Brisbane Hinterland

The Brisbane Hinterland.

Rosedale, Laidley, Gatton, Esk, Kilcoy and Woodford

We spent a week touring the Brisbane hinterland. Heading out on the motorway towards Ipswich we stopped at Rosedale to have coffee with a friend, Nancy, who I met through the facebook support page for Auditory Processing Disorder. We were fortunate that she had organised for another member of the group, Janine, to come along too so we spent a wonderful morning catching up and getting to know each other more. Thank you both for a great morning, and Nancy, thank you for all your support over the years !

We spent the next few nights at Laidley Showground and travelled out to Gatton and Toowoomba.

George decided that Toowoomba wasn't far from Gatton so we drove up the very steep hill ... glad we weren't towing the caravan. 

First stop was the views from View Point where you could look back over the steep drive we'd just made up the hill and over the valley below towards Gatton. We decided to have our late lunch here looking out over the view. Late lunches have become a habit lately ! 

Next stop was the Cobb and Co. Museum, but by the time we found it time had gotten away on us and on entry we found it closed at 4pm and it was already 3pm. So... the museum will have to wait until another trip to Toowoomba.

On our way back through Gatton we visited the Truckies and  Coach Drivers  Memorial, in the Park behind the tourist information centre, late in the afternoon. Both the lake and the memorial were stunning in the afternoon light.

View from the lookout

Windmill display outside the Cobb and Co. Museum

Gatton Truckies and Coach Drivers Memorial

Next stop was Kilcoy Showground for two nights, a whopping 90kms up the road. We had decided to base ourselves there so we could do the scenic drive around Somerset Dam and Wivenhoe Dam without the caravan. George was glad we did !

While driving to Kilcoy we visited Esk which had a well laid out antique shop, and a coffee shop/art gallery that surprised us with a room displaying some local history. The shop was originally the home of an amazing man who migrated to Australia in 1852. He began a timber mill and with ingenuity and creativity built 3 rail cart sidings on the side of the mountains. He also chose to build the new mills at the site of the cuttings, which was a 

different idea. He connected the first electricity in the area to his own home from the mill, 15 years before electricity reached the town of Esk. He also designed and built many of the distinct public buildings still in use today.

The drive around Somerset and Wivenhoe Dams provided us with quite a few viewing stops and opportunities for photos and picnic stops. We had afternoon tea at Cormorant Bay Cafe, perched high on the banks of  Wivenhoe Dam with perfect views back across the water. The days had been very overcast but enjoyable.

Below: the town of Somerset; Cormorants on the dam; and Somerset Dam wall

Views from Cormorant Bay Cafe over Wivenhoe Dam 

On our way back down to our next stop at Beerburrum in the Sunshine Coast hinterland we  stopped at Woodford and once more visited their community museum and arts centre. The ladies manning the centre were a wealth of local knowledge and were happy to talk aboutthetown history and the local art/craft work.

Overall we were very pleased to be back in touring mode though it took a few days to settle  into the new routine. We found ourselves out and about picnicking without one thing or another the first few days ... margarine, thermos, water etc. Now they are permanently packed in the drawers or ute fridge.

 It has taken a little bit of time to get used to touring without our lovely old bus (which we still mourn over sometimes) which was like a snail ... we always had our house with us and therefore didn't need to remember to pack anything !