LOVE A FAMILY VISIT

 We had a visit from our eldest daughter, Carol and her husband, David. They flew from Melbourne last week to visit us, celebrate a birthday and to do a job.

Carol has had two years off work and she is now getting back into the workforce. She has a consulting job at the Sunshine Coast Airport, so she had to come to Queensland for a few days. David had his birthday at the same time so he came to celebrate with his family, who also live in Brisbane. So we were lucky to have an unexpected visit from them.

Carol baked us a custard tart:

David cooked us dinner:

Carol did some work preparation:

But she had time to bake us a Swiss breakfast loaf called a Züpfe:

She also cooked David a beautiful Birthday cake and took it to his parents home:

Then it was time to say goodbye as they set off to the airport to fly home to cold Melbourne. They enjoyed the warm sunshine while they were here.

Bill hasn't been feeling too well lately and it was early in the morning.

I LOVE DAISY HILL FOREST.

 Ever since we moved to Springwood 52 years ago, we have been walking in Daisy Hill Forest. Over the years it has changed its name and now it is called Daisy Hill Conservation Park but I still call it Daisy Hill Forest. Daisy Hill is the name of the suburb next to Springwood where we live now. We lived in two different houses in Springwood before moving to Daisy Hill, where we lived before moving into 'Elements Retirement Living' village which is in Springwood. So as you can see we haven't moved far since we settled down after a whirlwind time living in Papua New Guinea and Switzerland when we were young.

So we have been living close to the forest for a long time and have seen a few changes. Here is a little history of the area.

The Dennis family were the first Europeans to settle in Daisy Hill. In 1870 they acquired 800 acres. They named it Daisy Hill because their daughters had seen  daisies (Olearia Nernstii) growing on the hill.

Olearia nernstii in a nursery.

 Daisy Hill Forest was declared a timber reserve in 1874. In 1917 it was declared a State Forest. The first in Queensland. In 1901 part of the forest was used as a rifle range but mantles and targets were destroyed in a bush fire in 1908. The land was reinstated to the forest in 1952.

In 1986 it became a State Forest Park. The forest was used for timber, honey, gold mining and grazing. In 2006 it was gazetted as Daisy Hill Conservation Park for habitat conservation and recreation.

When we first started visiting the forest it was just bushland with a small picnic area and children's playground. Later a ring road was built through the forest and a big recreation park made with toilet blocks, shelters and BBQ's installed. There were walking and bike trails made. 

In 2018 there was an upgrade made for the Commonwealth Games expected tourists and now in 2023 we are getting more improvements.

They are making a wheelchair access from the end of our street, making more mountain bike trails, additional parking and new amenities.

Consequently, the access from our street is closed but we can still access directly from our village but we can only go one way we can't do our usual circuit. So we walk through a different park close by until the work is finished. There is another entry point in Daisy Hill which is open but we would have to drive there. The Conservation Park covers 1500ha/3706.5 acres.

Closed this way.

Open this way, our village to the left.

Our local state member of parliament, Mick de Brenni (left) and one of our residents, Rex are turning the first sod at the start of work on the improvements. Our Managing Director, Chiou See is next to Mick. The other people are locals who use the forest regularly and many belong to "The friends of the forest", a volunteer organisation that helps maintain the Park.

Soon we'll be able to do this again.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US.

 Last night at our monthly village dinner we celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary, We celebrated with the people on our table and a few others who came up to congratulate us at the end of the dinner.

54 years ago in Pt Moresby, PNG

A BIG BIG CORK TREE AND AN OLD OLD STATION

While we were in Tenterfield we heard about a Cork Tree, which was supposed to be the biggest in Australia. We looked on a map where to find it. It is actually in a residential area. It was brought from England by Edward Parker and planted in 1861.

My friend Val and the big cork tree. I couldn't move any further back to get the whole tree in the photo.

Then we went to see the old Tenterfield Railway Station. The trains no longer run through Tenterfield since 1988. The line was moved to a new route from Sydney to Brisbane.In 1991 it was opened as a museum.

The station was opened in 1886 by the Governor of NSW and officially named "the great Northern Terminus. It was described as one of the most extensive and handsome buildings on the Northern Line.
130 years later the building still has its charm.

Each of the rooms housed artifacts and old photos. Val and I took in the exhibits. Peter was interested in the role the station had helping transport soldiers north during WW2.

I found these two old farts in the Waiting Room.

Val and I passed this lovely house walking home. Typical of country homes.


Next morning we drove home via a different route. We passed mountains.

We passed farms.

We passed Sugar cane fields.


We passed rivers. This one is the Tweed River, which forms part of the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Then home sweet home.

TENTERFIELD ROAD TRIP

 Tenterfield is a small town in northern NSW in the New England Region, which is a very fertile, cool, highland area. It was originally inhabited by the Bundjalung, Jukeembal and Kamilaroi people. The first European came in 1840's. Sir Stuart Donaldson, a London merchant had 18,000 sheep on a station which he named Tenterfield Station. By 1870 there were churches, a school, the School of Arts, hotels and "the Chronicle" were established and there was a population of 900. In 1886 the Great Northern Railway was opened it was originally the junction of NSW and QLD rail lines. 

In those days Australia was a collection of colonies all administered by England. Some of the population wanted all the colonies to join together and become a federation of Australia. During this campaign,  Sir Henry Parkes delivered his famous federation speech in the School of Arts in Tenterfield in 1889, which ultimately led to the federation of all Australian States in 1901. Since then Tenterfield is known as the 'Birthplace of our Nation'.

The School of Arts is now a Museum and cafe. Bill and Peter, who both have trouble walking and standing for any length of time, returned to the Bowls Club for a drink and lunch, while Val and I explored the museum and had lunch there and walked home dropping into some lovely country dress shops on the way.

The table where people came together to hear Sir Henry Parkes' speech. There is a photo of the meeting on the glass wall at the end of the table.

Earlier that morning we drove up a windy road to the Mt MacKenzie lookout where we could only just see the township through the hazy atmosphere.

In the afternoon we checked out the local parks to see the autumn colours, even though we were a bit early for the full colours. Last time we went to see the trees we were too late.

A local enjoys doing Tai Chi under the trees.

Then we found a pretty street.

with a cute old house.

This is a map of our road trip.

CHASING AUTUMN COLOURS

After Stanthorpe we drove on towards Tenterfield. We stopped at the Warrangarra Heritage listed Railway Station Museum and Cafe for morning tea. This station was built in 1877 and is no longer used as a railway station. It is on the border of Queensland and NSW. When the colonies built railways they were different gauges. The two colonies, QLD and NSW, could not agree on a standard gauge. Passengers travelling from Sydney to Brisbane had to change trains at Warrangarra. The two different sides to the station are two different architecture styles and rail gauges. The left side is Queensland Rail style and the other side is NSW Rail style for back in those days.

From the station cafe I could see a colourful autumn tree through the window so I went outside for a better look.

There were more across the old railway line, which was the twin town of Jennings. It is in NSW while Warrangarra is in QLD.

After morning tea we drove on to Tenterfield. We arrived too early to book into our motel so Peter, our driver, said lets keep going onto Glen Innes for lunch and then come back.

Not far out of Tenterfield is Bluff Rock and some brightly coloured Poplar Trees.

As we drove into Glen Innes the streets were lined with colourful trees. We found a comfortable, old hotel for lunch, where the staff were very friendly. After lunch we drove the one and half hours back to Tenterfield and booked into our motel home for the next few days.

ANZAC DAY 2023

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On the 25th April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture Constantinople the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. The Anzacs were landed on the beaches below the cliffs where the Turkish soldiers resisted the invasion. The campaign lasted eight months and at the end of 2015 the allied forces were evacuated. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. From 2016, the 25th of April became the day to remember the soldiers who were killed. As time went on it became the day that we remember all Australians killed in military operations.

Today in our little village our veterans and their families march around the village to the Community Centre where a service is conducted and wreaths are laid followed by morning tea and drinks.

Chiou See, our managing Director leads the march with marching music and Fred a disabled veteran.

The little group of veterans march or scooter to the Community Centre.

Villagers clap in recognition of their services to their country.

Ian gives the Welcome Speech and the meaning of Anzac Day.

Then some of the veterans laid wreaths representing the Army, Navy and Airforce.

Chiou See lays a wreath representing the residents. 

Then we had Bob say the Ode of Remembrance and the Last Post was played followed by a minutes silence. 

Then Reveille is played and the flag ,which is at half mast during the ceremony, is raised by Roy.

Then residents are invited to lay poppies with the wreaths.

Afterwards it is a time for camaraderie with families and friends.