Brisbane, QLD


Sunday, April 23, 2023

HIT THE ROAD AGAIN AFTER A LONG BREAK

It has been a long time since we have done a road trip or any trip thanks to Covid and getting older and lazier by the day. However, we made arrangement with friends, Peter and Val, to go to Tenterfield for a short break and hopefully to enjoy some Autumn colours. We decided to stop overnight on the way at Stanthorpe and have dinner at Anna's Italian Restaurant.

Stanthorpe is a small town in SE Queensland close to the NSW border. It is in the Southern Downs Region and is 690m/2,260ft above sea level. It is Kanbuwai Country of indigenous people but in 1860's  the local Catholic priest encouraged grape growing to produce altar wine. There were plenty of Italian settlers who found wine making a pleasant pastime as well as growing fruit and vegetables.

In 1870's tin was discovered and with the influx of miners the township grew and was named Stanthorpe which means 'tintown'. When the tin prices fell the miners turned to growing fruit and vegetables. Today, Stanthorpe is known for its apples and wines. It is also popular with coastal dwellers to holiday in the cool climate.

Driving towards the highlands through the pretty Scenic Rim region. 

We stopped for lunch in Warwick at a cafe in a nursery. It had a funny sign outside.



Our friend Peter enjoyed a burger for lunch.

Then we drove onto Stanthorpe. We had a bit of excitement when we arrived at our Motel accommodation where we had booked. The owner told us their hot water heater had broken down and he had booked us into a different Motel. This one had hot water but no breakfast. Anyway we settled in and then went for a walk to the pretty park.





Not so pretty bats/flying foxes hanging upside down asleep waiting for nightfall.

Dinner at Anna's Restaurant. I had lasagna.

14 comments:

  1. Hello,
    Looks like a wonderful trip, beautiful scenery and great food. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  2. What a nice little road trip and the park in Stanthorpe looks wonderful. Great photos too. You haven't lost the skill.

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  3. Goodness! The bats look comfy. lolol
    The Nursery/Cafe looks fun! And that hamburger, inspirational! I need one now!
    hugs
    Donna

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  4. wow wow wow, I love it ALL... even the scary hanging BATS. that nursery would have me snapping myself silly. my favorite photo is the one with all the shadows just below my 2nd favorite the quickie sign. awesome photos and I am a tad jealous... so glad you had the opportunity to get away for a short while

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  5. Those red trees certainly capture the attention.

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  6. It's always nice to get away ...
    Lovely colours in your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  7. Beautiful pictures. And a very sweet shot of the sculpture of the two children.
    I love it all, except for those bats. That would freak me out.
    While you are enjoying the lovely fall colors in your neck of the woods, we are enjoying the spring ones over here.

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  8. Gorgeous autumn colours there Diane. It's a nice place, we had an Uncle live there he was from Sweden and was married to B's Auntie for several years.
    Those bats bring back memories.

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  9. Pretty scenes. It's so easy to have become becalmed during Covid - and I speak from experience. I was brought up in a village that was nicknamed "Tintown" on account of the number of houses which had corrugated iron roofs.

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  10. Beautiful photos. I love to explore your country with you.

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  11. What an excellent idea to escape and see other places ! Looks lovely !

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  12. Glad that you and Bill went on an adventure with your friends, Diane, as it had been awhile as you said. The colors were lovely and while you are awaiting fall while summer has not yet started here. Too bad about the accommodations switch but hot water may have been preferable to breakfast...or maybe not?

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  13. Fun that you went on a road trip. Looks like leaves are starting to change. Bob and I are still home-bodies.

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  14. Hooray for roadtrips! And interesting to learn the history of Stanthorpe. (I honestly never thought about where tin came from.) The Fall color is beautiful in that pretty park. And I really like the outdoor sculptures.

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