A couple of days of Family HISTORY

3rd October 2013
Michelle lived on the same side of town as Flo, and arrived while we were eating our packed lunches. A quick shopping stop allowed Mum to acquire some Weiss bars.

The drive up to Michelle's home

Michelle's mother June soon joined us for our escapade to find the home in which Mum's paternal grandparents, Carl and Elizabeth Freier, and their family had lived - their 'new' house had been built in the 1920s. Michelle, expecting us to have far more luggage than we did, had wisely borrowed her husband John's ute; it was an ideal vehicle for the unsealed roads. We stopped first at what had been the Linthorpe cheese factory where June's father worked when she was a small child. Here an 'encounter' with a local was a little unsettling, but nothing was going to spoil June's excitement for our outing.

The now derelict cheese factory at Linthorpe

I could see why Mum did not think she would find her way around the maze of country roads... During the time we lurked on the dead end road outside what had been the Freier home two vehicles had pulled into the yard. We must have looked more than a little suspicious! June decided to introduce herself; Lintonvale's new owners were friendly and interested in the history of their recently acquired farm, even showing us inside their home. June was able to explain changes that had been made; Mum later sent photos that had been taken over the years.

Letterboxes at the start of the road to Lintonvale

Lintonvale - nearing the Freier farm. Many of the neighbouring homes have now disappeared.

View from the road of the back of the house

The front of the house

Hallway (with high ceilings) looking to front of house

The Freier home still needs front steps, but the verandahs were left without railings

Building work completed

New paintwork and replacing some of the original wooden stumps are amongst the work presently being carried out

On our return journey we saw some kangaroos, and must have stopped at every signpost (for photos!) until we again reached the sealed road, passing near Sue's home at Westbrook and the new airport which was being built by local family Wagners.

Too much information?

June could not be convinced to stay the night, preferring to return briefly next morning. We enjoyed chatting with Michelle's husband John over the lovely roast pork dinner, and he introduced us to vacuum packed boiled peanuts which Mum said tasted just like the ones her folk used to boil in the corned beef (silverside) water. June had thoughtfully brought old albums and a family history book which Mum stayed up hours looking through. Next morning June arrived early as promised - so early that the rest of us were still in bed!

Mum's father used to grow peanuts, and much else, in their garden

Breakfast time with Michelle and June

Welcome sunshine in the front garden on a cool morning

Making friends in the paddock next to Michelle's front garden

Disappointingly for Mum, June celebrated her 80th birthday with a family get together shortly after Mum left Queensland; I had kindly been invited but was unable to attend. June's brother Wilfred and sister Norma were there from Melbourne. June's brother Stanley died a couple of weeks before and Michelle and her daughter Jacqui had travelled to Townsville for his funeral.

Desi's trees!

My most humble apologies to Jason - this blog stalled while I tried to outdo Hockney with the photos I had taken featuring Desi's trees. I have to admit defeat; the trees were magnificent, but my attempts to portray them are not. Even so I hope these images give an idea of the splendid outlook in every direction, as well as the presence of these trees 'inside' the house. Desi assures me that where they have moved is wonderful, with established fruit trees and flatter ground for the horses. Maybe I will have the chance to compare someday, but this seemed to me like utopia. These trees even inspired ME(!) to rise early so that I could photograph them in a variety of  lighting conditions. I trust the new owners will be able to maintain this land as well as Ross and Desi had been doing.

Sunrise, enjoyed over several early mornings

Our bathroom

Our recently acquired new camera can take panoramic views - where is the challenge in that?

Mounts Glorious and Nebo

Wednesday we tried to tidy 'our' room (the home cinema, which was not being used as such and for some reason did not feature in advertising photos or write-up) and keep a low profile when the real estate agent viewed the house. Desi was keen (if not entirely hopeful) to move to a nearby 10 acre block with flatter ground for her horses; this move has recently taken place! We are told that their new place also has a collection of mature fruiting trees on good soil, and a small house. It will be interesting to learn how the children 'enjoy' leaving their separate rooms, swimming pool, etc!

We thoughtfully declined the chance to go to the Strathpine shopping centre with Desi and family, and were most pleased it suited Terry to come over and visit. After enjoying morning tea overlooking the pool, Terry offered to drive to nearby Mts Glorious and Nebo. Although not terribly far Mum, struggling with nausea-inducing winding roads, indulged only in the magnificent view when we stopped at the Mt Glorious Cafe and Restaurant.

We lured Terry on a short walk, out of sight of his car

We did not experience the exuberant Mt Glorious kookaburra

View from Mt Nebo 

(only a few hours walk from Mark and Carrie's Brookfield abode, but a very long way by road)

It had been a lovely day out, and on the way back we took a look at the many graves with German surnames in the pleasantly situated Dayboro cemetery.

Sunset again

Thursday was the day of Valma's funeral. We had now stayed longer than intended with Desi and Ross, but they were always most gracious hosts. Mum made the most of the last opportunity to photograph our surroundings (especially as the, to her, unsightly pool umbrella had departed the previous evening); Mum was about to unwittingly leave her camera by the pool as a result of wanting the experience of helping Ross cover it for the day to minimise evaporation in the heat.
Harry, Zoe and Meg went to their neighbours and we left early for the 170km drive, via Brisbane's western suburbs (passing Toowong Cemetery and Government House), to Toowoomba. It was lovely, but sad under these circumstances, to see Desi's mum Florence and brother Todd again.

The framed photo near Todd shows Desi as a bride next to Todd's Holden car

The intention behind Mum's visit to Australia was to catch up with long unseen family and friends, so she was disappointed not to have been able to do so with Val. The funeral service at the graveside in the Haden-Goombungee cemetery (where Mum's maternal Hoffmann grandparents were also buried) was very private. In April I had sat opposite Graham and Valma and next to Lynette (who took the photo below) at June's 80th birthday celebration.

How to cool your pool

Next day Ross took us, along with Harry and his friend Lachlan (it was school holidays), to Mt Mee on the D'Aguilar Range. After stunning views along the drive we ravenously consumed a hearty morning tea of the sweet and savoury breads Ross had bought at the local bakery, before embarking on a short forest walk.

Morning tea at the Gantry

Palm groves are often a feature along creeks within Queensland rainforests

There were FOUR kookaburras at this table clearing up after some messy eaters (not us!); I had frightened away three by the time I got this close

We briefly admired the dimensions of the gantry, which had seen so many majestic local trees, especially highly prized red cedars, passing under its roof and hauled by bullock teams. Keen to investigate the lookout for Bulls Falls we easily convinced Ross it was worth the short detour; recent experience had taught us not to expect to see much water falling, and that was again the case. Rain was now desperately needed, and much of Queensland had been declared drought stricken. Sections of the eucalypt forest near the entrance to this National Park were showing signs of having been ravaged by fire.

We spent some of the afternoon appreciating the swimming pool; the water is warmed by day or cooled by night by being pumped through a mat on the roof.

Bathing beauties enjoy the pool with a view

 Sunset from 'home'

Dayboro is Utopia

Monday 30 September was our chance to at last see whether Desi was surrounded by countryside and views as wonderful as they looked on photos we had seen. We certainly were not disappointed. The 360 degree view from their hilltop position included many majestic gum trees which Mum seemed to need to endlessly photograph in different light from sunrise to sunset.  Returning from an errand with Ross, I found that Desi and Mum had been out 'for a spin' courtesy of Hooley.

Getting ready

Picture road signs (for Hooley?)!

I had a ride to the gate and back

After lunch it seemed only right to try to help Ross with some lantana clearance down near the gully. Ross made the job look easy using just his bare hands on the serrated foliage, while I struggled to make much of an impact. Ross was close to having cleared all of their 10 acres of this menace, and was tending many young trees; he had accidentally ringbarked his favourite young blue quandong just the day before with the whipper snapper (that's strimmer in English)...

Boys in red attack lantana

One of many steep inclines on Ross and Desi's land, this one back up from the gully

Desi heard that her aunt Valma had died on Sunday night. It seemed sensible for us to get a lift back up to Toowoomba with them for the funeral, which we expected would take place in a couple of days.

Glasshouse Mountains and Bribie Island

Saturday 28 September we hoped to have great views of the iconic Glasshouse Mountains. Atmospheric perhaps describes how we saw them; these peaks looked impressive and we took many photos.

Mt. Coonowrin

Several of the eleven peaks of the Glasshouse Mountains

Mum and I were keen to climb Mt Beerburrum, but Ros was on a tight schedule and would not believe that we could be sufficiently flight of foot. We were delivered to Greg and Anne, holidaying on Bribie Island, and Ros soon left to reach her central Brisbane accommodation before roads were closed for the Riverfire Festival, and prepare for the next few days at a teaching conference.

The day was warming up so after a sausage sizzle lunch we headed for a walk along the beach. Dinner was at a highly recommended seafood restaurant overlooking the water. After a beautiful sunset some of the Brisbane fireworks lit the southern sky.

A beach on Bribie with guard dog Shasta the schnauser

The Glasshouse Mountains play peek-a-boo behind the bridge to Bribie

It was about a decade since we had last seen the family when they lived in Eastbourne, so it was lovely to have time together and eventually coax Madeline, Rhiannon and Dafydd to play some music on violin, trumpet and keyboard respectively. We finished our tasty bbq lunch before Desi and her best travellers, Harry and Meg, arrived and we all went to explore a different beach. After a while enjoying the cool sea and attempting to get Shasta to follow us further and further in, it was time to make tracks for Dayboro.

That's pumpkin in Greg's tongs - yum!

Time for a short swim

Honey, honey!

Friday 27 September was the big chance to catch up with Paul and Judy who had not been seen by many for some time. Paul wrote "[you many have heard] that our youngest son Luke suffered a severe brain injury nearly 2 years ago. It's been a very tough time and he is recovering slowly from basically nothing. Jude is his carer and therapist so it's pretty full on for her" and suggested 'a coffee down on the river'. Upon learning that Luke liked to see people we felt it better to visit at home and see them all.

We left Noosaville with time to enjoy the view from Laguna Lookout, a place I had been but even Ros did not know, and checked out the playground at Lake Cooribah before becoming a little lost down a gravel road to an 'alternative' campsite which went past some suspiciously blue lakes.

Views over Noosa River mouth with Mt Cooroy on the horizon

We heard that kangaroos can appear to walk on water on the very shallow Lake Cooribah

These eye-catching ponds were hidden behind a mound of earth

Luke was indeed sociable, and it was clear to see how much all of his family, especially Judy, had contributed to his recovery so far, when doctors had given up hope. Not least, Luke was a well built lad of 6ft 4ins, and there was an art to supporting his walking. Clearly a lot of hard work was still ahead. Richard and Sylvia had thoughtfully sent homemade scones and cream, and as soon as tea was made others mysteriously appeared. Nathan then showed us how they extracted honey in the nearby shed, and we learnt that most of their hives were about 900km out west, somewhere past Cunnamulla. That explained the big truck in the yard! Mum had been told that one thing she certainly must not take on the plane from Perth was honey, and now we started to learn that it can be difficult to know what we really buy. 

L to R: Ros, Nathan, July, Paul, Jason, Graham and Luke

Nathan, observed by Ros and Luke, shows frames full of honey about to be extracted

We took a look around Cotton Tree. Much had changed and Mum could not really recognise where they used to enjoy still water as an alternative to Mooloolaba's surf. As the day had become cloudy and breezy we were not tempted into the water, so it was not a problem that we really did not have time to swim.

1963 at Cotton Tree

The beach at Mooloolaba

In the Foote Sanctuary Mum searched in vain to find the bottom of the steep plot of land that had belonged to Auntie Ella and on which had gown pawpaws, mangoes, monstera deliciosa, bananas and other tropical delights; up on Buderim Mum thought she could see the side of the cottage, set well back from the road.  Google revealed that the flat front garden amazingly remains, and the original wooden cottage now has a roof connecting it to the what was Ella's brick home.  At least two new houses had been built on the sloping land behind. Eckersley Avenue, with its magnificent views to the sea, had been discovered and now seemed to be the preserve of the well-to-do.

A little down the mountain we visited Shirley and Heinz in their retirement home. Afternoon tea was followed by toasted sandwiches, and it was lovely to be there when son David and his New Zealand wife Jenny called by.

Shirley and Heinz with David and Jennifer

Next morning it would be time to pack up and leave the Sunshine Coast :(