We are now in the heart of the Lockyer Valley, a kilometre or so from Laidley, staying at Lake Dyer. It is a very pleasant place overlooking the dam. To think we might have been checking out the backpackers in Gatton does not bear thinking about. We have decided to stay four nights, the fourth night here is free for grey nomads, so that averages down the nightly camp costs.

At Lake Dyer campground, there were only two or three other vans here over the four nights we stayed.

View looking to the west.

Lake Dyer with the sun shining.

While here the weather has been a bit variable, some clear sunny days, others overcast. One evening a storm blew in from the west sending the sky an inky black. Fortunately it did not come to much, only a bit of moderate rain, passing to the south and heading for Brisbane we suspected.

Some birds checking out our breakfast.

Storm rolling in by the Lake.

Das Neumann Haus was built in Laidley in 1893 by German emigrants, he was a furniture maker. Now a cultural icon in Laidley with period furniture and coffee shop.

Have taken the opportunity to look around the Laidley township. Had a light breakfast and a coffee in the Community ‘Grounds’ Coffee shop. Run by a local not for profit community group. Prices a bit cheaper maybe than the other eating places in town, don’t know what they think about it? We were in Laidley two or three years ago for the spring festival. That was quite an event. A few sculptures occupy the shopping mall area. Not much changes in these small rural villages to the west of Brisbane. The population seems to be building though as there are a number of sub divisions occurring and people moving here to escape the rat race, or starting out in the housing race. The properties being more affordable than those closer to Brisbane. Blocks of land bigger too.

The Clydesdale was prominent in the early days of the Lockyer Valley.

Lockyer Lilly. Made from Chillagoe marble from Nth Qld, local granite and the sandstone base from Helidon.

A seed pod seat. Made from slate and ceramics. Symbolises Laidley’s past, present and future as an agricultural food bowl.

Allthego has received a number of advices from readers that the mystery crop in the last blog post was in fact Sorghum. No dissenters either suggesting it was something else! Thank you! So all good. We are  heading off to Gatton next.