We have made it down the Range from Toowoomba to Murphy’s Creek, via Spring Bluff. Stopped in at Spring Bluff for a quick look. The train station and surrounds were being prepared for the Carnival of Flowers and were not as colourful as usual. Still looked pretty and well cared for, a credit to the committee that looks after this historic little station on the Toowoomba line.

Our site at the Jolly Swagman, coming back again to this little restful place!

Murphy’s Creek site

Spring Bluff Railway Station

Murphy’s Creek township is a short distance further down the Range and our campsite is about 4 km on the other side of town, down a gravel road for a further 3 or so km. It sits on the banks of Murphy’s Creek, The Murphy’s Creek area was decimated in the floods of 2011, a few people perished in the torrents of water that came down the range through the town. The camp ground used to have a grassed area beside the creek, but it and the access road were washed away, it has not been replaced. The current grounds are further up the hill away from the creek. There are quite a few campers and vans in residence, it is Saturday and people are obviously out and about. The creek is presently bone dry as we look across it from our site. Very attractive camp ground with plenty of room. An eco billabong pool has been installed, complete with resident fish. Allthego has had a couple of plunges, the weather is quite warm and humid, and the water is pleasantly cool. Some of the little fish nibble your back and legs, slightly off putting until you get used to it.

Looking across Murphy’s Creek gully

Allthego treading water among the little fish

The Eco Billabong

While here we have tripped down to Helidon, famous for it’s sandstone. It also used to be a spa town and produced bottled mineral waters, but this has long closed. Coming back we stopped for lunch at the German Bake & Wurst House in Postman’s Ridge Road. A very tasty pork sausage and cheese kransky were enjoyed in the bushland setting. Highly recommended!

Helidon Clock and 170 years of settlement!

Jessie’s House

The Cheese Kranski

Have also back tracked to Murphy’s Creek township for a look around. Not a lot here apart from the local tavern and school, people have rebuilt on a hillside estate well above the flood line! Some nice houses among the trees. We called in at Jessie’s house built in 1899. There were a number of these types of ‘kit’ homes built in the area in its days as a railway town. It did not have a ceiling and the interior walls were a little over head height. Several thousand workers lived at Murphy’s Creek in the 1860s during the construction of the Brisbane -Toowoomba rail line. It seems that Cobb & Co did not travel through Murphy’s Creek, the very talkative lady in Jessie’s House thought that their route probably lay further up the ridge line along the current day Postman’s Ridge Road.

The memorial at Murphy’s Creek for the animals lost in the flood. It was strangely a little more moving one than that for the human lives lost.

Fish in the Billabong

Rainbow Lorikeets

Back at the campsite on Sunday people had departed and we were pretty much alone. The rainbow lorikeets. galahs and cockatoos though still come in for their nightly feed! We even had a solitary peacock join this mob.

We now head off for Gatton and Laidley in the Lockyer Valley.