Map of Travels.

We bought a large map about 2004 and filled in 'black' the roads we have travelled within Australia. I share this map so it can be seen where we have been.  We don't travel on roads that are not bitumen. There are a few roads that we haven't marked.

My husband and I have travelled on some of these roads many times both motel/hotel and a caravan which we sold in late 2008 or early 2009.  I haven't included my home State of Tasmania.

After a 6 year break from a caravan, (we have been travelling in the vehicle to Queensland since) this year we will travel again within Australia later in the year having family stay in our house whilst we are gone.

Warm Day! Part 1

Headed for a mountain not that far from home (south east) on a rather warm day at the weekend.  The temperature was 39.0 degC at home, nearly 104F,  and 30 degC on the mountain, 86F.
The mountain is called Ben Lomond at 1,570m high or 5,157ft, it's where people ski in the winter time, if there is snow of course.  I have known no snow, or very little to fall there some years.

A Pass is needed, a National Parks Pass which can be bought at various places in Tasmania.  A pass can be bought for all Parks expect Cradle Mountain on the North West Coast, that being a separate one.
I bought a Pass for 2 years just before Christmas, the reason for buying one is that we both were tired of paying more at the gate, so to speak.  So now we are set and don't risk a heavy fine.

*The first European to ascend the mountain was likely to have been John Batman (who was the founder of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria after Launceston and Ben Lomond),  who is recorded to have crossed the plateau in his forays against the Ben Lomond Nation.
The artist John Glover ascended the mountain with John Batman in the 1830s and is recorded to have made sketches of the plateau and of Lake Youl although none of these sketches have survived.
The first scientific visit to the Ben Lomind plateau was made by the Polish explorer Paul Edmond de Strzelecki on 28 November 1841 and he measured the height of the mountain (incorrectly) by barometry as 5002 feet.  In 1852; after the site was surveyed by James Sprent (Government Surveyor), a Trigonometric Point was constructed on Stacks Bluff (the southermost extremity of Ben Lomond) using convict labour.* via Wikipedia.

This is Mt. Barrow, the view on the way to Ben Lomond.  We can see both mountains from home.

Bush at the beginning of the climb/drive up the mountain.

This area is called Car Villa and it's well down the mountain.

The rocks on the way up.

Here we have arrived at Jacobs Ladder, which is what the climb is called.  It has hairpin bends and is very narrow and a long way down on one side of the Ladder.

In the middle at the top is the look out, also the road on the way up.

Subway

I quite like Subway, however I would rather the roll had butter spread on it because I find the roll always dry, no matter what town or city we are in.

When travelling we often call into a Subway if the town has one, and have Subway for lunch, but it becomes tiring after a while.  Sometimes we find a local bakery and buy sandwiches, or something else to eat and usually eat it in the bakery or outside in a dinning area.  We even take our lunch to a nice park that we may find, sit at the table and eat there. I have a husband who won't eat in the car :) A fussy Virgo!

This photo was taken from the car travelling down the road in Queensland at 110km...I was surprised it came out fairly clearly.

Somerset Dam, Queensland.

On our way home from Queensland we passed the Somerset Dam plus the Lake where the water is stored.

The Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with a gated spillway across the Stanley River that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia.
The scenery on the way to the dam and from the dam was picturesque.

Blue!

Many things happening in this house at the moment.

The family of 5 are still with us, but moving out and the end of this month or early next, will miss them when they go.  At least they won't be far away, not like before when they lived in Queensland.
It's so good that we all get on so well, even the little ones, the girls aged 8, 6 and the boy aged 2 are such a delight and so well behaved.  They ride their bikes up and down our driveway after school, talk to the boys next door who go to the same school which is just up the road about 1 km. We all spend much time laughing and I do believe we are very lucky to have such a happy family.  Eldest son and his wife and little one aged 2 are not left out either, a baby is due early November.

Sold the 4 wheel drive in two days to a cash buyer.
The sale of my late father's house is progressing beautifully and Settlement date is the end of this month. Remember it sold in 3 days.
Ordered a new 4 wheel drive, top of the range.
Looking at a caravan to buy in May next year, can't be delivered till then apparently, but just looking.

Son living here has a job interview in the country about 15 minutes away, so we are keeping our fingers crossed on that.  He has two other jobs, so if he's lucky enough he might have 3. Of course if he gets full time then he will have one.

The streetscape below is on the way into Melbourne, Victoria from the north.  I always like this 'fence' that is on the side of the freeway.  Don't know how long it is.  Took the photo from the window as husband was driving down at normal speed.

Glass House Mountains. Queensland, Australia.

We have arrived home from Queensland, whilst there we visited the Glass House Mountains National Park.  It's a heritage-listed national park in the Australian State of Queensland, 70km (43mi) north of Brisbane.  
The Park was established in 1944.  In 2010 the Queensland Government announced the expansion of the park to include an additional 2,117 hectares.

Glass House Mountains were named by Captain James Cook as he sailed north up the coast of what is now Queensland in 1770 as part of his incredible voyage aboard his ship HM Bark Endeavour.  They were so called as the shape of the mountains reminded him of the huge glass furnaces (glasshouses) back in his native Yorkshire.  Info via Wikipedia.
 

Mt. Coonowrin is one of the Glass House Mountains.

The Spit, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast.

The Spit is located in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast.  It's easy to find with a lovely beach.  The surrounding area is not crash hot for a holiday place.

A Marina is not far from the Spit, and that blue building is part of Underwater World where by there are creatures of the sea housed there.

Maleny and Baroon Lake, Queensland.

Maleny is a quaint little town up the hill from the Sunshine Coast.  We spent a few hours walking the footpath, just up and down the street.  Lots of people about, many dinning at the table and chairs on the side of the foothpath.  If one happens to turn the wrong way could end up on a table in some areas.  Not wrapped in this type of dinning but of course many people are.

10 km's from Maleny is Baroon Lake which we visited.
Via Wikipedia - The Baroon Pocket Dam is an rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Obi Obi Creek, which is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply.

For me I have done the unthinkable :) showing two photos, my husband and myself at Baroon Lake.

One part of the footpath in Maleny.

A view from the hills.

View to the sea which can be seen.

Part of Baroon Lake.  It wasn't very pretty due to the water quality.  Apparently water skiing and other water sports are sometimes permitted, but due to water quality these activities has been suspended until further notice.

Around and about!

A collection of photos taken around and about the Maroochydore area.  Some taken from the balcony where we are staying at Picnic Point in Maroochydore, Queensland. We have been here for just over 4 and 1/2 weeks and leave at the weekend to drive down to Melbourne, Victoria to catch the ferry home back to Tasmania, Australia.

This holiday is the one we had been waiting for, having changed it 5 times due to my father's illness, then his death at aged just over 90.  It's been a very restful holiday, having time to think things through and sort things out. 

Plenty of Pelicans about.  Some of them sit on top of the pole that holds two lights near enough opposite to where we are staying.

You can just see that pole where the Pelicans sit.

Men and their toys, their Jet Skis.

The houses, husband and wife plus their children live in them.

Apartments where people like us stay. I expect one or two people may live in them.  There is a height limit on the Sunshine Coast for the buildings, but I believe the Council is thinking of lifting it if the rate payers agree.

Up Gympie Way!

Gympie is a regional town in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. It is about 160 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane, as I mentioned in a previous post about Gympie.

When arriving at a new town as in driving through, one has to ask what do I take a photo of.
Always look for the Catholic Church, they are usually perched up on the highest peak, often the nicest Church building of all other Churches. Then the War Memorial is usually in a very obvious place, the Post Office and street scape.  I find that the photos of the above reminds me of the towns that we visit.

It was a lovely day when we traveled north to see what the town looked like. We did a stroll up and down the main street, was able to park easily at the brow of the hill. There was a restaurant right where we parked the car, thinking, this would be great to eat lunch there.  By the time we returned, the place was packed with a line out to the footpath, can understand why for we didn't come across any other restaurant on our walk, just a few sandwiches places.

The above two photos: the building was for sale.

The main street looking up the hill.  I noticed the crossing and both women didn't use it. Expect this happens at many places.

Down the hill along the main street, this area is very flat.

A Hotel, as we would say the 'local', or the 'local watering hole'.

Interesting above the shops.

The War Memorial so beautifully done.

About all the Wars along each side of the walk.

On one of the posts are those names of the men lost in the World War ll, each side of each post has a list of the lost soldiers from each War.

Matilda, Queensland, Australia

On our way back from Gympie in Queensland we had lunch at a restaurant several km's from Gympie, and looking out the window I spotted Matilda, and water.

Now Matilda has beautiful eyelashes, she also moves her head every now and then.

St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Gympie. Queensland.

Gympie is a regional town in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. It is about 160 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods the town periodically. Situated on a hill is the Catholic Church so when we visited last week I took the opportunity to take photos.  I don't know when the church was built, but I presume it's in the 1900's.