A little local exploring...a day trip with Dad. It's the end of the apple season and Dad really fancied an explore of
Stanthorpe...apple country! It is further than 'just down the road'...in total I drove 525km yesterday (I don't travel well as a passenger). I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed by this little country town - I expected big deciduous trees filled with autumn colours, more charm and something rather quaint (and adorable antique shops to rummage through). I'm sure it's full of many characters with wonderful stories to tell and is a welcome stop to those on longer journeys...it just didn't live up to
my expectations. After all the rain we've had over the last few months we drove for many, many kilometres through very flat, dry Australian land. I wonder why I imagined it to be much more lush and green and more rolling type countryside?
However, whilst winding our way through the mountain range along another route home, we stopped at
Queen Mary Falls. It was so nice to breathe in the cool fresh air, hear the trickling of water as it meandered towards the falls and then the thunderous roar as it spilled down the rock face. I'm pleased we stopped.
Oh and the apples...the best I've had in Australia. Though I've concluded there is nothing better than an apple picked straight from the tree in New Zealand!