On the Ghan
Our trip on the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide takes three days and nights, with stops at Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy. The Coober Pedy stop is actually a railway siding at Manguri, a railway siding about thirty km from the town and buses take us into the town.
It was a 5am rise to prepare for and catch the 6am transfer bus to the Darwin railway station, twenty km out of town. At the station there were lots of people milling around, checking in with QR codes and answering COVID questions (despite having done this when getting on the bus back in the town). We have been assigned to car B which, not surprisingly, comes after car A. Cars C & D are then between us and the explorer lounge followed by the Queen Adelaide dining car. So we (the Gold Class people) seem to be grouped in sets of six cars. Memory tells us there were ten twin cabins in our car. Some cars have single cabins. There are also groups of Platinum Class people scattered in the car line up with their own lounges and dining cars. Platinum is a much flasher class of travel, double beds (no bunks) and more space. More cost too of course! All up there are thirty carriages, including staff and luggage/storage carriages. We are a tad over seven hundred metres long and are pulled by two diesel locomotives. Some of the Ghan journeys have more cars and stretch up to one kilometre long.
The train was due to leave at 9 am but didn’t set off until around 9.15am for Katherine. Soon after we were called into the dining car for brunch. Managed to squeeze a departure bubbles down in the lounge beforehand. More about the meal experiences on the train later, except to say that they were excellent!
We arrived at Katherine around midday and were quickly off on our cruise (from a choice of four options) on the Nitmiluk Gorge, it used to be called Katherine Gorge. In the north, as in the south, many of the locations and attractions are reverting to their indigenous names. This was a great guided experience cruising up the first two gorges and taking in the sights from the level of the river, rather than gazing down from the top of the cliffs. We have been here before, but did not do the gorge trip. It was a stop in the van along the way to Kakadu. Apart from the National Park there is not a lot else to see in Katherine itself, it is a service centre for the surrounding country. Some use it as a base from which day trips can be done to other parts.
We were back on the train around 4.30pm and headed off at 6.30pm. Dinner was at 7.15pm. What do you do in the train over this three hour period? Well, you go to the lounge car before dinner and have a chat with fellow travelers and look out the window at the scenery as the sun sinks slowly and the dark comes in.
After dinner we retired to our cabin for bed. In our absence the lounge in the cabin had been converted to a bed and the bunk from above dropped. The wet ensuite was a little tight, but who cares you don’t stay there long! Allthego had the top bunk, interesting getting in as the ladder up is near the pillow. Up you go, swing ones end onto the bed, do a little end shuffle towards the other end of the bunk and then swing the legs up. More nimble and agile types might do it a different way. But this technique worked, even in the early hours of the morning when nature calls. We are due to arrive in Alice Springs mid morning.
Last Days in Darwin
After the last blog effort Homealone suggested I should lighten up a bit. She thought it was a bit turgid and overly informative. Well I do not know whether she was right, but I do like a bit of detail sometimes to inform my good readers. As it turns out our last days in Darwin were fairly light on information wise.
First up was the must do visit to Crocosaurus Cove. This is right in the middle of Mitchell St, just up from Capitanos. Behind the street front entrance there is a sprawling complex of billabong tanks and nocturnal houses with various sized crocodiles and reptilian creatures. The big crocs are sort of rejects from the natural world. Difficult characters who if not relocated here may otherwise have been destroyed. They lie around on the concrete beaches and have the occasional swim around in the water. There is one particular fellow, Axel, who cruises around his tank while ‘brave’ souls descend in a perspex tank with goggles and watch him from below water line. Lots of snapping of jaws while he is fed in close proximity to the cage. This experience cost $270 for a caged couple. Now, Homealone was not keen to do this whilst Allthego was keen. It was not possible though, booked out for the next month! Lucky! It was an interesting couple of hours wandering around, saw big crocs, little crocs and various reptiles.
After surviving Crocosaurus Cove we had lunch and then recovery time back at Capitanos before attending the Deckchair Cinema down at the waterfront in the evening. Started at 6pm with an hour beforehand for dinner followed by the movie at 7 pm. We saw ‘My Salinger Year’, story about a young Uni graduate, who wants to be a poet, going off to work as a publisher’s assistant in New York leaving the boyfriend behind. The publisher acted for J D Salinger of ‘Catcher in the Rye’ fame. She had to answer his copious fan mail. Quite an engaging tale and I will not spoil it by revealing any more of the plot! Great under the clear night sky, cushions supplied for the deck chairs and insect repellent for the bugs.
The ‘highlight’ of Darwin was on our last day. The Waterfront Wave Pool. Allthego took to this like a duck to water. The waves work for ten minutes and then it all goes quiet for twenty minutes, then ten minutes of waves etc …… all day. Homealone did not partake, had a quiet chardonnay looking on from the bar and reading a book. Water was warm about a metre and half deep, people bouncing all over the place. It was an all age fun place. Allthego survived for about forty minutes before retiring to the bar to recover and have lunch.
On the way back to Capitanos, to ready for the next mornings pick up for the Ghan, Allthego took a short detour to see some of the street art that is in the lane ways around the city. Quite a variety, although there is a significant indigenous flavour to the creations.
Darwin’s WW11 experiences
Over the last couple of days we have been in and out of a number of the Darwin WW11 ‘experiences’. The February 1942 bombing raid by the Japanese, along with Cyclone Tracy, are prominent tourist ‘traps’. The sort of things Australians, rather than foreigners, are ‘supposed’ to see. The foreigners go to Kakadu and other nature based activities. The Aussies seem to want to see old relics and sites from the city’s past. Nothing wrong with that of course, we did it!
But a short interlude, Althego thought it might be good to hire a car for a few days to get around the sites. It seems that hiring a car is like trying to get hotel rooms. All booked out for days in advance. Budget Rentals our next door neighbours said we could have one on 27 May, ten days hence. So the lesson is to book well ahead if you plan in coming to these parts. So we jumped on and off the Big Red Bus to get around to the sites.
We have ‘done’ four of the attractions. All very interesting and bring different perspectives to the story. The Oil Storage Tunnels were built under the Darwin waterfront cliff line following the bombing of the nearby above ground storage tanks. They were horseshoe shaped, concrete formed and steel lined. Most of the tunnels are over 150 metres long and 3 metres or so high. A lot of oil could have been stored in them. They didn’t really work and never held oil. Bit of a lemon it seems, plagued with location, geological and design issues. An interesting walk through them.
The bombing of Darwin Harbour is also featured in the Royal Flying Doctor Service tourist facility on Stokes Wharf. This was quite impressive. A hologram of the Captain of the USS Peary, which was sunk in the harbour, along with some computer animated footage of the attack is quite confronting. There is also an a headphone experience with animations all around you of the attack, puts you in the thick of it. A life size replica of a Zero hangs from the ceiling along with other bits and pieces including a cross section of a Japanese bomb. Down the back the RFDS takes over with their story, including a John Flynn hologram and footage. We have done this story before at Cloncurry and elsewhere, had a look inside one of their planes, quite a set up.
Next port of call was the Territory Museum. This is very good. Excellent display of wildlife and habitats, not overdone with information boards. They have an excellent taxidermist! Very big crocodile on display, Sweetheart. Died while being captured, big fellow that was creating havoc for us humans on the waterways, attacking boats etc. The main thing here for us though was the Cyclone Tracy displays and videos. Very detailed telling of the physical power of this cyclone and the destruction caused on that early Christmas morning in 1974. There is a small room, pitch black darkness, to stand in and hear a recording of the actual storm roaring around and ripping apart buildings. Very unnerving indeed.
The final instalment was at the Military Museum out on East Point. The Darwin bombing experience here was very different to the one at the RFDS. Bit more precision to it all. The main video presentation was a collection of actual footage from the time and included personal reflections of service people and civilians who experienced the action. Numerous people seem to have donated things to the display, illustrating their experiences of the time. It was therefore on a different plane to the RFDS experience. One could be more moved by the drama and their sacrifice. Upon reflection I am not sure which was superior, both have their place I suppose.
On a different note we have had an evening out on the harbour aboard Cape Adieu for a sunset dinner cruise. It is an old converted fishing boat. It leaves from Stokes Wharf and cruises along the harbour front and then back takes about three hours. Plenty of great sea food and views of the city. Quite a good sunset too. Guess is there were about fifty on the boat, spread over three decks. So it was a good laid back experience without crowds of people on a couple of the larger boats that mirror this trip.
We set off tomorrow on the Ghan to Adelaide. Will catch up on the remainder of our time in Darwin when we get there in three days time.
Feeding and eating fish
After a bit of a sleep in we set off for a walk through Bicentennial Park which runs along the foreshore cliff tops fronting Darwin Harbour. First stop though was at Doctors Gully, named ‘Doctor’ after surgeon Peel, He was a member of the Goyder surveying team that in 1869 surveyed the site of Palmerston, to later become Darwin in 1911. There are the remnants of an old water well here that was the source of Palmerston’s water supply in the early years. A creek flows from this area down to the harbour, the whole area was originally given over to agricultural pursuits. During WW11 the Catalina flying boats were moored here.
Peels Well relic in remnant rainforest at the head of Doctor’s Gully
Now, there is a tourist attraction here. Aquascene, it is focused on a fish feeding frenzy that happens here every high tide. There are also some pieces of rusting wartime relics on display. Fish in their hundreds arrive here to be fed by milling tourists of all ages tossing in pieces of bread. Big mullet seem to be the main species, cat fish and milk fish (large salmon like fish) also prevalent. Allthego could not resist the temptation of doing some bread tossing.
Allthego feeding fish
Some big mullet gobbled the bread
After an hour or so at Acquascene, we climbed the stairs back up to the walkway and continued along the cliff line. There are a number of lookouts with great views of the harbour. Memorials pin point various historical events, particularly Darwin’s experience of Japanese bombing in WW11. On one high point Darwin’s Cenotaph stands backed by stone work commemorating the involvement of Australian defence forces in all the theatres of war since the Crimean war through to Afghanistan. Ominously, 3 or 4 slots on the wall following Afghanistan have been left empty. There is also quite a display of memorial plaques to the various defence units taking part in the campaign. They overlook Darwin Harbour where all the action took place back on 19 February 1942 when Japan conducted the first of many bombing raids on Darwin and the Top End. But more about that another time.
Darwin Cenotaph and Harbour
One of the guns from the destroyer USS Peary, sunk in the harbour, now pointing out into the distance from where the attack came.
Mural depicting Anti-Aircraft unit in action
Time was getting on and the feet weary so it was lunch time at the Waterfront. An Irish pub where we consumed a rather large portion of beer battered Barramundi and chips. It was very meaty and could have done with a little longer in the oil to fully crisp up the batter, it was a little soggy in parts. The chips were excellent. Now my readers might recall that on our trips we normally select a ‘food’ and see if we can find the ‘best one’ along the way. But we are not doing that this time, trip not long enough to good a big enough sample!
Barramundi & chips, not too bad but have had better!
The walkers felt that we had done enough for the day and wandered back to Capitanos to recover.
Darwin
We have arrived in Darwin and are staying in some very salubrious accommodation. Capitanos is it’s name. Right on Mitchell Street one block back from the Esplanade, although a short walk to the main part of town and a somewhat longer walk down to the Waterfront and docks. The accommodation is an upgraded and recently renovated old backpackers establishment. We have our own room and facilities, the pool overlooks a side alley and a construction site. Bargain Car Rentals and their car lot is next door as is the Entertainment Centre. Inside we have a double bed beside a double bunk. Their is a kitchenette, but no wine glasses. So glass tumblers it is! The shower nozzle wont stay up. There is no room servicing. We are here for six nights.
Looks good!
The double bunks almost block the TV
Some nearby artwork, a special top end locust.
Now the owners of this little establishment are really taking advantage of the absolute lack of accommodation in Darwin at the moment. Daylight robbery for this place but no other choice. Got it by sheer luck, it seems every ‘man and his dog’ has come to Darwin.
We are here for the start of our Ghan rail journey down to Adelaide, we had secured one of the last remaining cabins on the train. We have not been to Darwin and decided to come for a few days before the train trip to see the local sights and sites. The trip had been a late decision following having to call off our van trip to the Kimberleys and the Gibb River Road due to the need to undertake some repairs to the van. The problems were discovered at the last minute but needing nearly two months to fix because of parts availability and delays.
It has just been on eighteen months since our last plane flight together, although Homealone went over to the US to see Mitchell and Piper in November 2019 just prior to COVID striking leaving Allthego home alone. There were two new things experienced on the flight up to Darwin from Brisbane.
All masked up, four or so hours till landing
The parmie at Lizards
The first is mask wearing on the plane, quite a sight with all the crew and passengers masked up. Socially distancing on the way to and from the loos. You are permitted to take them off while eating the late breakfast culinary delicacies.
The second experience was in the Brisbane airport security check in process. Allthego set off the alarm with his new knee replacement and had an extended pat down and scan. This was a first and we will need to allow a little more time in the future for this process.
So after our taxi ride from Darwin Airport we settled into Capitanos and went off for a wander around town, including some shopping at the local Coles to stock up with some breakfast foods and a couple of light fast dinners for the eat in occasions. Tried out the near by Lizards Sports Bar and had some rather large traditional parmies for dinner! They were pretty big, not bad but not the best parmies we have had.
Tomorrow we start in earnest to see the town!
End of the Trail
Well almost.
We are now making our way along the Cobb & Co Trail towards Ipswich. We will not go all the way, will leave that settlement for a another day sometime down the track.
Grandchester Railway Station 1866
There are a number of these original (? not sure) Cobb & Co seats.
Royal George Hotel in Rosewood dates from 1890
First stop was about 10 km from Laidley at the small settlement of Grandchester. There is a heritage listed railway station here that is famous for being the terminus of Queensland’s first railway line in 1865. Nearby is the old railway dam built to supply water for the steam trains. The line ran from Ipswich to Grandchester, then known as Bigge’s Camp after an early settler. Cobb & Co coaches would run from Brisbane to Ipswich, then transfer passengers and freight to the train which would chug up the line to Grandchester. There were stops at Walloon and Rosewood. At Grandchester Cobb & Co would take the passengers and freight back and head off for Toowoomba and further west into the Darling Downs. As the line was extended up the range to Toowoomba, becoming the first line in Australia to cross the Great Dividing Range, Cobb & Co left from the new railheads and took the passengers further west.
This old beaten up pub is for sale.
St Brigid’s Catholic Church
Rosewood Railway Station
A little further along we stopped for lunch at Rosewood, the current terminus of the train line for Brisbane/Ipswich electric commuter rail services. We cleaned a pie van out of its last two large sausage rolls. Not much to be said about the sausage rolls, somewhat average. Cobb & Co also used the town as a staging post and there is an original coach on display in a local park. All along the main street there are strategically placed benches bearing the Cobb & Co Trail logo. These appear to be meant to be ‘original’ waiting benches for the coaches. Can not find out whether or not that is the case, maybe some historical licence is being taken. This area is also the location of numerous old coal mines, as well as a large currently operating mine. Dinosaur footprints have been found in the ceilings of some of the old tunnels, you actually look up at the underside of the beast’s footprint. The largest wooden church in the Southern Hemisphere (so it is claimed) is also located here, St Brigid’s RC opened in 1910. It had been fenced off for repair work and we couldn’t get in to have a look see. It has a pressed metal ceiling and numerous murals and stained glass windows.
Dinosaurs were around here in times past.
The ‘Babies of Walloon’
A little further along is Walloon about 10 km from Ipswich, another old railway town and former stop along the Cobb & Co Trail. The land around the town centre is now being subdivided and the urban sprawl expanding at a great pace. A large shopping centre graces former farm land. A small park is dedicated to a poem by Henry Lawson the “Babies of Walloon”, its words are engraved in a grid of railway sleepers. The poem recalls the drowning in 1891of two young sisters in a pond. The girls were attracted to the pond by its lilies and fell in. Quite a pretty spot opposite the old school house.
Art work at Cunningham’s Crest – indigenous past
View from Cunningham’s Crest, not a great day but it does show the expanse of the Lockyer Valley and the Toowoomba Range shrouded in cloud.
More at Cunningham’s Crest- coaches and trains
So having completed the Cobb & Co Trail, apart from the small section through to Ipswich, we returned to Lake Dyer for our last night in the Lockyer Valley. The weather had closed in and a storm was brewing further west but we took the opportunity to drive up to the lookout in Laidley known as Cunningham’s Crest. This is the spot where explorer Allan Cunningham stood in 1829 and surveyed the land stretching out below and naming it “Laidley Plains”. There is a display of artwork and writings on the staircase leading up to the lookout platform. The display illustrates the indigenous background to the area and the stages of subsequent European settlement.
View from the deck of the Scenic Rim Brewery at Mt Alford.
Bigriggen Camp Ground, after the rain.
Lunch at the Scenic Rim Brewery at Mt Alford.
Next day we left Lake Dyer and headed off home making a slight detour to Bigriggen Park beside the Logan River (more like a creek here), south of Beaudesert near Rathdowney , for a two day camp with some friends from Centenary UC. Along the way we stopped off at the Scenic Rim Brewery at Mt Alford. A great lunch stop looking out over the mountains and farm land on our way to Bigriggen.
The Cobb & Co Trail has been a great way of seeing and learning something about the places near to home. We generally travel a long way to see our country but this trip has shown there is plenty to see and do on our doorstep. We are going to do more of this!
PS We have been home for a few days, well before all this rain started.
Gatton
Have been in an internet black hole and have now returned to the task. We had an interesting morning in Gatton. It is the ‘capital’ of the Lockyer Valley, although Laidley is I think ‘nicer’! There are around 8500 people in this regional centre, providing services to the surrounding farms and grazing properties. A sign of the times is the local ANZ Bank branch, closed on Wednesdays and only open in the morning on the other weekdays. The NAB branch is full service as is the Heritage Bank, didn’t see the other banks. The main street though is quite busy, a few cafes, the pub and restaurants battling the COVID restrictions.
Gatton Staging Post
Lights on the Hill Trucking Memorial
Legends Wall and ANZAC display
Dropped into the regional Cultural and Visitors Centre for a look at the Legends Wall, photos and stories of the legends of the Lockyer Valley. Quite an impressive line up of locals who have made it in the limelight. Andy Bichel, Qld and Australian fast bowler was a local Laidley lad. The only other character I recognised was Bill Gunn, the local member and a minister in the Joh Governments of the 70s and 80s. There is also an ANZAC Wall, with some of the local soldiers and their deeds highlighted. The visitors part of the Centre was being done up for the post COVID world, so no coffee available! Steered clear of the Art Gallery. Not far from the Centre is the Lights on the Hill Trucking Memorial to truck and coach drivers who have died while on the job. The memorial also recognises the work the truckies do in keeping the country connected. Quite an impressive symbol.
Mural on the local facilities, had to be careful not snapping anyone going in or out. Depicts the local flora and fauna. ‘Yagara’ are one of the local indigenous groups.
Quite a clever mural here depicting the connection between people and the country, farming, gardening, lifestyle etc.. It kept going down the alley way.
That maths teacher! A scanned in copy of the missing mural.
Back in the centre of town there are the usual murals which seem to be cropping up in most of our regional towns. Spent a while trying to find one in particular and finally worked out in was now invisible, on the wall of a building that had been demolished to make way for a park. A bit frustrating walking up and down this street looking for it! It was a mural depicting a local maths teacher who had spent 49 years teaching at Lockyer District High, now he deserved to be on that Legends Wall.
Lunch at jAK & MO
At the War Memorial
Gatton War Memorial
After the murals it was off to lunch, jAK & MO. Only small, but a very tasty lunch. Althego had a Greek seasoned chicken salad in a pita bread, looked a bit like an open oyster shell. Homealone devoured some Mexican soft shell tacos. All made with local produce it is claimed. Washed down with a blue lemonade from Crows Nest soft drinks. We had seen this factory in Crows Nest when were camping in the National Park. One of the few family owned soft drink factories left. Can thoroughly recommend this spot in the main street.
On our way back to Lake Dyer we stopped off to see the towns War Memorial and gardens, very picturesque spot, there is a weeping mother atop the memorial. Also the usual gun on display, maybe captured in some foreign battlefield and donated to Gatton after WW11. We now aim to complete the Cobb & Co Trail before heading home. This will take us down towards Ipswich.
Lockyer and Lake Dyer
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.
Into the Lockyer
We have now moved on from Murphey’s Creek Escape and into the Lockyer Valley proper. The trail takes us through Grantham, another town badly affected by the 2011 flood, to Gatton.
A 2011 flood memorial to residents on Postman’s Ridge Rd.
We stopped here for morning tea.
On the Cobb & Co trail through Grantham.
Originally, we had intended to stay in Gatton for a couple of nights. One look at the only caravan park turned us off this idea immediately, unfortunately a terrible place! Set up for numerous permanents and backpackers as lodgings for seasonal farm workers. Grey nomads and touring types should avoid. So we headed a little further along the trail, passing through Forrest Hill, for Laidley and the camping ground at nearby Lake Dyer. This turned out to be an ideal base and we have stayed here 4 nights in very pleasant surrounds overlooking the dam.
One of the Cobb & Co Staging Posts along the trail. These mimic the former stopping points on the Cobb & Co routes where horses were changed and passengers had a rest and feed. This one is at Forrest Hill.
The Lockyer Hotel in Forrest Hill. Nicely restored, only open Thursday to Sunday.
Forrest Hill War Memorial
Mural in Forrest Hill
The following day we back tracked through Forrest Hill, stopping for a while to check out the small village. Very nice old pub has been restored to its former glory and opposite is a well manicured lawn area, war memorial and Cobb & Co Staging Post marker. The old Cobb & Co route passed about 5 km south of the town.
The 1896 Foundation Building of the Queensland Agricultural College, now Uni of Qld.
Near Forrest Hill, what crop is this?
Avenue of Palms at the Gatton campus of Uni of Qld.
Further back towards Gatton we called in at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus, formerly the Queensland Agricultural College. Drove round and round and finally found the 1896 Foundation Building of the College. A grand old complex now used as a function centre. The Avenue of Palms is also nearby and this is where the students seem to hang out.
Decided to leave Gatton township to another day and returned to Lake Dyer for the afternoon by the Lake. Passed by a crop near Forrest Hill, don’t know what it is. Maybe a reader can satisfy our curiosity?
Murphy’s Creek Escape
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.
Toowoomba
We have now moved on to Toowoomba, about 50km down the New England Highway from Crows Nest. We have stopped off here for a couple of days. Toowoomba is Australia’s largest inland city, in excess of 100,000 Queenslanders live here. So there is a lot to see. But our main objective is to start the Cobb & Co trail here and then head back towards Brisbane following its ‘original route’ which has been somewhat adjusted by the tourism people to fit in a few of the towns that now lie along its path. We are staying at the Jolly Swagman Caravan Park, a few blocks off the centre of town. A small park with reasonable sites, although a bit squeasy to get in. The ambience of our spot a little compromised by the dump point being directly behind us. Thankfully, most did their dump early morning and it didn’t disturb our breakfast. Although one chap chatted with us on and on, a verbal ‘dump’ if you like, about all sorts of stuff before finally dumping his ‘stuff’ and moving off.
Table Top Mountain, looking towards Lockyer Valley and Brisbane.
Japanese garden
The Information Centre recommended that we take a mini coach tourist drive around town to get the general lie of the land. This we did, 5 of us all up enjoyed a two hour journey around the eastern side of the town which took in the lookouts towards Brisbane and the numerous rather expensive large homes being constructed on the range looking east and also west over the town. Several million dollars each. Also wandered around the now suburb of Drayton, the original area settled in the 1840s. Had a brief stop at the Japanese garden at the University of Southern Qld. Our driver was a mine of information and we finished the trip just so much wiser about most things Toowoomba! Seriously, he was quite entertaining.
Street art
Street art
Street art
Following this expedition it was off for a feed. We were encouraged to frequent a few different eateries by the lady at the Information Centre and settled on Sofra, Turkish. Rather excellent lunch and can thoroughly recommend. Mountains of great food at reasonable prices. After lunch we then wandered around the centre of town looking at some of the street art. Plenty of it, varying in quality we thought. But it did liven up some of the lane ways. Started to get a bit weary so we headed back to the Jolly Swagman to recuperate and prepare for the following day.
National Carriage Centre workshop, buggy rebuild in progress.
An early bus that ran in Brisbane suburbs.
Cobb & Co coach
An early horse drawn caravan
We had made our necessary booking, for COVID reasons, at the Cobb & Co Museum, for 9.30 am. It was not crowded. Safety in numbers does not apply in these days of COVID. There is another old saying gone! Anyway, it was a great display of old Cobb & Co coaches, buggies and other horse drawn transport of the 19th and early 20th century. We had a bit of a chat with the head of the National Carriage Factory located in the complex. He was one of those now rare craftsman who works in wood. No power tools. Just those old planes, rasps, hand drills, calipers, set squares. hand saws , chisels etc from days gone by. His main project at that moment was restoring/rebuilding an early 1900s buggy that had been found in a creek bed near Oakey. Not much was left, just the iron work and a few timber pieces. He was rebuilding it from the ground up based on other carriages of the day. No plans. Steel rimmed wooden wheels and all. Very interesting stuff, he was four months into it! A Roman exhibition from the Queensland Museum was also on show, some interesting pieces illustrating their engineering prowess, road building, bridges, aqueducts etc.
Laurel Bank Park
Spider in the park
Waratahs were starting to come on
Time flew and our 3 hours expired in time for lunch. Fortunately, a spud van was in the car park and we indulged in a smashed baked potato with mince (Homealone) and ham (Allthego), sour cream, cheese, chives and coleslaw. Very tasty but filling, so it was off for a walk around Queens Park to work it off; also took in Laurel Bank Park on the other side of town. The parks were preparing for the Carnival of Flowers in September so many of the beds were fallow awaiting planting. A few of the summer displays were coming to a close, but the gardens were still quite special.
The spuds
Tasting paddle at Four Brothers
Before heading back to the Jolly Swagman we stopped in at the Four Brothers Brewery, a craft brewer located in the old Dairy Factory. Enjoyed an ale, they seem to have a liking for some fruity type beers, as well as standard lagers and bitters. Didn’t care much for the fruity styles, the lager was quite good, the bitter a bit bitter for Allthego’s taste.
We now head down the Range in the morning to continue along the Cobb & Co Trail to Murphy’s Creek. Not before though putting a booking on our site for Carnival of Flowers in September, includes a food weekend as well. It is something that we have talked about doing but never got around to!
Just a little bit further along this track
As was mentioned in the previous post we had come to the Crows Nest NP not just to sit around in the sun, but to also do a walk or two to stretch the legs. So, after our first night in the park we rose at the crack of dawn and set off for a walk at 8am. To get away at this time we had to skip the morning shower and managed with a piece of toast for breaky. It was going to be a hot day so we packed a flask of water and set off.
Decisions we went to the right and came back the left.
Bottlebrush pool
Decisions, we went down to the pool and came back, continued to Bottlebrush Pool.
The 2 km return walk to the ‘pools’ was attractive. It was a gentle start but not long into it various steps were encountered, not only on the main track but also on the sides down to the creek. The area has not had much rain since January and the stream was not flowing, some stagnant pools trapped by boulders. Certainly no swimming or lounging around in cool shallows.
Making steady progress along the track.
Crows Nest Falls fall into this pool.
Crows Nest Falls flows over here when it is wet! A chap jumped off the cliff here and killed himself.
We completed the ‘pools’ track and decided to continue on to the Falls Lookout. The creek here plunged over a cliff line into a deep pool below. No water though was making the plunge. Dry as a bone. Coming back to the main track we decided to continue on a further 900 metres to the Koonin Lookout. This section of track was considerably more demanding than the one we had just completed, mostly steadily uphill, with numerous steps until we reached the ridgeline looking down the gorge valley. Quite spectacular rugged wilderness. After some recovery time and admiring the view we turned around for the return trip. It was downhill mostly this time! Steps were a little tougher on the knees. Then a long uphill section to the day use car park where it all started.
Gorge of Crows Nest Creek
This fellow hang around our site waiting for something…
A happy wanderer, ran up a tree when I got too close.
All up we had completed 6.4 km, hot and sweaty, and arrived back at camp a little before 11am. A bit more than the 2 km we had set out to do. All our water had gone and glass of cold water was most welcome. After a sit down and cool off it was into the shower and a freshen up to face the afternoon sitting around recovering. Not a lot was done. Spotted a large goanna sauntering around the camp and a number of Kookaburras in residence. Late in the day a storm seemed to be brewing with great billowing clouds coming up the escarpment from the east. Nothing came of them, but they looked quite impressive.
Storm cloud approaching late afternoon, came to nothing.
We head off now for a few days in Toowoomba.
Beyond the Bunyas
We have now headed south back towards Toowoomba. Initially, we had aimed for the small township of Bell on the western side of the Bunya Mountains. Bell is on the road between Kingaroy and Dalby. Allthego thought it wise to check whether there was a dump point in Bell. These are quite important places to identify otherwise one needs to dig a hole in the bush somewhere to ‘dump’ the contents of one’s toilet cassette. There was no dump point in Bell. Just had to update my dear readers on this because we ended up in Jandowie not Bell. Yes, there was a dump point in Jandowie, it is around 80 km further west than we would have liked. Nice little town on the Southern Downs. We stayed at the town’s showgrounds/racecourse, economical spot and we had it largely to ourselves.
Camp set up in Jandowie Showgrounds, very dry.
Big Bottle Tree in Jandowie
The Dingo statue in Jandowie
Except, for one particular chap who insisted on telling us about his ‘journey from Perth’. Had left Perth in 2014, rented the house out, and was travelling the country. Had his old V8 Falcon pulling an aging van, and swore by both being the ideal option. Fair bit of rev head talk and life on the road stuff. He seemed a little under the weather and kept repeating himself ad nauseum. Eventually wandered off to his van. Part of the challenge of road travel!
Plenty of agriculture and grazing around Jandowie. One of its claim to fame is that the Dingo fence starts nearby and there is a monument in town to the dingo and the fence. The fence stretches from here through to South Australia and we came across it on our West Australian trip a few years ago. There are plenty of Bottle trees in the landscape as well. A great big one spreads itself across a side street in the town.
Following the Dingo
We missed the Show by a day!
The Dingo Fence stretches away into the distance. The tourist drive follows it on the left side.
After a pleasant night in the Showgrounds we headed off the next morning across country to Bell. We intended to have lunch there. Along the way we stopped off where the Dingo fence starts on its 5,400km run to South Australia. There is a tourist drive that follows the fence for around a 100 km as it heads west before turning southwest on its journey to South Australia. Another time, maybe.
The RC Church at Bell, very well maintained and cared for.
Biblical Garden at Bell
Inside the RC Church in Jandowie, the opposite wall was similarly adorned.
Bell is a small village on the slopes of the Bunyas. Not a lot seems to happen in Bell. One of its major attractions is the small RC Church. It has developed a ‘Biblical Garden’ themed on the Stations of the Cross. Local artists have contributed various pieces; mosaics, wood carvings, metal work and pottery to illustrate the various stations. Plants from biblical times are supposed to be represented in the gardens. Quite impressive. The Church has its interior walls clothed in murals illustrating major turning points in the biblical journey, from Creation to the Cross. A bit ‘over the top’ and ‘in your face’ artistically we thought. It was like a modern day replacement for 18/19th century stain glass windows in European churches. Nonetheless, it was eye catching and thought provoking!
Set up in Crows Nest NP campsite.
Snags on the BBQ
From Bell we made our way to Crows Nest NP where we were to stay two nights and attempt a couple of walks to the creek and lookout. Great little camping ground, 13 spots for tents, trailer campers and small vans (we qualify). We enjoyed our pork, bacon and maple syrup sausages on the BBQ as the sun set and lit up the late afternoon sky. It is quite warm and humid. We are heading off on the walk early in the cool of the morning, a couple of kilometres there and back.
Western Wander
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
Heading Home
After leaving the gravel at Laura we headed off down the bitumen for Port Douglas, stopping for the night at the Palmer River Roadhouse. Palmer River was the location of a large gold field in the later 19th century. Not much remains of the gold field infrastructure, although there are a number of 4WD tracks out into the scrub that take you to the old workings and building remnants. One runs for an 80 km round trip from near the Roadhouse, but there is not much enthusiasm to do it at this stage of our journey. Palmer River is at the northern end of the Atherton Tableland and as we continue south we pass by vast banana plantations beside the road. The country is flat here and the bananas just stretch away in some places as far as the eye can see. This in part explains why the bananas got killed off on the hillsides down around Coffs Harbour, no longer economic with this sort of competition. The road down to Port Douglas involves descending the Great Dividing Range to Mossman, a rather twisty and steep descent in places. Once through Mossman we reach Port Douglas and book in at the same place we were a few weeks back.
On the deck at the Tin Shed
From the Yacht Club
Those prawns
Homealone and I are quite taken with the ‘Port’ and find it a comfortable spot to stay. There is a particular attraction here to keep bringing us back. Prawns in a bucket on the deck of a place called the ‘Tin Shed’ (or something like that), Allthego confuses it with the Yacht Club. One sits on the deck and looks out over the inlet and boats towards the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Nice spot to while away some time! Homealone hasn’t seen prawns (her favourite seafood) for a few weeks and can’t resist, Allthego goes for the seafood basket. The establishment though has changed the prawn presentation, they used to hang on the side of a bucket over ice, now they are sitting up, tightly packed in, looking at you from a bowl. Where to start! Homealone had no problem. We also managed to get a vanilla slice in town, the one that we saw last time and claimed to be the ‘best’ vanilla slice. We will see.
Port Douglas ‘Best vanilla slice’
Jochems’ vanilla slice. from Bowen
Ingham custard slice
After R & R in the Port we packed up and continued south to Brisbane, one night stands in an unrushed way. Stopping the night at Ingham, Bowen, Sarina and then a free camp beside the Boyne River near Gladstone. Morning tea along the way was adequately catered for as we picked up some vanilla slices at Ingham and also Bowen. Interestingly, the one at Ingham was not sold as a ‘vanilla’ slice but as a ‘custard’ slice. Allthego has tried to find out if there is a difference, quite a lot of stuff on the internet about vanilla slices. Authorities suggest the ‘vanilla’ slices are made from ‘vanilla custard’ and that the ‘custard’ nomenclature is an ‘Australianism’ compared to ‘vanilla’ which harks back to the French. I don’t know and have given up on this. The one from Bowen came from the town’s famous Jochems Bakery. Of these 3 Allthego favoured the Jochem’s, it was nice and creamy. The so called custard slice was a bit stiff and the pastry wasn’t flakey. The Port Douglas one turned out to be a ‘ring in’ and had actually been made in Cairns, it too was nice and creamy but it was a bit loose and oozed out the sides. Maybe we had mistreated it as it had been in the truck awhile before being eaten!
So in the big vanilla slice taste off it is hard not to go past the one from Gillian Brown’s Artisan Bakery at Springfield Lakes, closely followed by the Jochems and Port Douglas. The over all reason is because all three were nice and creamy with a good white icing and not too sweet. Maybe, Allthego needs to see if there has been any change in the Springfield Lakes version since the last tasting, it was a while ago.
Our last stop off was at Tiaro, near Maryborough. Tiaro has a nice free camp facility for RVs and also has a great butcher. Pork products in particular, so we made room in the esky for some ham, ordinary bacon and some bacon chops. These bacon chops are just what you need for a good brunch. If you ever pass through Tiaro this shop is strongly recommended for Pork lovers.
Tiaro free camp, Van on a bit of a slope here
Close up of a bacon chop
Bacon chops sold 2 to a pack.
The journey to the Tip and back has now finished. We had a great time and are now home after travelling around 8,600 km, the direct road distance from Brisbane to the Tip and back is about 5,300 km, so we have also done 3,000 odd km in side trips and chasing down vanilla slices. Until next time I will leave you with a little thought, from someone else “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there!”
Allthegobro 