Try some other places. Take a nice country drive up to Toowoomba and check out the Darling Downs Aero Club which does have a number of aircraft to hire, training and club events (night flying, competitions, fly-aways) if that is what you are looking for. You could meet other pilots to do trips with and each pay for a leg of the flying. Other places to try would be Sunshine Coast, Caboolture or Northern Rivers at Lismore.
There are plenty of breakfasts etc on so maybe convince your friends to cost share with you to go to Straddie or Watts Bridge.