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.