Fresh from performances at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival, Gympie Muster, a live tour with daughter Kasey Chambers and both a new album and DVD launched this year Bill Chambers is set to hit the stage at the Lions Den Hotel at the start of December!!!!

Bill Chambers will be supported by  far north favorites The Hillbilly Goats and musical icon Kirk Steel. There's much more to Bill Chambers than just being Kasey's dad and the patriarch of the Chambers Clan is considered by some to be Australia's premier alternative-country guitarist. He can be a master of delicate picking on Dobro or Lap Steel and a demon on Slide. We can’t wait to see this country music legend on stage at our little pub....so get down here and support this huge event! ......SATURDAY 3^rd DECEMBER 7PM

Sometimes I feel like we are the luckiest little hotel in the world and certainly the luckiest people in the world, to share our guitars, our time, our funny furniture, our beer, local characters and hospitality with the talented mob of musos, that keep turning up each week to play some cool tunes, blow the froth off a cold one and kick back with nothin’ much else to do but remember to keep time....and that’s just the ones that live here. Thanks Johnny Green for sharing some of your awesome friends.....hope they like the way we do things up here!

Faith Nulley

LIONS DEN HOTEL

Ph:   (07) 4060 3911

Fax: (07) 40603958

www.lionsdenhotel.com.au

This year’s June long weekend included one of the best music line ups at the Lions Den Hotel, yet seen! Music talent from as far south as NSW  gathered together to put on a fabulous weekend of music which included the mesmerising skill of the Derringers , the jaw dropping Hank Green and his Blues Band, Johnny thunderbolt Gray as well as crowd favourites the Roadtrippers and the Hillbilly Goats.

Those lucky enough to be here on Friday night enjoyed the rare opportunity to see talented musicians unplugged and unguarded in a ‘no rules’ jam session that put some of Australia’s most talented musicians side by side under the veranda of the Den. Saturday visitors were entertained by Jim’s wild and amazing snakes and were able to get up close and personal with the more friendly ones, while kids got their faces painted, got tattooed and generally revelled in the play equipment.

Cairns music talent Rio led the fabulous Derringer boys on Saturday arvo with cool jazz sounds and blistering guitar that made the group impossible to ignore and impossible to forget. Saturday night saw the introduction of far north Queensland’s favourite band the Roadtrippers, who got the place rocking for the much anticipated Hank Green’s Blues Band. Showcasing some of Australia’s best blues musicians this band included Johnny Green and Grunter from the Blues Cowboys, Johnny Thunderbolt Gray and of course the 14 year old blues prodigy Hank Green himself who just brought the place alive!

Joined later on stage by the Derringers rising star Rio, the two boys carved a place in Lions Den history with their spine tingling guitar talents. Saturday night continued with the Roadtrippers and Hank Green’s Blues band sharing the spotlight to bring the crowd a constant stream of mind blowing and memorable music.

On Sunday the fantastic weather continued and at lunchtime the famous ‘Goats’ of the north the Hillbilly Goats showed why they are one of the best performers in the country, entertaining the crowd throughout the afternoon. Sunday arvo featured the famous Cane Toad races and a massive prize pool of $270 going to Gav with his toad “Fat Bastard”. Thanks to all who came to share this great weekend with the staff and locals of the Lions Den Hotel and of course all the wonderful musicians who made this weekend possible.... we look forward to sharing another great one with you next year!!!!

Well it just goes to show that no matter where you go you can’t get away from the Lions Den Hotel and the lovely people that frequent it. Here is a picture from the gorgeous, gorgeous mountains of Europe....a long way from home, thanks to our favourite Scot David. Go the Den!!

If you have a picture of a Lions Den stubby holder or similar in a different location send it to us at info@lionsdenhotel.com.au

As of last night the BLOOMFIELD CROSSING IS NOW OPEN TO 4WD VEHICLES!!!

The Bloomfield River Crossing – As most of you know the Bloomfield River causeway has been out of action on the Bloomfield Track since the first week of February this year and there has been ongoing speculation about the date of its’ much anticipated repair. I am pleased to report that the Cairns Regional Council has just announced that  “Work on the rough, four-wheel-drive only temporary crossing will start next week as an initial stage of the works and is expected to be completed within two weeks.” So folks it looks like a temporary four wheel drive crossing over the river will be open by the end of May. Works will be ongoing as the permanent crossing is being constructed but council have promised to “allow limited 4WD access over the crossing on specific days and at specific times”. The Bloomfield Track is in great condition both sides of the crossing. We will try to keep you updated on the crossing times as they become available.

Those planning on travelling north from Cairns to the Lions Den Hotel, Cooktown and Cape York should remember that the picturesque inland Mulligan Highway is OPEN to all traffic at all times of day and may present a faster and alternative option for those travellers wishing to avoid delays at the Bloomfield crossing.

Cape York Roads – Most roads to the Cape are now OPEN. There is a 5 tonne limit at present on most parts but check the Cooktown Cape York website for all the latest up to date road conditions  http://www.cooktownandcapeyork.com/cook/roads

The Lions Den will be CLOSED Good Friday and will re-open as normal at 9am Easter Saturday 23^rd April.

I think it is fair to say that our Lions Den International Dinner nights were a raving success!! Three internationally themed foody nights were held over January, February and April and allowed visitors to experience the tasty cuisine and vibrant music of Mexico, the Mediterranean and lastly India. The Lions Den  locals showed they are no strangers to the art of international dining with plenty of dress ups, dancing and exotic cocktails being readily embraced. Multi coloured sombreros, matching hawaiian shirts from the dark reaches of men’s closets and a strangely suspicious cross dressing belly dancer were just some of the exciting and hilarious sights to be seen on our gastronomic adventure. Not to mention that the food wasn’t too bad either!

Check out the gallery for more pics

Artistic Dutch backpacker Rianne Spigt has put her three months working at the Lions Den Hotel to good use by completing a massive sign made up of no less than 4,302 Australian beer bottle tops! Working tirelessly in her spare time and on her days off, Rianne showed a flare for turning discarded rubbish into an historic masterpiece. Securing her own place in the Lions Den Hotel’s 135 year history, Rianne’s work will now have pride of place on the roof of the main bar along with old pub favourites like an impressive set of shark jaws, working traffic lights, and perhaps not so famously a pair of signed under shorts and shamelessly oversized bras. What will they think of next?

Black Image took to the stage on Saturday night with a massive crowd turning out to party and dance well into the night. The deck was crowded with people, not unlike New Years Eve, as the local boys from Wajul Wajul  turned it up for a great night of entertainment.

This week the Lions Den Hotel was blessed by the weather gods and it made Australia Day perfect for just sitting in the sun with good friends and drinking ample amounts of Aussie beer! It seems that everyone had the same idea as the pub was packed with families, new comers and old timers all out to celebrate our national day of doing nothing. In the arvo we fired up the essential barbecue and fed the hungry hordes. Ultimately there’s nothing quite like the smell of sausages on a BBQ to make you think AUSTRALIA!

This year’s New Years Eve at the Lions Den Hotel was a sensational blend of colourful costumes,  vibrant pleasure seekers and just damn good old fashion rock and roll! Our 50’s Rockabilly theme night and the clear, warm night brought partygoers out in their hundreds while Gav Dear and the boys slammed out tunes till the wee hours. Joined on stage later by up and coming local Wajul Wajul band ‘The Coldwater Band’, party goers had no excuse but to get up and shake their tail feathers. While the rest of Queensland seems to be threatened by flood waters the Den and surrounds has been spared, and the weather just couldn’t have been better. Stomping vibes and some insane finger picking brought the sounds of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis alive for the crowd, topped off by a unique rockabilly take on Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’. The costumes took everyone back to the 50’s with no shortage of full skirts, polka dot ribbons and grease rigid hair. Best dressed was won by Roadie and Roz who between them covered every fashion memory from the cult movie ‘Grease’. Thanks to all the party goers who made it yet another memorable New Years Eve for the Lions Den Hotel..... Happy 2011 everyone!!!!!

Check out the photo gallery for all the New Year photos....

Those of you who live on the Gold Coast or Brisbane may have heard us on the radio waves this week, with Paul Burt from 102.9FM Hot Tomato ringing up for a bit of Lions Den Hotel goss. Paul was more than happy to hear about the old pub, the characters who drink here and the friendly faces we see passing through. Maybe we can hope to see Paul Burt and his radio friends up this way sometime soon to see the place in person. Thanks Paul and now you guys on the Gold coast have no excuse!

Although the interior of the Lions Den Hotel bares little resemblance to the inner circle of Flemington race course, the “race that stops a nation” certainly did that on Tuesday. Melbourne Cup day saw some fine tropical fashions and some intriguing head ware as well as some fierce competition for the race sweep. Jack pulled out a double whammy drawing out Melbourne Cup 2010 winner ‘Americain’ in both the $5 and the $10 sweep (investigations are still underway.....????) but most losers were made happy when Jack threw it all back on the bar to help celebrate the day....aahhhh. Our visitors from Sweden, Holland and Mexico also got the chance to see that Aussies really don’t need much of an excuse to get dressed up and celebrate! Check out the Photo Gallery for more Melbourne Cup day pics

The NRL grand final brought in the footy fans again on Sunday, this time to see the Roosters take on the Dragons. Lions Den regular Jim brought his own rooster to the party to help cheer on the Sydney side.......It seems having a large bird doesn’t always help your team win...congratulations Dragons!

Well it looks like the AFL have hit the jackpot! A game SO big, it now takes 2 weekends to get a result....what the??? Well people from all over converged on the Lions Den to watch St Kilda clash with Collingwood in the AFL’s 2010 Grand final last Saturday. Despite being the weekend of the nearby Wallaby Creek Festival it seems that when you need to watch you just need to watch. It was a lively crowd with a good mix of supporters waiting anxiously to see if St Kilda could overcome the much loved and much hated Collingwood. Despite Collingwood looking like running away with the game in the first quarter, St Kilda fought back until it became a point for point contest. Unbelievably as the final siren sounded it was a Collingwood/ Stkilda draw!!! Now you know what that means? We HAVE to all come back here next Saturday to have a few icy cold beers and see the two teams clash again..........poor us!!

Faith Nulley

LIONS DEN HOTEL

Ph:   (07) 4060 3911

Fax: (07) 40603958

www.lionsdenhotel.com.au

Television up here in the north is like mail delivery in the wet season...sometimes you’re gunna get it and sometimes you’re just not. Channel 7’s television show ’Sunrise’ decided that it would be a good challenge (not to mention a good watch) for their golden boy Grant Denyer to take the average aussie out of their city lounge room on an exciting journey to the far north.....the very far north, Cape York!. Much to our pleasure the Sunrise mob decided to call our humble pub home for the night and show case to the world our little slice of paradise not to mention give us a good laugh and an excuse to stay up late. As many of you may know the crew was meant to arrive here on Monday night but after a mass of unseasonal rain they were delayed by Cooper Creek near Cow Bay, after a bus and a car got washed off the causeway.....that was meant to be the easy end of the Bloomfield Track, what was going on??? Next day they amazingly (for  August) got stuck again at the Bloomfield River near Wajul Wajul where they waited for six hours for the waters to recede enough for them to cross. A very weary star and crew arrived here around 7pm Tuesday night and were quickly filled up with hot pizzas and cold beers.

Our late night suddenly became a very early morning with us cracking open the doors to the pub at 4.50am so the cameraman and his satellite crew could get setup, ready for their live feed into the Sydney studio at 6am. As scheduled Grant did a live cross every half an hour from various location around the pub and even had a chat with the local kids in the school bus on their way to school at Rossville. All up the Sunrise crew were a pleasure to have and we congratulate them on completing their trek to the top of Cape York with their satellite gear so others could share their experience. Hope to see them back this way again soon!

Faith – Visit the photo gallery to see more pics of the Sunrise visit.

 WIN!

By staying at the Lions Den during the month of August.....You can have the chance to win a double 3 day pass to the spectacular Wallaby Creek Festival in Rossville valued at $170 (September24-26) simply by staying overnight at the Lions Den Hotel during August and entering your name and address into the draw at the bar. The winner will be entitled to a fully transferable double weekend pass to the three day festival situated at ‘Homerule’ in Rossville, just 7km from the Den. The Wallaby Creek Festival features live music, workshops, arts, children’s festival, indigenous culture, bush poetry and more. A true celebration of music and arts in the rainforest! For more information visit www.wallabycreekfestival.org.au or phone (07) 4069 5871 or 4060 3112

Tonight is the third and final match in the much anticipated State of Origin clash between Qld and NSW. Given that Queensland has ‘flogged’ NSW in each of their previous encounters, it is not unlikely that there will be plenty of blue flags trampled under the feet of many tonight. As you can see,  the staff and the locals are just as capable as any city footy crowd when it comes to turning it on and having a good time! GO MAROONS!!!

The long weekend was a huge success with fabulous weather and sensational music that just kept on coming. Friday night we were wowed by the experimental and exciting sounds of Moondogs Gypsy Blues Band, a duo of exceptional rhythm and soul moving blues. No strangers to the Den, Kate and Moondog brought cruisey blues sounds to the laid back crowd with many pitching tents and settling in for a long weekend of good music. Saturday saw the arrival of the fresh faced boys from Dubble D Infinitee that impressed everyone with their strong vocals, dynamic originals and unique take on alternative classics. Their confidence and professionalism proved they are a young and upcoming band to watch.

Saturday night saw a huge line up with the Barefoot Belles kicking things off with their strong girl rock, closely followed by the Hillbilly Goats and friends who packed out the stage with their hillbilly sounds. Our  very own ‘Boney Goat’ aka Jack Ryle sported a new set of horns for is bone slapping solos and their fill in drummer and guitarist only seemed to boost the energy of this dynamic band.

Two French backpackers and buskers (kindly given the nicknames of ‘paddy and melon’ by friendly locals) gave an amazing display of their musical prowess by first playing high tempo Irish music for the crowd and later on Sunday’s open mic an artful account of traditional French music. It was an unexpected cultural injection into the Lions Den community, performed to a very appreciative crowd. After the goats on Saturday night came the well loved Roadtrippers who have no difficulty in keeping a crowd dancing. With the Roadtrippers and the Toadrippers at the helm the night was never going to be an early one!

Sunday saw the Hillbilly goats take to the stage again, with time-out for a traditional “Cane Toad Race” that allowed many people to share in the mayhem of this very Far North Queensland tradition. A dairy farmer from Gippsland in Victoria, Natalie White, the only girl in the field, showed all the boys how it was done by winning the race with the help of her toad “Hop a-long Cassatoad”. Nat kindly donated all her winnings of $290 to the Rossville Fire Brigade.....Good On you Nat!

Finally as the sun went down, the Lions Den microphone was thrown open to all those brave souls who had more music to offer. Local talents included young Albert who showed he has definitely got his father Gav’s musical talents, as well as the well loved singing cowboy Steve from north of Cooktown. Also plucking the strings was publican Max, Cairns local Carl and of course the unusual talents of the French boys Paddy and Melon.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend with a fantastic atmosphere made possible by the great crowd, filled with inquisitive and interesting visitors and the ever supportive locals. Thanks everyone for making it a magnificent time for all and we’ll see you back here next year!!!!!!

A big thank you must go to our FABULOUS staff who jumped straight in at the deep end and made this weekend possible. Thanks for your commitment and your positive attitudes, we could not have done it without you. Special thanks also to friend and neighbour Gavin Dear for all your untiring passion, support and dedication to the music... THANKYOU! To our wonderful Kerry and also to the always positive John, Nat and Sally, we definitely could not have managed without you...and that is the truth. Thank you all so much!

Faith & Max