Maleny Dairy

After a night in Glass House Mountains we drove 30 kms to Maleny and camp at the town's showgrounds. Maleny is a small scenic town 90 kilometres north of Brisbane on the Blackall Range overlooking the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It is situated approximately 450 metres above sea level, Maleny has a sub-tropical climate with cool clear winters and warm wet summers but it was always cold and foggy the whole time we stayed there (well at least during the night and early morning)

The showgrounds has all the basic amenities.
Powered site is $15 per night.

First day in town, we visited Maleny Dairies a family owned business situated in the pictureqsue hills of the town. It is owned by Hopper family since 1948 and is now into their third generation of farmers. They offer guided tours of the farm and factory on Monday Wednesday and Fridays at 10:30am and 2:30pm. For $9 per adult you can enjoy exploring the farm including milking or feeding the cows and goats.


a herd wandering down the hills

 

these cows are heading to the shed to be milked



these are Guernsey breed of cattle renowned for the rich flavour of its milk



this milking machine has 4 pulsating tubes that is connected to the cows teats

a worker attaching the milking machine to the cows teats



the cows feed while being milked



milk is stored in these containers before its is processed

bottling and labeling

Maleny Dairies products

After a tour at the dairy farm we dropped by Gardner's Falls which is only a short drive from the town. Gardner's Falls are situated about three or four kilometers from Maleny on the eastern side of the town. From the carpark, you can take a pleasant 300 meter walk that will lead you to the swimming hole. Below are the pictures we have for you to enjoy.

the track leading to the swimming hole is just along the creek






the swimming hole

  


  

a group of adventure seeking boys



   


 

Mary Cairncross Reserve

The editor was up for a reconnaissance mission to find another camping site. So after touring Glass House Mountains we drove around Maleny to see the town's showgrounds and upon seeing the site he decided we are to camp there the next day and stay for a week for him to do some work. Maleny is only 25 kms northwest of Glass House Mountains and is very strategic since other tourist destinations are just nearby. Maleny is a small busy town known as the heart of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Mary Caircross Scenic Reserve

On the way to the town we dropped by Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and was astounded with the tropical rainforest that overlooks Glass House Mountains. It was a 2.1 km walk but it felt forever. Once you enter the rainforest you will feel eerie and the air is distinctively cool and fresh. It was like being transported in time and nature's sound is just so relaxing and calming.

This a map of the 2.1 kms track of the rainforest. It has
wheelchair friendly tracks, boardwalks and viewing platfrom.

"The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is a 55 hectare remnant of the subtropical rainforest that previously covered the southern end of the Blackall Range and valleys on the west side of the range. The reserve is currently an ecological island with no continuous habitat linkages to other nearby remnants." There is a good distribution of highly prized timbers like Tulip Oak, White Beech and Australian Red Cedar.

This is a Rose or Flooded Gum believed to have germinated probably
500-600 years during drier climatic period.

A Small-leaved Strangling Fig tree. It is one of
the oldest and the largest in the reserve.

I was just amazed with the shape of these roots.

These giant vines are eveywhere in the forest.

See the almost perfect spiral vine?

 

They dont just cling to any huge tree.

 

There are several native mammal species recorded in the reserve including three small representatives of the kangaroo family - the Red-legged Pademelon, the Red-necked Pademelon and the Red-necked Wallaby and luckily we spotted one with her joey. "A number of native mammals likely to have been once present in the locality have apparently disappeared such as various species of Spotted Native Cat or Tiger Cat and Marsupial Mice. The streams around the Reserve contain significant frog species, a rare Spiny Crayfish and other fauna which depend on high water quality."

We got lucky to see this Red-legged Pandemelon.

I reckon she's a mum with a joey.



This bird is so tiny and fast it took us a while to get a good shot of him.



These two creatures were too busy to realize they were creating a scene.



These are just a few of the amazing things you can expect at the reserve.  After exploring the forest you can shop at the kiosk or have a cup of coffee while enjoying the great view of the Glass House Mountains from the cafe.

Glass House Mountains

The peaks of Glass House Mountains



We were headed to Glass House Mountains after more than a week in Brisbane. Well it was unexpected since the bus was having a "makeover" so we have to be in the city longer than expected. It was a blessing anyway since we were able to do some cleaning, laundry, car washing and shopping before we continue our journey. Glass House Mountains is 70 kms north of  Brisbane. It is approximately an hour drive from the the Bruce Highway taking the Glass House Mountains turnoff along the Steve Irwin Way. It is a group of 11 hills or peaks that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast. We first saw the hills when went in Mt. Mee a week earlier and the view could not get any better when you are closer.

A nice view from the Glass House Mountains lookout.

We stayed at the Glass House Mountains campground for a night and after setting up the bus we toured the town anxious to see the beautiful hills closer. Mount Beerwah was the nearest peak from the campground so this was our first stop.



 

At 556 metres, Mt. Beerwah is the tallest of the 11 peaks.



Impressive "Organ Pipe" on the north side of Mt. Beerwah

Unfortunately the 3.4 km return track to the summit was
closed so this was the closest we can get to Mt. Beerwah.

"Glass House Mountains is a national park in Queensland. It consists of a flat plain punctuated by rhyolite and trachyte volcanic plugs, the cores of extinct volcanoes that formed 26 million to 27 million years ago. Ovetime, extensive erosion and lowering of the land surface has removed the exteriors of the volcanic cones and the surrounding softer sandstone rocks. The volcanic mountains cooled and formed vertical columns and this can be seen today at Mt. Beerwah, Mt. Ngungun and Mt. Coonowrin."



A view of Mt. Coonowrin near the campground.



Mt. Coonowrin from the lookout. It is 377 metres high.



The Glass House Mountains lookout is just a short
drive from the town's information centre.

The lookout has a cafe and public amenities. From the plaform you can also
view Maroochydore, Brisbane and Moreton Island.

Macadamia trees are everywhere around Glass House National
Park and nearby towns.


The national park has several lookouts and tracks so anyone can explore the peaks. The tracks ranges from 500 meters to 6 kms so if you are up for bush walking, drop by the information centre first so they can guide you where to go.

Brisbane Part 4 - Southbank

As you may know Southbank did not escape the floodwaters earlier this year but it was quickly refurbished and recently just opened. I always wanted to visit the parkland and I finally did. Here are the photos we got during our visit there last month. Enjoy viewing the photos of the parklands and the surrounding views.

The Wheel of Brisbane during the flood.

You can now enjoy a dip in this popular man-made beach.















South Bank Parklands is one of Brisbane's most outstanding recreational facilities. The South Bank area covers 17 hectares and runs over one kilometre along the banks of the Brisbane River. It also serves as a cultural centre for Brisbane with the Queensland Art Gallery, the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Complex and The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre nearby. So there are hundreds to-do's in the park including shopping, dining or just enjoying the view.


It is perfect for families.



A prefered getaway within the city.



A walk and stroll in the park is a good exercise.



The CBD from the across the river.

 

  

A ride on CityCat would be fun too.

  


It is also interesting to see the locals in Southbank. Just just watch your step and be careful coz they might startle you.