Springbrook National Park Qld

It seems as this blog has turned into a weekly only update. Friday we drove down to Brisbane for Kai's 8th birthday.  We had a lovely celebration at Sizzlers in Cleveland.  Saturday we watched both boys play in their respective soccer matches.  Kai received the player of the match which was great.  Trent decorated his cake and they all went off to friends for further celebrations and we went off home.

Sunday we set off again to find the Rosevale Retreat Hotel the oldest hotel in Queensland.  Originally a homestead which sold sly grog in 1886.  They were granted a licence in 1887.  Due to flooding in the area it was moved to its current spot by four bullock teams.  The move took two days in which the current licensee Mrs Driscoll continued trading.  Or so the story goes.

 

 There was a group of Ulliseys bikers on their Sunday ride enjoying lunch.  It was well patronized.  We tried to find the hotel a few days earlier, it was a little way out of town.  There wasn't any signage so we came upon it by chance. 

I like this bike my colour too.

 We then drove on to Rosewood and home via Aratula where we stopped for fresh veggies and fruit at the

local markets.

The Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood

  Monday we were up early and went up to Springbrook Mountains via Cunungra.  Again a lovely rainforest drive weaving our way up to the falls.  We stopped at the Purlingbrook Falls to enjoy the natural falls.

  We stopped for morning tea at the Gourmet Galah on our way down. 

 We drove along a very winding road to Mudgeeraba and then we caught up with friends Noelene and Ken in Palm Beach.  We had a very nice meal at the Burleigh Tavern and left for home about 4pm.  Tuesday we had to go into Ipswich to pick up our medications and catch up with Terry and also Bill and Leanne.  We finely managed to get to a doctor last week and have both had our flu injections.  When we arrived back at the caravan park our friends from our chapter in WA were settling in.  Topsy and Arie will be staying for a week but we head off to Warwick on Saturday.  We have seen all there is to see around here so time to move on to greener pastures.     

Talk again soon

Its Show Time!!

Well the Show is well and truly over by now.  Gee the time flies when you are having fun. During the day we visited the many stands, one of interest was the making of butter and damper.  They had an old fashioned butter churn. 

 Reminded me of the days gone by on the farm.  We were really spoilt as kids as we had homemade bread with homemade jam and homemade butter.  Our snack after school was jam and fresh cream.  The damper was made in camp ovens. 

Dagwood Dogs

One of the popular rides

The Strawberries and Cream Stall

Memphis Movers

The Show Fairy

The Show Train

 We tasted the wines and cheeses in the food Pavillion and enjoyed a lovely meal for lunch which was supplied by the Boonah Lions Club.  We also meandered through the various Craft, Cooking & Horticultural Pavillions.  The Saturday night's entertainment was very exciting.  We missed the early part of the evening as we again caught up with friends in Kalbar.  We arrived home in time for the fireworks at 8pm.  They had quite a line up after that.  There were the rollover cars.  (these were specially built cars and were driven around the arena and went up the ramp on two wheels and they rolled right over and then righted themselves again.  If by chance they didn't there were plenty of volunteers to just give them a slight push.)  There was also the vintage speedway cars who did a race on the circuit.

One of the vintage Speedway Cars

Vintage Bike

 Souped up lawnmower race.  (They did about 120kms per hour)  David Russell from Melbourne rode his motor bike up a ramp and lept over a helicoptor with its rotors going. 

 Mad Ronnie from Darwin drove his jet truck doing burnouts and the flames warmed up the grandstand.  Apparently earlier he blew up a car on the arena.  The night was finished off with a demolition Derby and the last man standing.

Mad Ronnies Jet Bike

 Sunday friends Carol and Graham drove down from Brisbane and spent the morning with us and Donette and Larry over at Kalbar.  Today friends Chris and David arrived in a motorhome from Whyalla and called in for a while on their way to the Gold Coast  Tomorrow we are again heading for Brisbane to share a birthday with our grandson.  Next week people from WA Topsy and Arie will be calling in.

 Talk again soon

Boonah's 110th's Annual Show

You would never guess in a million years on what I had for breakfast this morning..Pancakes with strawberries and cream. I had to wait until 10 o'clock for them to open but I know it was worth it.

 We woke up to an extremely cold morning and I mean cold. I think the temperature was minus 5 in Boonah overnight.

This was the fog a couple of mornings ago

 There was a hive of activity going on.  Today is the first day of the show.  Mainly judging and a few ring events on today but most of the food outlets were open. All week there has been lots of work going on here at the showgrounds preparing for the show.  We have the side shows in front of us with lots of interesting rides and even the circus.

This was the scene earlier in the week you wouldn't recognize it now

 Our nearest neighbour drives a bus called "sweet dreams" and they have the strawberries and cream van.  They have been travelling for 20 years following the show circuit.  He drives the bus and tows a trailer with the car and she follows on behind with the truck towing the strawberry trailer.  There are all the usual Dagwood Dogs and fairy floss toffee apples etc as well as the usual fast foods.  I haven't seen any showbags as yet.  The fireworks is on tomorrow night and the jet truck and bike from Darwin. Girl trick riders and lots of other events.  We had a fairly quiet mother's day on Sunday, I had some lovely and much welcomed calls from the sons and I received the Julie Goodwin's Cookbook  I hope all my DIL's had a nice Mothers day being spoilt by their respective husbands and children.  I know one husband had to work.

.Haven't used it yet but there is still time.  We have been going over to Kalbar to see other fellow Motorhomers most nights.  They would have come here if the show wasn't on.  We stoked up the old campfire and sat around talking and freezing.  You would not believe how cold it is here at night.

 The late evenings and nights have been pretty cold.  Bll & Leanne were there on their maiden voyage with the bus, also Scruffy & Marie in their 4 wheel drive bus.  Donette and Larry and Carol and Gary made up the rest of the team.  Some went home during the week and I think there will be just three couples tonight including us.  Bill cooked up a mean stew one night.  Not my Bill, the other Bill or should we call him Barry.  Sorry an inside joke.He had a lot of helpers and advisors. LOL. Well must go and see what other action is about.

talk again soon

Just a little more about Boonah

Well I had a very good excuse for not blogging yesterday.  Telstra had a little problem with their mobile network in the whole of Queensland.  Result no internet!!  And very little mobile!!  Apparently the mobiles diverted to G2 so some calls went through but no internet for us unti today.  They made the news but it didn't say what was wrong Typical!!!.  Today we did the big move.  A whole 40 metres.  The Boonah Show is on next weekend and where we were parked is where the Side Shows are going to be.  They needed to mow and get the grounds ready hence we had to move. I believe the show is celebrating their 110th Boonah Show.  We will be right where the action is. 

Bush Turkey

 Now for a little bit about the area we are in.  The Boonah District and surrounds is known as the Heart of the Scenic Rim.
A pleasant hour's drive from Brisbane, and one and a half hour's drive from the Gold Coast, the Heart of the Scenic Rim is so easily accessable. The Heart of the Scenic Rim offers so much.
Stunning mountain and country scenery, a large range of accommodation, food & wine, wineries, art galleries, bushwalking, national parks, country pubs and much more. Perfect for a day trip, a weekend or even longer. Accommodation types include luxury Bed and Breakfast

View from O' Reillys Rainforest Retreat

The Scenic Rim is an arc of spectacular mountains lying from south of Beaudesert, around to the area south west of Ipswich, in south east Queensland, Australia. It is situated within Australia’s Green Cauldron which stretches from Byron Bay to the Gold Coast and west towards the Great Dividing Range. The sheer size of the caldera is breathtaking andshelters a huge diversity of rare flora and fauna, andsubtropical rainforests within the rim of mountain ranges.  I also found out why the soil is so rich.  The area is volcanic.  We plan to do another day trip possibly to the Springbrook area and to Rosevale.  Rosevale boasts the oldest Hotel in Queensland so we will check that out.  Tomorrow we are catching up with fellow HF Radio Club Members who are staying at Kalbar in the Show Grounds.

A flower in the Botanical Gardens at O'Reillys

I love this photo- one happy grandfather

Its mother's day on Sunday so we may go to Aratula for breakfast Maybe.

Talk again soon

Canungra and Lamington National Park

Friday we were up and about again having planned a rather full day travelling to Canungra, into Lamington National Park to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat then down the mountain again and on to Rathdowney and Maroon Dam.  A 300klm round trip.  We left home via Beaudesert and made our way to Canungra.

  Canungra is more than 125 years old and owes its existence to cedar getters and sawmillers.  Today it is used as a base to drive to the National Parks to go Bushwalking in the Lamington National Park where you'ldiscover an unlocked world of hidden beauty, walking trails, cascading waterfalls and breathtaking lookouts that reveal the most subtropical rainforest in the world.  Then we followed the Lamington National Park Road from Canungra up to Tambourine Mountain.  This track was a very narrow winding one lane with many blind corners meandering its way up the mountain.

 We followed the Tambourine Circuit on the Rainforest Way, a very scenic drive up to the Lamington Plateau and the community of Beechmont.

 I see Nasturiums I am reminded of my Mum.  It was one of her favourite flowers.  I always say" Mum was here" when I come across them

 Half way up we stopped for lunch at Rosemount Alpacca Farm Rainforest Gallery and Cafe.  In the gift shop beautiful jumpers, clothing and wool were displayed for sale.  The knitted garments were so soft and fine and the wool was absolutely lovely to touch.  I could be tempted..very tempted.







  Our next brief stop was Kamarun Lookout where we were impressed by the lovely views from all over the valleys.

 At the top was O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat where we went on the Booyong Walk through the rainforest

and wandered through the Botanical Gardens

 and we went on the famous tree top walk.

I am smiling cause I am at the end of the tree top walk.

  Bill took the plunge and climbed 30 metres up a tree via a very narrow & winding ladder.  He said the view was worth it.

  I didn't follow you are very lucky to get me on the tree walk never alone climb a tree!!!I shall look at the photos later.  They were also feeding the Lorikeets when we arrived back at the resort.  We decided to drive back through Rathdowney so that we could cross another visit off our list.We also checked out Maroon Dam on the return trip.  Another lovely picnic and camping area but in my opinion not as nice as Lake Moogerah.

 Saturday night we tried the fare at the Dugandan Hotel for dinner.  It is a lovely old well restored country hotel, typical of the area and the food was cooked to perfection.

  We arrived back from Brisbane today after driving there for our youngest granddaughter's 6th birthday.  She was one happy little girl, I think the celebrations went for about 4 days.  She received lots of lovely presents.  We joined them again for a birthday celebration at the Manly Trailer Boat Club for dinner.  We miss them all already. We have spent some quality time with them since we have been in Queensland and we feel that we know them a lot more.