Fields of Sunflowers and Lavender

Well, I was in seventh heaven today... amongst fields of Sunflowers and Lavender.

After battling off the flu at the end of last week, I felt the need to 'get out of the house!'

So, we ended up ion the Queensland/Northern New South Wales border today and this is what we saw along the way.

Nothing like fields of flowers to brighten up a dreary rainy day today.

Here's to a happy week.

Pam x

Escape to the Country Aussie Style #2

Hello 2012!

Back from our country break in some remote Northen NSW National Parks, here are some images from along the way I wanted to share with you.
Ulmarra is a gorgeous historic town and it had the only thrift store I noticed that was open during these holidays.

A country dunny and an abandoned farmhouse with that gorgoeus rust again.

Tiny native bush flowers along our bush walks. Very hard to miss if you didn't look closely enough.

We passed through many striking farming landscapes.

Christmas bells in the bush.

Stunnining views over the Gibraltar Range from the Raspberry Hill Lookout.

We spent a night at the beach and now we know why the country areas were so quiet! A vacation at the beach is an age old Aussie family tradition in our summer holiday. This time we enjoyed the roads and the National Parks to ourselves. 

So we headed back to the bush. Camped out at the Gibraltar National Park we enjoyed a bush walks through rainforests, dry forests, creeks and rivers.

One spectacular walk was a climb up to the Needles.

 An amazingly breathtaking formation of granite columns in the middle of nowhere.

Magic.



Thank you for reading my little blog and I am hoping to catch up with you all soon.

Hello 2012.

Escape to the Country

Hubby and  I decided to get away from the city.

Being half empty nesters it is much easier for us to be more spontaneous and escape for a while.

So....

Why not take a break in the country?
Yep, let's do it...just go!

Heading South from Brisbane.

No plans, no bookings.

Packed the tent and a few meagre provisions.... including smoked salmon and mangoes of course!

See where the road takes us...(sigh!)

Typical Australian Countryside.

Rust on the side of the road.

Open plains, fences and cattle.

Super green fields down here and beautiful trees.

Over the border into Northern New South Wales.

Over the Gibraltar Range and on to Washpool  National Park.

Stunning fields of wildflowers, lush rainforests, waterfalls, swimming holes.

Go to bed with the birds...

wake up with the birds.

Getting back to nature.

Re- charging and relaxing away from  the bustle right now.

Loving it.

Pam

 x

Beechmont Surprises.

We took a drive down to the Gold Coast Hinterland today.

Friends of ours have bought 150 acres at Beechmont.

Prime real estate on top of the mountain.

After looking at their plans for their amazing new home I was really keen to see their piece of paradise.

And what a glorious paradise they have found.

This will be the view from the Eastern side of the house.

It was a bit hazy today for photos, and on a good day the views stretch  from North Stradbroke Island to Coolangatta and much more I am sure.

Depends where you are taking the photo from of course!

This will be the view from the Western side of their home.

Stunning Gold Coast Hinterland.

On the way home, we stopped off at a small park.

We came across a lovely babbling river, complete with rocks!

Gorgeous autumn foliage.

We were strolling along the pathway,

 taking in all the natural beauty feeling nice and relaxed,enjoying the serenity of it all...

... then  we came across this car that had obviously been driven off a very old wooden bridge.

Do hope no-one was injured too badly.

Country QLD at it's Finest...

We travelled up north for a few days on the weekend.

We came across and abandoned homestead.

This has to be Queensland Country at it's finest.

This Grand Old Lady was originally an original farmstead house for a huge sugar cane plantation.

It is in a sad state of repair.

It is overgrown and unloved.

Original and very vintage.

Intriguing and very beautiful...

...we took a look...

I love these original shutters on old Queenslander homes.

She would have been a beauty in her day.

The room adjacent to this one was a very elegant room with silky oak panelling on the walls.

Fine dining I expect!

A shame my photo of it didn't turn out.

Look what was left behind though...

I didn't expect this discovery downstairs.

 Don't you just love it? 

The original french doors that would have adorned the verandahs were under the house. 

A collection of bridles, saddles and stirrups under a mountain of dust.



The front garden would have been very stately with it's fine palms.

Look what was in the undergrowth.

There were two others.

We said goodbye to this gorgeous lady and headed on our way.

We then had the pleasure of meeting Wendy.

Wendy owns 17 acres of fruit and vegetables.

She sells them at her roadside stall which was originally the homestead's kitchen.

It's very cottagey and welcoming.

I felt I was in my grandmothers kitchen.

Freshly picked bunches of veges everywhere.

Shelves of secondhand books were available to take.

When Wendy had finished serving us she jumped on to her cycle and bid her goodbyes, and peddled off to pick up the fruit that had dropped on the ground over night!



Bye Wendy, it was an absolute pleasure.

There is nothing like Country Queensland with it's charm, it's history and its' myriad of colourful characters.

We also stayed at a very special coastal spot.

I will share another time.

Pam x