Day two: Stanthorpe to Tamworth

We were a little bit slow getting started on day two of our trip.




We woke to freezing Stanthorpe temperatures and torrential rain. Everyone woke up early and climbed into bed with me. We refilled our hot water bottles and snuggled deep under the covers. When I peered out of the window, it looked as if it would rain for 40 days and 40 nights. However while I had a shower the kids did a 'go away rain' dance.





Picture two children dancing around a very tiny cabin and singing: "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day". (I'm glad I was in the shower) But it worked. By the time I was dressed, the rain was gone.

We (I guess that's me) wanted to go to the museum in town. We ate a simple breakfast and then went down town for a bit of op shopping until the museum opened at 9:30am.


We loved the museum, there will be a separate post about this. I love historical museums with buildings set up this way. We were still in Stanthorpe at 12:30pm.




Today, it was the brilliant yellow of wattle edging the side of the road, that caught my eye.

We drove only to the next town of Tenterfield before deciding that, we were indeed, hungry for lunch.

We stopped at a beautiful little cafe and bric brac store. After wandering through the shop we lunched out on the the back verandah, in what I can only describe as, the most perfect secret garden. Lunch was delicious. A proper homemade hamburger with piles of fresh salad, and great coffee, the kids had ham and cheese toasties and chocolate milkshakes. We didn't leave here for another hour and a half.

That might have something to do with the fact that I lost my car keys!!! Hmmm. What to do when you are very far, far from home with very far, far to go and no car keys? After much searching and only moments before I sat down and cried, Spunky Monkey, kicked something that jingled. There they were, upstairs in the bric brac shop, half under a turkish rug.

Phew!!









This was one of the most enchanting gardens I have ever known. The abundance of blossom trees and bare branches, some blooms rediscovered and loved for nostalgic reasons (wisteria and the may bush). I loved the chill in the air. It was a temperature that I had not experienced since leaving London over 15 years ago. It was so peaceful, I could have sat there for days.

I will be writing later about my love affair with the seasons. Again, that will be another post. I love the seasons.

It was a big afternoon of driving and no stopping, straight through to Tamworth for the night.

As Spunky Monkey slept, Miss Moo Moo and I watched the landscape out of the window change from apple orchards to paddocks. Spacious green hills, dotted with woolly sheep and black cows that we were not used to seeing.

I have always loved driving through the countryside during the late afternoon. This was a favourite time of my driving day. The children were usually quiet and I got to listen to my music. I could enjoy the way the golden sunlight would dance through the shadows of the trees, across the road and into the paddocks beyond the old worn fences. This was the time that the galah's and parrots would be feeding on the shoulders of the road. I loved seeing all of this bird life. It seems ridiculous to say, but we never see this. As the birds fed in the quiet of the late afternoon, it reminded me of that time of day on my Nana's farm. It was nice.

After checking into a motel for the night, we headed straight down to Peel Street to get some dinner.

We instantly loved it. We loved the wide footpaths and twinkle lights strung up in the branches of the deciduous trees lining the street. We loved that we could sit alfresco and eat our pub dinner. We can't do that anywhere near where we live. And can I tell you, Mr Moo does a pretty good steak, but the $12.00 rump special that I ate that night, might just be one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. Yum.

I ended up finishing off, not only a huge steak and chips, but half of the kids schnitzel deal too. It was just as well we were able to walk it off. After dinner we leisurely wandered the length of Peel street: window shopping, running, laughing, jumping, climbing. (I was not running, jumping or climbing)

Hanging out with Smoky Dawson in downtown Tamworth.

On our second day of driving, on the way home, there were less stops.

However, we did manage to while away well over an hour at this lovely park in Glen Innes. We made a picnic of chicken salad rolls, strawberries and chocolate hazelnut wafers. The kids enjoyed the playground and I enjoyed a few moments with a Country Style magazine, before I was beckoned to come exploring. Once again, we were head of heals in love with the trees in this park.

We couldn't return to Queensland without taking photo of the kids, hands down, favourite tree. The beautiful weeping willow. We will miss seeing them on our travels.

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On the road - Brisbane to Stanthorpe

This was the first and last leg of our trip. Everything after Brisbane was new to us.

We are not seasoned road trippers, we really did take it slow, with lots of lingering stops in between. I don't think there was a day when we got going before 10am. We had all the time in the world. It was just how we wanted it.


Just outside of Brisbane, lantana decorated the road side in bright, fruit tingle colours.









We were happy to leave the highway and enter into farming country, it had been a while since I had been for a drive in the country. It was just want I needed .

Tractors everywhere: in the paddocks and on the roads. The landscape was dotted with crumbling outbuildings and sheds. Weathered timber, rusting roofs, crooked posts made from tree trunks, tumbling fences and barbed wire.





Our first road side lunch stop: chicken legs, zucchini slice and fresh fruit. We stretched our legs and enjoyed the warm breeze, upon which, came the smell of the countryside. Grass, cows, horses, dirt. Bees buzzed. Ants scurried. Bliss. We were glad to be on holidays.

One good thing about travelling without Mr Moo was that we could stop anywhere, and for as long as we liked. This is my new favourite place. Aladdin's Cave. If only I'd had a ute!


After Cunningham's Gap, we saw different types of trees in the landscape and beautiful old farmhouses. Blossom trees in all colours of pink and white dotted the side of the highway.

We drove into Warwick and were struck by it's beauty. Beautiful old buildings and gardens filled with roses and lavender lined the streets!! Now that what I call a pretty country town. I fell in love all over again with wisteria, growing crazy wild, everywhere.






We stopped here for coffee and chocolate cake, which we took to the local park. Now this was a park, well kept lawns dotted with giant trees, neat flower beds and a couple of good playgrounds.




This is my new favourite tree. Does anyone know what it is called?



This was our first blossom tree of the trip - I was in love.





Some old fashioned playground fun. Did I mention that I loved this park.



Almost dark, we were close to Stanthorpe, were we stayed for the night.

The first apple trees that I have ever seen (yes really!) So pretty with there bare branches and a few tiny new blooms.

Arriving late in town we stayed at some cabins and went straight away to get dinner. Unfortunately, we ended up eating some very bad takeaway. Miss Moo Moo played with her fish and chips before looking up at me and pushing her plate away. "That fish is disgusting" she said to me in a whisper. I tasted it, it was. Spunky Monkey then told me he couldn't eat any more. I tasted his hamburger. I can not even describe it, I'm not sure what they did to that meat (if that's what it was) to give it the texture and flavour that it had. He had eaten half of it. I felt like the worst mother in the world and wondered would we be rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night.

We all felt very sick and went back to the room and ate a punnet of strawberries.

We vowed, no matter what, we would not eat fast food again on this trip.

There are no photos of our last day of travelling, as you can imagine, we were a little over it all by then.

Go here, to see who else will be blogging daily for Blogtoberfest.