QUEEN MARY FALLS

When we drove home from Tenterfield a few weeks ago we went on the back roads and stopped at  Daggs Falls and Queen Mary Falls.

 Daggs Falls are accessible by road. Just a few metres from the car park there is a lookout.

King parrot and Eastern Rosella

We drove on through beautiful mountain scenery to Queen Mary Falls. Before hiking down to the falls we had a coffee in the cafe. Outside the cafe you could feed the wild parrots by hand.

 Hiking down to the falls.

 The track passes close to the foot of the falls. 

Then we started to climb up the other side of the valley  on a circuit track back to the picnic grounds and cafe.

 Then we crossed a bridge over the top of the falls.

And back to where we started. It was a lovely hike.

 We drove on to Spring Creek cafe for lunch. It is perched on the side of the mountain in the middle of nowhere.

The views were breathtaking and the lunch delicious.  My header photo was taken from here too.

I am going away on a trip to Cairns, Darwin and Adelaide tomorrow. I am trying to learn how to blog on my mini iPad. Please forgive me if I don't get to your blogs for a few weeks. I will probably stick to Facebook while I'm away and blog about the trip when I get back.

BALD ROCK NATIONAL PARK

I have been super busy lately and haven't had time to read or write posts. Thanks to all those who have commented on my blog recently. 

On our way home from Tenterfield we stopped at Bald Rock National Park. Our super fit guide told us it only takes 45 mins to climb to the top, while the signs said it takes 3 hours. So I was wary.

 Even so we all set off

The track got steeper and steeper and passed through some interesting rock formations

Some of the group had to turn back but some of us kept going, but I had a little rest and took some shots of the view below.

 But this wasn't the top yet.

The track led onto the huge mass of rock but it still wasn't the top. There were markers on the rock to follow. Bald Rock is 250 m above the surrounding bushland, 750m long and 500m wide. It is the largest exposed granite monolith in the southern hemisphere. It is close to 1300m above sea level and you feel like being on top of the world.

Looking down was a bit scary

Looking up was awe inspiring.

At last we were on top. There were 360° views.

 I took many shots and tried to merge them into a panorama but I had to make two.

 After drinking in the beautiful vistas it was time to return to the others at the bottom of the mountain.

Nearly there.

BIRTHDAY BEAR WASHES ELEPHANTS

It was Birthday Bear celebration time again last week. It was our grey nomad, Chris's birthday, and she and Bob were close enough to Brisbane to come and celebrate her birthday with us. If you are unfamiliar with our Birthday Bear Tradition read here. We drove up to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast to meet them at the Power Boat Club for lunch, overlooking the sea. It was a great spot. 

Chris and Bob have recently been to Asia and one of her most exciting days was when she helped wash the working elephants.

Birthday Bear decided it would be fun to help Chris wash some elephants.

Bear brought her own brush and lots of little elephants to wash. She even wore an elephant mask to join in the fun. Maybe Chris could give Bear Elephant a scrub.

Ann was the clever one to dress Bear for Chris.

L to R Bob, Helen, Chris, Ann, Mary, Bill, George and me.

The food was good, the service was good, the view was good and the company was good except we all missed Paul, who passed away last month. It is our first Birthday Bear celebration without him.

TENTERFIELD TREES

Here are some more photos of Autumn Trees in Tenterfield, a small country town in northern NSW. It sits in a valley amid the Great Dividing Range. It's main industries are beef and wool. It is famous for  being the town where Sir Henry Parkes delivered his Federation Speech in 1889. The speech ignited the debate that ultimately led to Federation on 1 January 1901. (When Australia became a country in its own right and no longer a colony of Britain.) 

Tenterfield is also famous for being the birthplace of entertainer, Peter Allen. He lived with his grandfather, who was the "Tenterfield Saddler" in his song.

 This is the second park that we visited to see the trees. As you can see it was a beautiful day and above average temperature. 25°C/77°F

There were some girls taking photos too.

 They didn't mind ud taking photos of them playing in the leaves

 I just loved the colours.

 Many of the streets in Tenterfield look like this. We never see this in Brisbane.

I like the old country houses hiding behind the beautiful trees.

A DAY TO REMEMBER MOTHERS

My mother, Florrie, lived from 1912 to 1999. She was born in St Helens, Lancashire but grew up in Newmillerdam, Yorkshire. When she was 18 she moved to London to study nursing. She worked at Claybury Hospital in Woodford Bridge, London. 

 

She was married in 1936 and my brother was born in 1937 and I was born in 1942. They endured 6 years of war in London and 4 years of rationing before they migrated to Australia in 1949. I remember her as a loving, caring mother who was always dressed beautifully. These photos were taken in late 1930's and early 40's.

CHASING THE AUTUMN COLOURS

Our U3A Travel Group leader, Michael, organised a trip for members to go to Tenterfield in the highlands of northern NSW to see the autumn colours and other scenic points of interest in the area. So come along with me for the next few days.

 
It is a three and a half hour drive to Tenterfield. We took the back roads to go home and visited the Queen Mary Falls on the way.

 On the way from Brisbane to Tenterfield we stopped at Stanthorpe for lunch. Then we had a walk through the park with our cameras.

 We said goodbye to the ducks and continued onto Tenterfield. It is about a three and a half hours drive from Brisbane.

 After we booked into the Bowling Club Motor Inn we went on a tour of the parks. We saw yellow trees and.....

 red trees and.....

 orange trees.

I even loved the patterns and colours of the fallen leaves. (Remember we don't get coloured leaves in sub tropical Brisbane. So we get quite excited with the beauty.)