BOWLS: Want to know anything about bowls in Australia - just ask John and Judy Smith who have been part of the past 29 North Queensland Bowlers Tour Groups.

On Wednesday, the group of 36, including 32 bowlers, was at Warwick Bowls Club for their Shirts versus Skirts competition on the green.

The Warwick Bowls Club was out in support with morning tea, lunch, drinks and game organisation.

John said the group changed Warwick as the change over point.

“We had been based in Toowoomba for 11 days and changed bus for the next 10 days when we will be based at Lismore,” he said.

“Half our group are from the Townsville area and we have a good contingent from Ayr and Home Hill and players from other clubs.

“There are 22 clubs in our group from Home Hill to Ingham and west to Collinsville and Hughenden.

We are away for 21 days and play bowls on 14 days.”

The North Queensland bowls tour started 55 years ago and of the current tourists, the Smiths have been on 29 and some of the group have clocked up 24.

“We have been to Singapore, New Zealand and three times to Tasmania and Perth as well as to New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.”

They don’t love long bus trips so fly to the nearest capital city and arrange a bus for the short legs of the trip, basically from green to green.

“It has become a bowls holiday,” John said.

While the competition was between the men and women in the tour group, the Warwick Bowls Club was just happy to be part of the action and watch some quality bowlers between the players.

It was an historic day for the Warwick club as a tour group that had been going for 55 years decided to play on the club green in Leslie Park during their first visit to the town in at least the past 29 years.

See regular news from around the clubs in All Sorts of Sports each Wednesday in the Daily News