Apple and Grape Festival Holiday - Feb/March 2024 - Day 7

 Day 7:  Friday 1/3/24 - Sandy Creek Hotel - Stanthorpe

Massive drive to Stanthorpe today to meet up with our mates at Top of the Town Tourist Park for the Apple and Grape Festival.  About an hour and a half drive this morning.  After having a lengthy chat with our fellow campers next door, we hit the road.

This is our first Apple and Grape Festival, we are not sure what to expect and are the only Apple and Grape virgins in our group 😅

Top of the Town Tourist Park:

Power/Water Sites, Unpowered Sites, Ensuite Sites, Motel rooms, Cabins.  Amenities are great, nice and clean with ample showers and toilets.  Dump Point. Pet Friendly.  Swimming Pool, 3 x Camp Kitchens, Laundry, campfires on unpowered bush camping sites. Unpowered bush camp sites $28.00/night/2 people.  We enjoyed our stay.

Our friend Doreen always books the same area each year the festival is on, after checking in at the office we made our way up to our camp sites next to the water tower. Two of the group Jill and Tommy had arrived yesterday but were no where to be found, so we had a chat amongst ourselves about where best to set up so that all 4 caravans/campers would fit in plus the cars.  Craig gave Razzle a call (veteran Festival attendee LOL) who were on their way, to talk about it so everyone would fit in.  Decision made, Craig told me where he wanted to be and after some impressive reversing we were tucked in snuggly next to the water tank with enough room for our awning to come out and the car to park out of the way.

Set up done, Jill and Tommy showed up and we headed off for a swim in the park's pool - mate I reckon the temperature was in the high 30's 🥵  While lulling around in the pool another set of friends turned up Jon and Diane who also have a Hybrid Caravan, so we wandered back up to the camp sites to let them know how many more were still to come and what in, so there was enough room.  Razzle and Doreen arrived soon after with their TVan and parked up next to us, leaving Kylie and Craig .5 to arrive just on dark with their camper trailer.  I tell you what Craig .5 did an absolute smashing job of getting into the last spot in the dark with limited manoeuvring area - standing applause was given.  

We sat around chatting, eating nibbles and catching up.  I ended up cooking up some Maple Bacon Sausages with potato wedges for us and Razzle because Craig and Razzle definitely needed to get some food into their bellies with the amount of rum they were drinking 🥴😆

Most of the woman folk went to bed at a reasonable hour, the men folk, not so much.

King Parrot came to visit.

Apple and Grape Festival Holiday - Feb/March 2024 - Day 6

Day 6:  Thursday 29/2/24 -  Jondaryan Woolshed to Sandy Creek Hotel

We're up early and just coffee this morning.  Packed up camp a bit, then headed off to look at the machinery museum.  Caught up with the Caretaker again as we were walking through the village and he let us in the locked shed that's not open to the public at the moment where they keep the wagons, just extraordinary how they were built and have lasted.  The wagons are awaiting their turn to be cleaned and set up again for everyone to see.

We thanked him and we carried on walking around the machinery sheds, again it's just amazing some of the machinery they have saved, repaired and are now on display.  Obviously there is still a lot of stuff to repair and it's the same with the buildings we wandered around yesterday, some that were open last time we were here aren't open this time because they are having work done on and some that we weren't able to look at last time have been restored to their previous glory and we were able to look through them, like the beautiful homestead.

Oh,  I do love me a good windmill too!!  don't you....

Woolshed

Sightseeing all done, finished packing up everything and hit the road about 9am.  Stopped for a toasted sandwich at the Pie Face United Servo on the highway near Oakey,  just WOW.  One of the best toasties we've every had. Craig had the bacon and egg one that apparently had heaps of bacon and 2 eggs on it, mine was ham and cheese with a lovely seeded mustard on it.  And they were huge.

Decided we'd stop in a Rudd's Pub for a beer since we'd never been to it, what a cracker pub - it's like the Tardis, it's bigger on the inside 😅, it is truly a lovely old pub though.  We were too early for lunch unfortunately, put the menu looked great, maybe next time.

Rudd's Pub 

Back on the road again, heading to our next overnight stop at Sandy Creek Hotel.  Again, it's another one I've read about on the Country Pub Camping Facebook page and everyone has good things to say about it.  Arrived about lunchtime but unfortunately they don't do lunch on Thursdays, but they do dinner and guess what night it is, bet ya can't........  Parmi night!!  We had a couple of drinks at the bar in the air conditioning, chatted to the lovely lady behind the bar and found out about the camping out back.    Decided we'd better go set up now, have a bite to eat and head back to the pub later on for dinner.

Camping at Sandy Creek Hotel is free but you are expected to patron the pub for a drink and meal, which I don't think is an issue.  The camping area is nice and grassy and is gated to keep the animals in and you have access to toilets and showers after the pub is shut.  Oh and it's pet friendly.

Mate they've got big ants at Allen,  we moved 3 times because we kept parking right next to a big ant hill!  There is a Kart track behind the pub where you camp, which kept us entertained for a little bit.  

Afternoon's entertainment

Started to rain a bit and get windy, so we put the anti-flap kit on the awning and pegged it down and of course it stopped raining then!  At least it has cooled down a bit and the wind continues to blow.  Craig went in to have a little old man nap but was awoken by the go karts racing and the gale force wind, so he got up and watched the karts for a bit until the next storm front started coming across and the kart people went home and we decided to retreat to the pub around 4.30pm.  Quite a few locals in the bar now and the owner Kev was behind the bar.  He introduced himself to us and us to him and asked if we were out the back camping.

Nearly forgot to mention Kerry and James Alpaca and their sheepish mates that roam around the campgrounds freely.  Kept me amused for a while, but they're not very talkative.

Had a game of pool to pass the time and Kev's daughter Megan challenged the winner, which fortunately was Craig but she trounced him!  Kev also has a son Joel, who works at the Endeavour Foundation and was awarded Employee of the Month, which he proudly tells everyone about.  Joel took us out back to show us his birds and the new aviaries being built for them.  Joel is a lovely young man and is responsible for  feeding all the animals. 

As I said, it's Parmi night at the Sandy Creek Hotel and that's all you can order.  However you can order either Chicken, Beef or Pork snitty and then choose your topping.  Craig had a Pork Parmi and I of course had Chicken.  Kev's son Joel joined us for dinner and chatted away to us.  The Parmi's were delicious.  After dinner we decided not to stay for their pool comp and headed to bed.  It had been a rather large afternoon 🍻🥂

Apple and Grape Festival Holiday - Feb/March 2024 - Day 5

 Day 5:  Wednesday 28/2/24 - Kaimkillenbun to Jondaryan Woolshed

Up early again and decided coffee but no brekky needed just yet, packed up and headed for Dalby.  Today I need to stop and do a bit of work remotely in Brisbane to pay wages, we should have good Optus mobile coverage there so I can hot spot to my phone.  

Found a great little park to do my work in ✔️, got a park right opposite ✔️and the main street and shopping centre are close by as we need to pick up a few supplies while we're here ✔️

First job grab some breakfast, found a nice little cafe in the main street.  Picked up the groceries, TV antenna and 12v plug extension cable and the world's most expensive thongs for Craig.  Back to the park so I can do my work at the nice picnic table under the shelter by the creek.

Alrighty then,  that's done now off to the Jondaryan Woolshed for our next overnight stop.  It's been 7 years since we camped here last on our last holiday and  that was with Boris and we stayed down the bottom next to the creek.  It's stinking hot again today, mid 30's.

Jondaryan Woolshed:  we camped in the power/water sites this time next to the big Woolshed. $20.00 pn/2 people I think it was.  Facilities are good and they are currently building a camp kitchen nearby.  They also have a one bedroom and two bedroom cottage plus rustic rooms in the old shearing quarters.

We hid under the awning in the shade for a few hours to keep out of the heat of the day, did the washing and mucked around.  Around 2.30pm we lathered up with sunscreen, hats, cameras and water bottles and started our tour of the grounds, woolshed and restored buildings.  The sting still hadn't gone out the sun, so it was good in the shade as we went around.  Since being there last, there has been a heap of landscaping done out the front of the cafe with a beautiful waterfall flowing into a stream which is surrounded by gorgeous plants.

Got to 4pm and we went to the office to grab an ice cream but everything was being closed up for the day.  However the lovely lady said if we had cash she'd be able to do the ice creams for us 🥵🍦  Spoke to the caretaker on our way back to the campsite to ask what time he opened up the machinery area in the morning.  Nice fella.

 It is definitely worth stopping to see the woolshed, the historical village and machinery, they are doing such a wonderful job saving and restoring the past, for generations to see and learn about.  Back in the day, people were tough cookies and just adapted to the situation and their surroundings and got on with it.

Headed back for a few drinks before fish tacos for dinner.  Still reasonably warm tonight, so after dinner we put the air con in the van on and had a shower.  Was a lovely sunset this evening a beautiful golden colour in the sky.

Apple and Grape Festival Holiday - Feb/March 2024 - Day 4

 Day 4:  Tuesday 27/2/24 - Gayndah to Kaimkillenbun (The Bun Hotel)

Got the Sunlander Carriage tour and history of the station this morning with Des.  He'll be here at 8.30am, so need to get brekky done and do a bit of packing up beforehand.

Des was the Station Master at Gayndah for 20 odd years, so has heaps of knowledge and history about the place.  Des was right on time, we were all not on time, but raced over when we realised the time.  A neighbourhood dog comes every morning apparently for the train tour, no he really comes for the pats Des was saying.

The tour with Des this morning was very interesting and enjoyable.  Des is a lovely gentleman with a great sense of humour and very passionate about retaining the history of the Heritage Railway Station, this place is definitely worth the overnight stop and gold coin donation for the tour.  It's a quite and pleasant tour.

Club Car

Club Car Galley

Menu doesn't look too bad

Dining Car

Dining Car Galley

Got away about 10.30am and our plan was to be at the Maidenwell Hotel for holiday smoko beer/wine, but since we have left later we might do lunch at Maidenwell instead.  Bad news, we got as far as Nanango and needed to stop for lunch to save our marriage 🤣  Eventually found a park and walked to the pub.  The Commercial Hotel for lunch and they are doing $20 Parmi, chips and salad as the special today!!  Yep we both went for that as you do.  Nice old pub, multiple fireplaces in the place.  Holy Shiet, talk about value for money, neither of us could finish our meals, so guess what breakfast is again tomorrow 😅

Me: Hawaiian Parmi and Craig:  Meatlovers with smoked brisket

Bit of discussion about where to next over lunch, decided to bypass Maidenwell this time and go onto The Bun Hotel Kaimkillenbun, because we haven't been there before and camp at the pub.  We've recently started doing this pub camping and it's a bit of fun.  I joined a group on Facebook Country Pub Camping and it's a really good reference.

A bit over an hour's travel from Nanango and we were at Kaimkillenbun, the roads have not improved much but the scenery again was rolling hills, scrub bush, grazing for cows and farmland.

Pulled up at The Bun Hotel, very pretty pub. Went in and had a couple of drinks, chatted with a couple of locals that came in and asked what crops were grown around here that we had seen - Sorghum was the answer.  Chatted with the barman, booked into the pub's campground and went off to pick a spot and set up.  Only 2 other campers there and they appear to be set up for a longer stay.  

Campground:  Nice grassed sites with power and water, older amenities but clean and you get a code for the door.  You are right on the road but honestly there isn't a lot of traffic during the afternoon and not much at night. Pet Friendly. Price is $30pp for 2 people.

Pub has a new owner, so is being renovated and I imagine they'll upgrade the campground in time.  Outside of the pub looks like it's done and it's very pretty.  Inside they have exposed the original pressed metal ceiling in the bar area that had been covered up with a false ceiling.  It is a beautiful old pub and will look gorgeous when they've finished the renos.

The original pressed metal ceiling, still to be renovated

A bit of relaxing at camp, chatting with Craig's brother on the phone and a few drinks.  Back over to the pub about 5.45pm for a light dinner after that massive lunch we had.  Pub got a bit busy with locals stopping in for a drink, some stopped in for a drink and takeaway pizza, another brought some of of town friends to the pub for dinner.  Everyone was very friendly and wanted to have a chat.  And you wouldn't believe it, one of the locals went to school with my cousin in Mt Isa - my goodness it's a small world!

We had a pizza for dinner which was very yummy.  We thanked the lovely barman and his partner who was cooking also for an enjoyable night and headed back to the van around 8.30 - 9pm and called it a day.

Busy bar that night.