Glasshouse Mountains

The view from the lookout

What is it they say about Queensland.  Beautiful one day and perfect the next.  Its all too true!!!! we have been experiencing some remarkable lovely weather.  It rains occasionaly but usually overnight.  We took advantage of the pleasant day yesterday and drove up to the Glass House Mountains on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland about 80kms from here arriving at the township in time for an enjoyable leisurely lunch at the GlassHouse Tavern.  DH attempted to try the Mountain Man Burger and it was huge!!!!  He now has his name on their Wall of Fame.  Incidently we didn't have dinner that night we were too full from lunch. 

 I didn't quite know what to expect at the Glass House Mountains.  I mean Glass House- what does that remind you of?  See through?  Hot House?  Well it was none of these.  Apparently they were named by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770.  It is believed that Cook thought that the peaks resembled the glass furnaces in his hometown in Yorkshire England.  In 1799 Matthew Flinders explored this area.  He reached Mt Beerburrum's summit but was unsuccessful in his attempt to climb Mt Tibrogargan.

  Did I hear you ask how were they formed?  The Glass House Mountains were once lava plugs within volcanic comes.  The volcanic cones and surrounding Landsborough sandstone were eroded by wind and water over 25 million years to reveal the lava plug which you can see today.  These steep-sided plugs of trachyte and rhyolite are amongst the most impressive landmarks in South East Queensland.  They can be seen from as far away as the Scenic Rim on the Queensland/New South Wales border.

On the way down the mountain we stopped at a little wayside stall selling jams, pickles, sauces and roasted macadamia nuts etc.  I thought I would try some banana, ginger & macadamia jam.  Dh chose fig and Chilli and also fig and ginger jams.  Two small bags of Macadamias jumped into the car with us also, one was chilli the other was honey & sesame. We ended the day with a visit to Graham at Bracken Ridge on the way home. Today we are indulging in a little R & R.  I maybe able to coerce Dh to going over to Spotlight sometime today.  Now won't he just love that.

Talk again soon