left me an incredible 4 down due to the forward rebound off David’s bowl. The next end David won a close measure and the game was over. David Holt went on to win the final comfortably. Holty raced out to a 22-3 lead against Mark Casey and went on to win the title.
Whilst at Ballina I met an acupuncturist Tony who is friends with Craig Teys. I stayed with the Teys’ whilst at Ballina and one night came to the club after the Calcutta (player auction) and met a few of the locals. I was introduced to Tony the next night and we started talking about when his treatments were best applied and how to best improve performance. Interestingly, Tony worked with race horses and greyhounds before humans. I ended up winning some money for him in the Calcutta by finishing in the top 8 and he offered to treat me for free before my 5pm flight out of Ballina at his clinic. I had never been to an acupuncturist before. I am interested in the holistic approach to treatment and he was very professional and very good at what he does.
Yesterday when we arrived at Bribie Island we spent some time at the beach. I went to take of my shirt and realised I had huge marks on my back, like tennis balls, from the suction caps placed over the needles throughout the acupuncture session. We found on the beach a carved out a lounge with tv, cup holders and foot rests in the sand.
Congratulations to Aaron Teys who today won the Junior State Singles. I flew down with his Dad to Sydney from Ballina and I know how much time and effort both boys put into their sport. Last time I met up with them was at the Dubbo Master Pairs where they invited me to stay with them next time I was in Ballina. Aaron is in all the junior events and if I had posted this blog last night I would have been right in predicting his victory in the singles. Good luck in the rest of the events.
I am sleeping so well. I had a glass of red wine with pasta last night and instantly fell asleep. Tonight we are cooking a barbecue at our accommodation. Everyone has settled in well and I am feeling the strongest and most confident I have ever felt leading into an event. Ballina was a great lead up and my preparation has been excellent.
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