SSAA Tin Can Bay Annual Qld Spring Rendezvous
16-17 August 2008

SSAA Tin Can Bay Range was really smokin’ on the weekend of August 16 and 17 for the annual Queensland ‘Spring’ Rendezvous. While it wasn’t quite spring, the weather presented so beautifully that it might just as well have been.

Black Powder shooters, families and friends came from far and wide to share in a weekend of pure enjoyment. The Tin Can Bay Club hosted members from Brisbane, Ipswich, Fraser Coast, Sunshine Coast, Chinchilla, South Burnett, Gladstone, Dalby and Carrara and members from as far away as Port Macquarie and Grafton in New South Wales.

Sign-on began at 8am on Saturday in readiness for the day’s competition, which began with a 13-shot Walk-Up Shoot, followed by a four-team Stake Shoot. After that, shooters enjoyed a special Tin Can Bay Turkey Shoot, which involved one of two ‘turkeys’ popping up to make competitors look in more than one direction. The rest of Saturday was taken up with senior and junior ‘Gongs’ and a late Pistol event.

Visitors and local members shared in a traditional Tin Can Bay seafood dinner on Saturday night, along with dampers cooked in camp ovens made on open fireplaces, before the ‘Fire-lighting Without Matches’ competition.

Sunday began with another 8am sign-on, followed by a Revolver shoot, a Musket event, Shotgun and Hawk and Knife Throwing for seniors and juniors. Following lunch, trophies were awarded, before our visitors began their way home.

The whole weekend was blessed with wonderful weather, good company, great shooting events and many tall stories. We were also pleasantly surprised to welcome quite a few young enthusiasts who will hopefully join us again in May 2009 along with their older counterparts.