The road less travelled

Green’s Creek

This morning, we woke up to another misty morning here in Green’s Creek … the cooler weather delivers beautiful ethereal scenes in the valleys around us. We are just outside of Gympie City. We are housesitting for friends for a total of 8 weeks, while they are in Greece for missions’ purposes. We have the loveliest views all around because the house was designed with large picture windows to enjoy the views that nature delivers all day long – rolling hills, cattle pastures, creeks, forests dams and more.

We are not far from our children, so we can catch up now and then. There are no animals to take care of, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage – we love having a dog around, but it is also fine to have a break. However, now that the morning walks are not mandatory – self-discipline must be employed! But we have discovered a quiet route into the hills, which is challenging elevation-wise, and so peaceful, among cows, pastures, and open forest.

Road trip 

The road trip to Gympie was so enjoyable. In some places we tried taking the road less travelled, and on one occasion found ourselves on a narrow stretch of farm road with only enough place for the caravan. Thankfully, we had no one approach from the front. It was an example of what can happen when, one, you don’t know the countryside, and two, you trust Google Maps. 😆

We left Mount Marshall at lunchtime, and made our way to Clifton, 20 minutes away. We stayed at the Showgrounds camping ground. It was exciting to be in the van again and we enjoyed a lovely, albeit chilly night.

From there we drove through a small village called Nobby, destination Toowoomba, a bustling Southern Downs city. There too, we stayed at the showgrounds. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to explore the local attractions, so, God willing, we shall have to return at some point. In Nobby we spotted a charming old pioneer hotel with a free camp opposite it. However, most people would buy a meal in the pub as a thank you to the town. 

Lots of history and stories associated with Nobby. Have to go back sometime. 

We made our way the next morning to our South African friends’ property in Toogoolawah because we had invited them to a lunch BBQ at the van. The 90-minute drive kicked off with a steep descent into the Brisbane Valley, which we were not expecting. My nerves were frayed, considering we hardly ever drive longer than 30 minutes before stopping for the night. (I must admit the towing gets to me.) I know, I know, I can hear you laughing and saying, "And you want to live in a caravan?!" Lol. 😅

We had it all planned, but our timing was waaaay off. 🥴 Fortunately, our friends were patient, because at the time we were supposed to be serving up lunch we had just started prepping the food. I was adamant that I would stick to what I had planned …a baked potato dish, BBQ chicken, a rice pudding … I got stuck in while everyone chatted, and an hour later we were enjoying our lunch-cum-dinner. 😄 To be honest, you have never seen such a mess in the caravan … I’ll leave that there. 😆 You don't want to know.

The neighbours also came intruding 😅

To top it all, the next morning I had a sourdough bread to bake. They allowed me to use their oven at the house, and I was able to gift them a sourdough starter for their kindness. After tea, we left for the next stop which was also ‘down the road’ at the Kilcoy Showgrounds. 

There AJ discovered he had another repair job to do on the box at the rear of the van as it had shaken loose. This is a box we added to house all our water pipes.

The next morning we were on our way again. I was sweating bullets at the onset of this section of the trip, and AJ was like, yeah … bring it on. 😄 Why? We had decided to take the shorter route to Kenilworth, which involved climbing Maleny’s mountain again. Waaaa!😨 I was like a corpse, so tense I was. 

The cruiser towed like the crocodile that it is, and AJ was a champ, navigating those mountain passes, steep hills, and descents in safety. God was good to us … we had no B-doubles chasing us, and on narrow hairpin bends we didn’t encounter anything from the front.

Maleny ... on top of the world.

Did we breathe a sigh of relief on arriving in Kenilworth? Again, we stayed at the showgrounds. Many showgrounds in Australia offer budget-price camping, with power and water, so they are always a hit.

Our next stop (30 minutes away 😅) was off-grid at a golf course that offers campers a place to stop. It is situated 10 km out of Imbil, in the Mary Valley. We arrived to find a van in the only flat spot, but fortunately, they were just ready to depart. We pulled up when they left, and we had the most wonderful 24 hours in a perfect setting. We aim to go back. 

AJ played a round of golf on the challenging course, more for fun, really, with me, in tow, more interested in the frogs and butterflies, than trying to locate any lost golf balls. 

We loved the natural scenes about us with the sounds of the birds. That night we made a fire in the firepit provided, and baked a pizza to enjoy around the fire.

The following day we pulled up at our in-laws’ property in Gympie, which was only 30 minutes away. They generously gave us a spot to park, with power and water for two days, until we were due to move into this home.

Our favourite low-cost camp in Gympie has closed down. Basically, a private property that allowed vans to stop for a night, right next to the Mary River. The only other option, when you need power and water, is the caravan park; with funds tight, we are appreciative of the generosity shown by friends and family.

And so, we find ourselves in Gympie once more. We are again gobsmacked at the grace of our Lord for giving us a lovely home, with a magnificent view, and everything we need for the next 8 weeks. Home sitting is volunteer work, we don’t get paid, but we save much because we don’t have to pay camping fees, or for power, water, or gas. And we get to use Wi-Fi which is always welcomed. This time, the Wi-Fi doesn’t appear to be as reliable as it was in Mt Marshall, but I have just managed to post a ‘Where are we now?’  blog post on our website blog, if you would like to read a bit more about our new home town, Gympie.

Moving in ... again!

Here in Green’s Creek, the home’s garden is very steep. AJ will have to watch out on the mower! (On that day I’ll have to inhale a little extra lavender salts to calm myself. 🤭)  

 

There is a lemon tree and a pink grapefruit tree about to abundantly deliver. Hoping they will ripen before we leave so that we can enjoy a few grapefruit. Who doesn’t love the sweet zesty flavour of pink grapefruit, right?  The tall trees around the property attract a host of ravens (crows) who can be very noisy at times. Other birds are also plenteous.

We had initially thought that, because there were no pets, we would stay in the van so that we wouldn't have to unpack it. But on the day we arrived in Gympie, we found that our gas water heating system stopped working. Fortunately, it held while we were camping off-grid. Cold showers are never welcome. Thankfully, the repair is covered by the warranty.

So, because this house is totally off the grid and we cannot run the van’s battery system on theirs also, we carried everything into the house! Honestly, that is the bane of my life. I was thoroughly depressed on the day… up and down stairs, up and down stairs, up and down … a hundred times. Ugh! After 8 weeks one forgets about it, until you have to carry everything back again. Double-ugh!!!! 😣 

This is the reason, along with the large homes to clean, that I wish we could stop housesitting. But it may not be possible for a while yet. However, by the end of October, we complete our last housesitting agreement. We trust God to show us the path to take after that. Please keep us in your prayers.

His tender care

We think back to Mount Marshall with fondness. Recalling those morning walks now, I picture Christ walking with me while I poured my heart out to Him … Christ tending to AJ in the shed as he tinkered many a day away … Christ hovering over us as we were healing from His discipline and correction, Christ wiping both our tears during moments of anguish. Oh, we came through a refining fire! Someone has said that the dross is never fully burned off, even until you finally lay your head down on the day the Saviour calls for you.

We now have peace about the future that even we do not understand. We are sure of the Lord’s help. We are confident that He won’t leave us or forsake us. 

In an earlier blog post, I wrote how I felt that God was saying that He was 'doing something new'.

“Look I am doing a new thing.” Isaiah 43

When I looked up this verse a day ago (I had forgotten where to find it), Isaiah 43 opened up. I began reading, and then I remembered … upon our baptism in 1989, Gustav’s nursery school teacher handed me a bookmark with this verse,

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour."

Said she, “I felt that this is for you as a couple.”

I still have that bookmark, though it is weathered and torn. Throughout our lives we have turned to that scripture for reassurance. For this reason, AJ often felt that He could replace the name ‘Jacob’ with his name.  And yet here, in these circumstances, we had forgotten about it. I was speechless. Why? Because it continues …

Verse 5, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you." (Italics are mine.)

And verse 10 … 

“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.
    “You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
    and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God— 

Over the past few months, we have distinctly felt that God is calling us to witness for Him wherever He will send us to work. Work we must, to earn our keep. But it is sad to see how the society we live in is not partial to God. Apart from the people in our church, we have yet to meet a Christian couple/family. Many whom we speak to are openly atheist. But we do not feel that we measure up. We feel unworthy. Unequipped. And yet, are we not all called to be His witnesses everywhere we live and move and conduct our daily business and hold relationships? 

It doesn’t end there, verse 18 and 19 continues ...

“But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Could this also be symbolic of the wilderness and dry wasteland of unbelief? 

After this, there is a portion pointing to discipline and correction. But also of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. An apt description of what we experienced in Mt Marshall.

So we wait. In confidence. In trust. In anticipation. God, our Father, our Saviour, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, is doing a new thing. He is working within us to equip us, working behind the scenes, and putting the pieces in place for His purposes, according to His will. Even in this, He has us on the road less travelled. We do not know what lies ahead. 

In the meantime ...

I am at work setting up a source of passive income via our website. This also serves to keep me busy while we wait out these months until October. And I do love designing documents on Canva. If you visit our website, be sure to look out for the store. Hoping to launch soon. 

We shall see how things progress. Times may still become quite challenging, but this we know, God will not forsake us! He is for us. He is with us.

Until next time.

Blessings.🌼

April surprises, updates, and rollercoasters

April surprises

We were in Mt Marshall for a week when our daughter arrived with the grandies! Instead of staying for two nights as planned, they ended up staying for 5, and that was fun!

We celebrated my birthday and Cassie’s birthday…

We chatted our chins off…

We had pizza, pancakes and hot cross buns without end…

We played ‘nail salon’ with yours truly giving everyone a foot massage …😂

Kiddies’ mum had a chance to catch up on some rest …

And the dog had many cuddles and lots of walks!

With three days of rain, we took a few days to adjust to an empty house. We were thrilled as the water tanks were filled to overflowing again. 😃  After the rain, we got stuck into completing some chores around the house and garden for a few days.

Because we’re attempting to save funds, we are not doing much sightseeing. But the panoramic scenery all around us is a feast for the eye and calming to the soul.

We also took some time to give the van some TLC.

Website changes

First, I’d like to explain some changes regarding this blog and our website. You received notices on social media that the blog has been separated from the website, only to then receive an auto-generated email to say a new blog is posted on the website … then you see it was a post from a month ago! Confusing, I agree. 😑🥴 And I apologise.

To clarify, I felt it safer to separate this faith-focused blog from the unDESERTED website as it (the website) is registered in Australia. Religious persecution is rising, and Australia is becoming a battleground for Christians. It takes one person to report ‘hate speech’ and you are facing a potential litigation nightmare. We pray that the tide turns soon, but we are not hopeful as the two main parties, the incumbent Labour (socialist, Marxist) Party in Queensland and its opposition, the LNP coalition (supposedly more conservative), are simply two sides of the same coin. The Labour Party also holds the national government. Unless the voters boot out the same old, same old, corrupt self-serving politicians and the woke socialists, I fear Queensland, indeed the whole nation is doomed to more of the same. The ACL runs an informative website and campaigns against the draconian laws that are being put forward nationally and in individual states. I hope you find the time to click on the link and read about what is happening here; it is no different to what is taking place in the US and the UK.

But I digress … back to the website …I have brought our info up to date to reflect our current situation. However, when I removed the blog, I made a ‘Where are we now?’ page instead but found that it was harder to let everyone know when it updated. So, I created a blog page again, but this time it will be purely a travel blog. As soon as I published the Mt Marshall entry, the website remembered the previous blog settings and let everyone know that I had published a new post. 😆 

I need to knuckle down and post more regularly, as I hope to place ads and eventually monetise. I am also hoping to soon complete an online store with a few digital items (mainly with a camping/travelling focus) for sale. I’m afraid my head is still off in 100 directions daily … trying to generate a passive, diverse, income. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew, time will tell.

YouTube Channels

On the website are links provided to unDeserted on Youtube, where I hope to post more travel and van-life videos, as well as the Home Cook in a Van channel, where I aim to post a few easy recipes. If you like what you see (I know they're rookie videos 😆) please like, subscribe and share if you want to, to give these channels a bit of a boost. 

LibSandy Proofreading

If you explore the website, you will see a page for LibSandy. 

Some may know that I had this planned in 2019 before Covid hit. Because of Covid, I was unable to get going and the whole idea had to be shelved in subsequent years. I have now resurrected the idea to offer proofreading services and have been doing some refresher training to that end. My focus will be on websites, business docs, social media campaigns, etc. The tricky part is marketing it … while it may seem that we must have HEAPS of time on our hands, I still find the days too short to accomplish plans. My to-do list keeps growing. I would appreciate a mention here and there if you know of anyone looking for proofreading. And, no, AI (artificial intelligence) doesn’t cut it! AI is just not there yet, unable to understand nuances, style and overall tone of voice in writing. Not to mention proper grammar, picking up typos, knowing style guides and dealing with subjective errors. I rest my case, for now … 😄

So, to summarise, our website is found, as always, on https://www.undeserted.com with its own ‘Where are we now? ’travel blog page. For these entries, subscribers to our site will receive a notification email from the website when there is a new post, and new posts will be advertised on Instagram.  

On the other hand, this (Christian) blog with updates for friends and family is found at https://undeserted.blogspot.com (hosted by Google). For these, I will post 'new blog post' notices on WhatsApp and Telegram. 

Warwick

We make a trip every 14 days to Warwick for groceries. On one occasion we took the day to view the city. It is known as the rose and rodeo capital. We walked the route to many beautiful heritage-listed sandstone buildings, which are dotted about the city. 

Warwick Post Office bldg.

We viewed parks and gardens, one of which has an iron sculpture as a tribute to the many roles of horses in society. 

The well-manicured Leslie Park had hosted the ANZAC day celebrations the day before, so we visited the war memorial to view the many wreaths laid in memory of the fallen, before enjoying a KFC lunch in the park. It was a lovely day.

Glengallen Homestead

We visited nearby Glengallen Homestead and Heritage Centre, located on the northern slope of Mt Marshall. 

Side view and kitchen entrance

Fascinating to see a project underway to restore the sandstone homestead to its former glory. Thought to be only half of the dwelling as originally planned but never finished, it was constructed in 1867, and has a colourful yet sad history. It stood empty, neglected, and left for ruin well into the early 2000s.

These protruding blocks are thought to be where an
exact copy of the existing wing would have been attached.

Its heyday was during the late 1800s and early 1900s, as successive owners invested in sheep farming, particularly merino sheep. I must admit, that walking around the property brought back memories of the beautiful mansions we visited on ostrich farms in the Oudtshoorn district, South Africa, where the booming years of ostrich farming allowed owners to live lavish lives in the late 1800s, before crashing to a sad, inglorious end by the time WW1 had ended.

Drawing room, Glengallen Homestead

Various factors contributed to Glengallen’s neglect by owners and caretakers, with the property being sold in 1993 at a fraction of its value to the Glengallen Historical Trust. The latter made a case to the Queensland government for its heritage status and won. One of the interesting facts raised was that it is one of only two sandstone homestead mansions built over two storeys. With grants from the Centenary Federation Fund, restoration commenced in 2002. Restoring the balconies and verandahs alone cost over $1 million. 

Kerry Raymond, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On our travel blog, I hope to cover the story of Glengallen a little more fully.

With 2 weeks to go before heading to Gympie, we know we will miss these views and the glorious walks in the countryside. As winter approaches it has become quite cold already. God willing, we are aiming to take a week-long camping trip back to Gympie, stopping at a few new places we haven’t visited before.

Roller coasters are fun … right?

Why do people pay to go on a roller coaster? This I read in a discussion a few weeks ago. You take the roller coaster, they said, because it gives a rush of adrenalin and thrills per second, delivers scary twists and turns, fills your gut alternately with butterflies, fear, and tremors, and ends in a rush of victory! Safe at the base station and still in one piece. It provides belly laughs to all the spectators, who provide the photos to prove the contortions in your face, eyes bulging, hands gripping wherever they can, and hair waving wildly. If only photos could capture the screams …but we have videos to thank for that. All in all, roller coasters are fun.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

But when the roller coaster of life’s tumultuous circumstances takes you on a ride, you are not enamoured! You wish it away. With raw fear, silent screams, and real tremors in your belly, you wake up many a day wishing it was just a dream. That elusive base station is always one more bend and two more mountainous climbs away. One day you’re strong and face the wind. On another you’re down in the dip, approaching an imaginative hair-raising bend with a steep cliff at the edge of a very narrow road. Most days you know that you know that you know you are going to struggle to get through with no fuel in the physical, let alone the emotional, tank. 

And then God steps in! For the hundredth time you are reminded that you’re not alone. That He has a plan. That He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. You hear Him say that He will direct your paths. You find sudden peace amidst the storm; energy to put the next foot forward. The sun rises each morning, and the birdsong is new again. Our Lord’s brother James, in James 1 vv 2-4 encourages us with,

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.“

Oh my! Isn't that another form of thankfulness? Here is a quote from something I read last week: 

“… life is still an incredible journey. It is a gift from God, a never-to-be-repeated experience wherein we get to walk by faith and not by sight. And the key to thriving in a world that can be topsy-turvy is thankfulness.”

And this too,

“The thrill ride of life enriches us in a variety of ways. It challenges and convicts us. It develops character and intimacy through pain and perseverance. It shows us glimpses of glory beyond what we could have imagined. It takes us beyond ourselves while making us deeply aware of ourselves. All of it is an opportunity and a cause for thankfulness.” (From, The Transformational Power of Gratitude, by Yellow Balloons and Grace School of Theology.)

Hope

And then there’s hope!  Endless hope, because our Saviour, Jesus, is for us and has promised to not leave us or forsake us.

We are still very much in the ‘waiting room’ as it were. We have faced trying moments as God continues to work in us, on our fears and insecurities, teaching us to cope with disappointment as a few of our plans have fallen flat. Living remotely has helped us to think in isolation, and the Lord God has taken this time and place to put us through the refining fire.

In a devotional I read last week by Reinhard Bonnke, he was discussing having the ‘eyes of faith’ when things seemed impossible. He said, 

“We have got to get a new set of eyes first. We’ve got to have the eyes of our hearts opened, and to do this requires that we abandon our fears to our King and trust Him absolutely.” (From, “Watch With Me Series 2, on YouVersion.)

“Lord, I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9 v 24

May His name be glorified at the end of this road.🧡

Well, that’s us for now. Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate each of you, your prayers, your messages and your encouraging wishes. 

Blessings, Sandy (& AJ). 🌼

Esk repose

Where are we now?

We are in Esk, a small rural town in the Brisbane Valley. Two hours and 33 minutes from Gympie.

Map data (c) 2023 Google Australia

Burpengary to Woodford

Wednesday 15 March, we left the busy Bruce Highway behind us as we branched west towards the town of Kilcoy. The day before, we had left Gympie at 6 AM to be at the dealer’s workshop in Burpengary, Brisbane, by 8 AM for the caravan to be serviced. Apart from passing the scene of our October ‘22 accident which is always a gut-wrenching reminder of the horror of it all, we had a really good drive. After the van’s service, we made our way to the grassy fields of a low-cost camp just around the corner from the van’s dealer. It was the second time we camped at the lovely off-grid site; a welcome reprieve after an extremely hot, busy day.

So, leaving a little later than planned we headed towards Kilcoy on Thursday morning after breakfast, for our first planned stop 30 mins down the road at the Woodford Showgrounds. We had booked ahead for the night. We had a week to get to Esk and preferred to do it slowly, with short drives. Arriving in the middle of the morning, we were first required to wait for our spot while the grass was being mowed. 

It was well over 30C already. By the time we set up, we were drenched in sweat. We were mightily thankful for a powered site to run the air conditioning unit. Still feeling the exhaustion of the day before, we appreciated a quick homemade meal, a cool shower and a rest for the day. That evening there was a mighty electrical storm. 

Interesting, to be sure, from within a caravan. But we were dry! That was the most important. 😅

 

Kilcoy’s heat

 

The next morning, far more refreshed, we hit the road to Kilcoy Showgrounds (also about 30 mins down the road) where booking ahead was not possible. We wanted to get there by 10 AM to be sure of a spot. There were ample sites available, and we picked one on the furthest end planning to stay 1 night. It too was a powered site and were we grateful once again; the region we were in was enduring a 3 to 4-day heat wave. It was close to 35C outside. We had originally planned to leave after a day to spend the next night at a free camp, to try out our newly installed battery capacity at a site with no power. Looking at the temps expected for the next day, we decided to stay put!  Were we happy with that decision when the next day’s temp hit 36C?!

 

Mural at Kilcoy Showground

Setting up the van in Kilcoy, AJ discovered that one of the bolts holding a stabilizer foot had broken off inside the unit and there was no making it work. After the van was stabilized on the remaining three legs, AJ removed the unit completely to see if he could fix the thing. Upon inspection, he found that the bolt had had a weak spot when it was moulded … perhaps an air bubble or something. No way anyone would’ve spotted it. It turned out to be an engineering feat the next day, after buying spare bits of steel at the local hardware store. The extra day turned out to be a blessing as he was able to fix the leg. 

He worked out of the back of the car, under the shade of a huge eucalyptus tree, creating a new bolt from odd bits he had bought. So resourceful! For once I wasn’t able to tease him about being an engineer… 😆

An all those tools he's collected, that I commented about in my previous post ... um right, they came in very handy. 😅

Too good, Toogoolawah

 

On Saturday 18 March, we made our way from Kilcoy, 40 kilometres down the road, to Toogoolawah. Once known as Cressbrook, after the town in Derbyshire, England, where (in 1841) the new settler David McConnel, was from. Here in the Brisbane Valley he staked out a pocket of land and erected his homestead over the next few years, while farming cattle. The town became Toogoolawah in 1909 as the Railways Department favoured the use of Aboriginal names. It is said that toogalawah in the local tongue meant 'a tree bent into a crescent shape'. The original, heritage-listed homestead of Cressbrook still stands near Toogoolawah and is still an active cattle station, owned and run by a 5^th-generation David McConnel.

 

We arrived at our pre-booked site, again mid-morning, already blistering with heat. By now we had learned -- plug in the power cord, get the air conditioner going and wait inside the van for the cooler afternoon weather to arrive before setting up. Apart from the abundance of flies 😆, we loved Toogoolawah Showground. There were only a couple of vans there, so we had miles of space around us, adjoining a farm with cattle lowing in the fields. Those sunsets!! 

 

AJ was especially entertained … a celebrated sky-diving site was nearby. All of Saturday there was a Skydiving competition going and on Sunday there were still a few parachutists active. Small aircraft came and went. Their landing strip began just beyond our van so it felt as if they were making straight for us each time, much to his delight! I must say, watching 12 to 13 parachutists descend each time was quite entertaining.

On Sunday morning we drove 15 mins to Esk to meet the homeowners of the house we were due to begin minding from the next day. They had organised a morning tea with neighbours, so we had the opportunity to meet everyone. What a pleasant experience.  Everyone was friendly and welcoming. The next morning, we took to the road, arriving in Esk at around 10 AM for our 3-month long stay.

Esk repose 

 

Esk is the centre of the Somerset Region, situated on the Brisbane Valley Highway, beneath an outcrop called Mount Glen Rock and Mount Esk. Everything named ‘Somerset’ took its name from an early pastoralist and pioneer in the region, Henry Plantagenet (no less!) Somerset, whose family claimed descent from John of Gaunt, King Henry IV’s father. Among many of his accomplishments, this early settler canvassed for and achieved success in ensuring the Brisbane Valley Railway ran through the region.

 

The region is recorded as being first explored in 1829 by Alan Cunningham, an English botanist and explorer, and again in 1830 by a British officer, the unsavoury Captain Patrick Logan, known as the cruel commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony (now known as the magnificent city of Brisbane!). Capt. Logan was murdered during one of his explorational outings in the same year while on a quest to chart the Brisbane River headwaters. This didn’t stop many of Brisbane’s landmarks from being named after him. But that’s a story for another day. 😏 (Ironically, the greater Logan metro area is now known for its antisocial and unsavoury occupants.)

 

First settled in the 1840s, the Brisbane Valley was home to prospectors in the gold and copper mines that sprang up in the area. By the mid-1870s the area became more settled. The European settlement around Sandy Creek was at the Travellers' Home Hotel, with the town of Esk surveyed nearby and first named Sandy Creek. According to queenslandplaces.com.au, it was also known as Gallanani until the 1881 census when it was named Esk after the River Esk in Scotland. According to one site I found, Gallanani is a creek four kilometres to the north which flows into the Esk Creek. The name means 'Eastern Swamp Hen' in the local Aboriginal language. 

 

The first school in Esk began in 1875. By the end of the 1880s, there were several churches in the town. The Brisbane Valley Railway reached Esk in 1886. Benefiting from the rail line, a butter factory opened in 1903, and the first agricultural and pastoral show took place around the same period. (This is still an annual event.) Sawmills operated in the area, also benefiting from the rail line, but this industry died in the 1920s. By 1900 the cedars in the area were all wiped out. 😣

 

There were several condensed milk factories in the area, with dairy farming a vital sector. The invention of refrigeration resulted in a decrease in demand for preserved milk, but the butter factory continued profitably until the 1950s, finally closing in 1973 after a gradual decline of dairy farms in the area due to various factors such as competition from imports (then already! 😣) and drought. In 1993 the railway line to Esk was closed.

Esk Railway Station, from the Brisbane Rail Trail

While mining and the timber industry were short-lived in the area, pastoral farming was profitable. Even today, agriculture continues as the main occupation around the region.

 

Esk is known for its heritage-listed sites, many situated on Ipswich Street, the main street through town. Esk is a welcome stop for people travelling the Brisbane Valley Highway. There are quaint coffee shops and antique shops to stop at. One of these is Nash Gallery and Cafe, known locally as the Lars Andersen house, the original home of one of the first settlers in the area. Lars was a builder who built his own home and many of the other heritage-listed sites in town.

Lakes Wivenhoe (completed in 1984) and Somerset (completed in 1959) are nearby; they are popular picnic, holiday and camping destinations. Both lakes are a direct result of dams being constructed across the Brisbane and Stanley rivers respectively.

 

So far, we have only driven through town and walked a small section of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. This is the site of the original rail trail where the tracks have been removed, leaving a pathway for walkers, horse riders and cyclists. We took a daytrip to Ipswich, the largest nearby town, and this took us past Lake Wivenhoe. 

We’ve also taken a drive to attempt a peek at Mount Esk, but it had rained heavily the night before and we were rather intrepid about crossing this ...

 

The slogan "If it's flooded forget it" is never far from our minds.

 

On Sunday last week we searched for the nearest Baptist church, and found that it is in Toogoolawah. We drove the 20 mins and joined about 15-20 people in worship the local school building. It was wonderfully heart-warming. Exciting too, to know that the quaint old Catholic church (no longer used) has just been purchased by this small community after having been without their own place of worship for many years. They are looking forward to getting busy in the church and garden to spruce it up in about 30 days from now. It was completed in 1915. It has gorgeous stained glass windows. Can't wait to see it inside. 😀

Image from churchesaustralia.org

Lots to do these 3 months

We look forward to our stay in Esk. Between teaching online and prepping for courses, AJ looks forward to the golf course, neatly created in the centre of the showground/racecourse right over the road from us. He also has loads of lawn to mow! 😅

I look forward to browsing the history of the area and getting some online work done. We may not explore too much as fuel is dear. 

 

We are fortunate enough to be flanked by pastoral land, and so our neighbours out the back are cows, horses and kangaroos. A very calming, sometimes entertaining, sight. 😍

 

Until next time, thanks for stopping by. As always, we appreciate you and your messages of support.

 

Blessings. 🌼