It is a while since we were on the road and the call of western Queensland has come. Not too far west just out up along the Brisbane Valley to Kingaroy, peanut capital of Australia. Sir Joh lived not far from here, don’t you worry about that! We will then make our way back via Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley to Brisbane.

The Old Fernvale Bakery.

Does anyone remember him from Expo 88 in Brisbane?

Recent claim to fame. 2019/20 ‘Greatest Gourmet Pie’ in Australia.

Kingaroy is about a 3 hour drive with the van behind. The trip takes us west along the Ipswich Motorway, Warrego Hwy and then north along the Brisbane Valley Hwy to Esk. Before getting there we stopped for lunch at the famous Old Fernvale Bakery, enormous chicken and salad roll and sandwich. Acquired some country fresh Easter buns for snacks. Back in the car we passed through Esk, Blackbutt (birthplace of Roy Emerson, great Australian tennis player in 1950/60s) and Yarraman.

Coming up the driveway through the vines.

Parked out the back of the cellar door.

Peanut silos in Kingaroy

The lure of Kingaroy was to spend some time in a local vineyard. They offer free camping out the back with the temptation of wood fired pizzas for lunch and a wine tasting at the cellar door. We are here for two nights. First up the next morning was a trip into town to learn about peanuts. There is a lot we didn’t know about peanuts. Learnt all about them at the Heritage Museum. From planting, growing, harvesting, processing and marketing, all steps were covered. From how it was done in the 1950/60s compared to how it is done today. We were guided through the 30 minute video presentation by a chap who worked in the factory for 42 years. Started as a peanut bagging boy when he was sixteen and retired as the plant manager 42 years later! Not bad for stepping up the rungs of the ladder. The museum is also full of old peanut planting and harvesting equipment through the ages. We now know all about the strange little green plants in the fields around town.

The old way

Peanut plants at about 2-3 months. Need rain badly to help them along.

The new way

Back at Kingsley Estate Vineyards we enjoyed our pizza for lunch, along with some ‘nice’ red. We can recommend dropping in here when next in Kingaroy, even if you don’t stay out the back. A little later in the day it was out with the corn bags game in the paddock, where we introduced the game to some fellow travellers. Seemed to amuse them as it did us. Great talkers though.

Cellar door and us out the back.

Italian pizza, warm pear salad and some Sangiovese to wash it down!

After two nights in the vineyard we are now heading south towards Ipswich