TOD Tour, Day 53 - Glasshouse Mountains

The Glasshouse Mountains

They certainly have a unique way of farewelling from Bribie Island. As we drove across the Bribie
Island Bridge - the only non-water access to the island - a pelican sat on top of every one of the tall light poles which illuminate the roadway and make the bridge stand out as a landmark. Squatting there in the early morning sun, each seemed content with his perch, like aquatic gargoyles.

It was an easy run up into the hinterland and the scenic lookout in the Glasshouse Mountains. Low cloud rolled across the scene from the south, allowing shy peaks to hide from view for anything from moments to half hours. Captain Cook named these eleven peaks in 1770, as he sailed up the east coast of Australia, reminded of the glass furnaces of his beloved Yorkshire, so far away. Matthew Flinders explored the area, climbing Mt Beerburrum on his 1799 visit. They are the remnant plugs of volcanoes which were active across eastern Australia 26 million years ago.

The Gubbi Gubbi people believe the mountains are all members of the one family. The father, Mt Tibrogargan asked his son Mt Coonowrin to help get his pregnant mother to safety when he saw the sea rising. Coonowrin refused and Tibrogargan hit him with his nulla nulla. Once the danger passed, Coonowrin felt ashamed of his actions and asked for forgiveness from his family. This is why the many streams run from the mountians, as Coonowrin weeps.

Like the Warrumbungles in north western NSW, these dramatic geological features seemed to rise up from the plains around them, towering over the pineapple farms which are so prevalent.

On the way down from the lookout, we stopped at the Lookout Cafe for a second hobbit breakfast and with the sharp spire of Coonowrin rising in view. A shower passed through, masking Coonowrin in a grey curtain but it lurked there, waiting for the sun. In one corner of the verandah, an old Kookaburra oven, still in working condition, reminded me of my Mum's kitchen when I was a lad.

Heading north, we passed Irwin's Palace, otherwise known as Australia Zoo ... we had been driving along Steve Irwin Way since we left the Bruce Highway. Signs every ten kilometres breakdown the distance left to go, perhaps as a homage to the kids in the car who can't wait to get there. We didn't go in.

At Landsborough, we turned west towards Maleny and climbed up onto the Blackall Range, a long steep climb. Just as we reached Maleny, we turned north again for Montville. Originally a timber getting service centre and then dairy, citrus, avocados, pineapples and macadamia nut farming community, tourism has dominated since the 1970's. People come up from the Sunshine Coast in their droves to enjoy the wonderful scenery and the myriad of galleries, craft shops and the constant markets. As usual, there were no parking spots for cars with trailers, so we drove through the main street, turned around and drove back. It all looked very nice and was chock-a-block with tourists.

Almost on the outer edge of the village, the GPS told us to veer left to take us to Nambour. It only took a few hundred metres to realise we were in for an interesting drive to Palmwoods. Measured at 10kms in length, the road falls of the Blackall Range with a variation of 400m in height above sea level in the first few kms between the two towns. Its narrow and very, very steep. As a result, the Forester was switched to X-Mode, a controlling low gear setting which takes the car along at a walking pace. It was slow but it was immensely safe and with the van on the back, it ensured we arrived safe and sound.

After our steep descent, our path took us right past the Big Pineapple. Opened in 1971, it is not only a heritage listed member of the "big things" tourist attractions around Australia but one of the earliest. Of the well known "biggies", perhaps only the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour (1964) has been around longer. The business that grew around it has long since gone bankrupt, to these days it is kept open by the markets which are held there. Those who follow "Travels With Pete & Sue" will know that big things feature often in our road miles, so fortune favoured us in snapping one of the classics.

From the big, rough end of the pineapple, we drove on to Cooroy and had lunch with a lady who I attended high school with and haven't seen since 1974. Facebook does some wonderful things and one of them is putting people in touch with one an other and providing support for folks who need it, despite distances between them. Sue Jameson and I communicate regularly through Facebook and she has been a solid supporter of my poetry, buying all three collections. We had a relaxed lunch with her and met members of her family at their home. They must have the biggest living area, with the highest ceiling, of any house I have every been in! It was great to touch base.

Apart from a stop for fuel and toilets, the rest of the afternoon was spent driving on to Hervey Bay, which will be our base for the next three days.

I watched and photographed the lunar eclipse to round out my day.

A Liitle Further North - Brisbane to Hervey Bay

After pleasant hours touching base with Sue's sister Judy, her husband Russell and their children Scott and Rachael during the time preceding bed, we both sleep extra well in our improvised digs in the spare bedroom, although the higher than usual humidity levels we will have to adapt to were evident.

In the morning, after one of Jude's usual extra healthy breakfasts, we set off and had left the confines of the Brisbane and her suburbs fairly quickly as we crossed the Gateway, slipped past the airport and were into the Glasshouse Mountains in no time flat. This collection of fifteen volcanic plugs in various stages of eroded decay, were named by Capt James Cook as he sailed north to an engagement with the Barrier Reef. Clearly seen form off shore, Captain Jim was reminded of the glass kilns of his home of Yorkshire by the shapes of the mountains. For those who have travelled south west of Gunnedah, the same effect can be had when reaching Mullaley and seeing the shapes of volcanic domes rising rapidly off the floor of the plains ... its just that these are far more dramatic and of course, linked to the Great Navigator himself.

We took in what we could without walking - my knee still in a semi-swollen and uncomfortable state post Waratahs Reunion weekend - and settled for the main lookout in the area. It was overcast but bright so definition was hard to find on the faces of these ancient, sullen children, brooding as they are in their own corners of the playground. The best part of our stop were photos of a Pretty Face Wallaby and joey. Before leaving the area, we had very ordinary coffee break, featuring very ordinary coffee. We are starting to get a sense for when it is wiser to order tea.

Pretty Face Wallaby 

We stopped shortly after so I could shoot some photos of a pineapple plantation below one of these huge, sudden mountains. Sue disappeared down the road and by the time I caught up with her, she was standing at the roadside with a freshly picked pineapple which she had charmed from a farmer who was conducting quality control on his crop as it was picked, ready for transport. Sue asked lots of questions, took some photos and would have used that little girl look and was rewarded with a free sample. Just as well she uses her charm for goodness and niceness!

On our way back to the Bruce Highway - only in Qld would a major arterial road be named Bruce - we called in at the Glasshouse Mountains Information Centre which was well resourced with people as well as information told through quality technology. Our first joint planning determined Hervey Bay as our destination for the evening and a site was booked and some SOP's agreed on. Until now, Sue had done all the planning and I just turned up but with us being well and truly on the road, it was time to be at least partially organised.

What struck us was the lack of rest stops in the first 250kms north of Brisbane. If you need relief or relief, you had to drive off the Bruce (no poofters) and into one of the many small town normally bypassed. It was one of these, Yandina, whose sporting oval played host to our lunchtime break and another of them, whose name was so easy to forget that I forgot it, which provided comfort through provision of a public toilet. Finally, Tiaro, gave us the chance to have a cup of tea (see, we are learning) and wait out an approaching storm. I wasn't driving through another wet outburst after the one near Beaudessert yesterday. Weatherzone - via my mobile phone - confirmed what our eyes told us, so we waited as the front passed through to the north of us. As a result, we drove only through showers and arrived at Hervey Bay after the tempest had spent it's fury.

We are booked in for two nights here just to do some strategic planning for the next three weeks.

TODAY'S PHOTOS

After that, we start on shorter hops and some look-and-see stuff.