Great weekend in Queensland's South Burnett town of Tingoora

Friday 24th June - Sunday 26th June

We were back on the road again this weekend - in the little Kia Rio instead of the Turtle! Bit closer to the road in the Rio so excuse the pics taken from the car  - just to give you the low down! lol

Luke and Amanda are now back in Bend and have taken charge of the trusty Turtle for their summer training in the USA.

Our destination was the little country town of Tingoora, in the South Burnett region of Queensland,to visit our good friends Bruce and Jenny Jones who are the publicans at the historic Tingoora Hotel. Their daughter Cassie was celebrating her 30th Birthday at the hotel so we were part of the fun party celebrations themed "What I want to be when I grow up......." Cassie's friends, who had travelled long distances to help her celebrate, excelled themselves with some great costumes! The locals got a whole lot more entertainment than just the fabulous local band Bruzz!

Not having travelled this part of Queensland before we took the opportunity on the way to Tingoora to dally in some of the country towns along the track and find out a bit about them. What a trip back in time! These small towns (some smaller than others!) show what Queensland country towns were like in earlier times with their wonderfully preserved buildings, character and continuing traditions.

Click to enlarge.
Can you spot Tingoora?

From Noosa we headed out to Cooroy and onto the Bruce Highway and headed north to the historic city of Gympie. Famous for Queensland's first gold rush when gold was discovered there in October 1867, it is known as  "Queensland's Golden City". After James Nash, a young migrant from Wiltshire in England, discovered alluvial gold near the present site of the Gympie Town Hall nearly 15,000 men arrived in the next 6 months to make their fortune. The Golden City has two big claims to fame -  the largest nugget found in Queensland was found there, and the Gympie Goldfield was one of the most plentiful goldfields in Australia. At the Gold Mining and Historical Museum you can experience Gympie's gold rush and a 100 years of history. Extensive Lake Alford Park surrounds the Museum - a great place for a picnic!

Prior to the gold rush, timber was the major industry producing an abundance of quality red cedar. The Woodworks Forestry and Timber Museum just north of the town gives a fascinating insight into the timber industry.

The main street, Mary Street, is like a museum with some wonderful restored buildings from the gold rush era oozing character and charm of 19th century Victorian architecture. One thing that stood out was the number of hotels! Queensland's first eleven licenced pubs, brought on by the gold rush, have their home in Gympie!

Leaving Cooroy and heading to Gympie the impressive volcanic plugs,
which are prominent in this area, dot the countryside.

Monument to the Gold Rush era in the Golden City

The museum houses memorabilia from the early gold mining era, as well as
displays showcasing rural,military,hospital,transport, communications and steam
development in Australia.

The old steam engine at the Museum

The Town Hall built in 1890 on the the spot of
the original gold strike by James Nash.

Looking towards Mary Street

Memorial Park and its manicured gardens and historical rotunda.
The Jacaranda trees which abound in the park provide a fabulous display
in the springtime

The streets are lined with historic buildings,
among them some wonderful examples of Victorian architecture

Charming!

The street is quite steep.
In the Queensland floods earlier this year the lower areas of the city
were flooded

One of the eleven in town!
A very English name linked to Australian history

Love this building with the kangaroos proudly atop.
Click to enlarge

Classic!

Another of the hotels which flourished here in the gold rush era.

The Valley Rattler leaves the historic Gympie Railway Station (built in1913)
and does a tourist run throughout the spectacular Mary Valley west of Gympie

North of Gympie we turned west onto the Great Bunya Tourist Drive which takes you along the Wide Bay Highway to Goomeri and then onto the Bunya Highway which passes through Tingoora, onto Kingaroy and beyond.We passed through the interesting towns of Kilkivan, Goomeri, Murgon and Wondai on our way to our destination - Tingoora!

The beautiful and distinctive Australian countryside and farms along the Wide Bay Highway
on our way to Kilkivan

Kilkivan was a lovely, unique country town whose history also lies in timber, gold and agriculture. Gold was discovered here in 1852 and escalated into a gold rush in 1868. It took us by surprise because it was such a small town with only a few shops and community buildings along the tiny main street, but the parks and restored historical buildings were lovely.  The museum in the main street contains displays which pay tribute to the regions early pioneering towns. The Visitor's Centre is also located there and has a map of Kilkivan's Historic Town Walk. Kilkivan's claim to fame is the Great Horse Ride were over a thousand horses, rider's and horse drawn vehicles join in this prestigious ride each April. Riders travel through the scenic countryside to Kilkivan for the grand parade. Markets and street activities provide fun and entertainment while spectators wait the arrival of the horses. A big concert is held in the evening at the Showground. Also, with strong historic links to the old coach and stock routes, Kilkivan is one of the few towns on the Bicentennial trail - travel by horse, mountain bike or on foot along the tracks taken by the early pioneers! There is a nice golf course there as well!

The bronze statue outside the library celebrating the famous
Kilkivan Great Horse Ride

The Kilkivan Hotel Motel
A well preserved example of the pioneering architecture 

All the buildings and shops have lots of pioneer character and
and titles harking back to earlier times.

A stand of  beautiful ghost gums, typical of the area

Agricultural land, horse studs and cattle farms flourish
in this region.
On the highway between Kilkivan and Goomeri  

Goomeri, nestled at the junction of the Burnett and Wide Bay Highways and whose name was derived from the Aboriginal name for the area, "Goomeribong" meaning broken shield,  was another surprise - it was small but again the locals pride in this historic town was very evident! The historic buildings were lovely and it seemed like the town had been suspended in an earlier era. Like the other towns in the area Goomeri has a rich history in agriculture and timber. It is famous today for its Pumpkin Festival held the last Sunday in May each year - it draw thousands of visitors to  experience everything "pumpkin"! The highlight of the day is the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll down Policeman's Hill. Who would have thought! These small towns make their mark on Aussie history!

The landmark town clock was built in 1939 as a memorial for defence personnel.

The wonderful old Emporium in Goomeri still operates!

The countryside and cattle/dairy farms on the way to Murgon
Very contented cattle

Murgon was our next stop on this fabulous historical trail! Its name derives from Aboriginal words for "lily covered pond." the first European settlers came here in 1843, but the development of the town didn't occur until the early 20th century. Timber was the towns early mainstay, and in 1913 as the importance of dairying grew in the district a butter factory was established here. It is known today as "the hub of the South Burnett". The main street is divided by a wide area of parkland with picnic tables and shady trees.   The main street owes its present day width to the fact that it was the stock route traversed by cattle from the stations of the Upper Burnett to the Brisbane Valley. People like to call it "Magical Murgon" -  the Information Centre, located in the central main street parkland, provides lots of information about the  interesting, magical things to do and see here.

The historic Australian Hotel takes pride of place at the head of the main street of Murgon.
You can always find a pub, or two or..., in these country towns!
Gold diggers and timber cutters and farmers were thirsty people!

Beautifully preserved historic buildings are found in the town

One side of Murgon's main street

The lovely parkland in the middle of the main street.
Who is that sitting at the picnic table!?

The other side of the very wide main street in Murgon

The next town on our pioneer trail was Wondai. The town's famous dingo sculpture rock pool feature encapsulates the origin of the towns eventual name which comes from a Wakka Wakka Aboriginal word for "howling dog/dingo".  Initially it was known as Dingo Creek because of the large number of dingoes in the area, then it was called Bushnell as the town was populated, and finally Wondai. Wondai was first settled by Europeans in 1844 and after an unsuccessful attempt to farm sheep here, cattle were introduced. Traditionally a dairying and timber area, it is now much more diverse, although the Saw and Planning Mill is still a major employer. Because of the rich red soil, as well as cattle, there are pig farms and a great variety of crops - sorghum, oilseeds, wheat, barley, cotton, peanuts, duboisia (corkwood), olives and horticulture. The Wondai Regional Art Gallery - "the art heart of theSouth Burnett" is also a popular attraction with its exhibitions changing monthly. The Timber Museum is an impressive landmark in the town. A very neat, tidy Australian country town with a lot of "must sees"!

Wondai Post Office

The main street with a mixture of old and new, modern shopping facilities
blended with the historical hotels and other turn-of-the-century buildings.
It's called MacKenzie Street!

Wondai's historic hotels - both charming!

The Timber Museum, home to the Information Centre  and
the Woodcrafter's Workshop.
This is listed as  one of the "Top 10 Things to See and Do"
on Australia's Country Way (Sydney to Rockhampton)
It highlights the interesting history of the region's timber industry.

The locals are very proud of their town and its history

Click to enlarge

The towns famous dingo sculpture rock pool feature

Saturday morning markets in the town's Central Park

From Wondai we were on our way to our final destination 10 minutes south down the Bunya Highway - Tingoora! A quaint town consisting of a two teacher school, a growing number of residential housing developments as people opt for the quiet, country lifestyle this lovely little town has to offer, and best of all The Tingoora Hotel, affectionately know as "The Tinny", with its exceptional, hospitable and friendly publicans, Bruce and Jenny Jones! What a great weekend we had at Tingoora! Enjoy it with us............

Travelling through a beautiful avenue of gums on the Bunya Highway heading into Tingoora 

Tingoora and "The Tinny" are mention in the South Burnett Regional tourist magazine.
Click to enlarge

The historical  Tingoora Hotel

The Tinny bottle shop and the hotel.

The Tingoora Hotel sits prominently on the Bunya Highway between
Wondai and Kingaroy and is a very popular stop for locals and travellers.
Fantastic meals! and great service!
A "must stop" when visiting the area  and enjoy soaking up the great country hospitality!

The two teacher school

The original school

The quiet main street of Tingoora with its central parkland.
A lot of the original businesses in the town have long since gone.

The beautiful countryside view from the hotel's verandah

Saturday afternoon Bocce in the park opposite the hotel.
The Tinny June Bocce Championships!

Bruce, Cassie, Emma, Adam and Peter test out their Bocce skills.
Think Bruce has had too much practise to be beaten!

Style!

Serious competition!

The garden wasn't even out of bounds for this Bocce game!

Entrance to the Public Bar  of The Tinny

Publican Bruce with his family: left ,daughter Emma and fiance Adam;
right, daughter Cassie who was celebrating her birthday.
What a great party! Lots of fun had by all!
The theme =

Party preparations on Saturday afternoon

The dining room in readiness for the party

Some of the guests and what they wanted to be when they grew up..............
Guess.....

Us?..... see below!
Thanks Jac for the idea!

The sign on our backs

Cassie, the birthday girl!

The fantastic band Bruzz  -  the music was great!

Party time! with all the party trimmings - a fun time!

 and a delicious sit down dinner!

Cheers!  

Fun and games!

Great party Bruce and Jenny! Wonderful mum and dad,
and hosts!

We had a great weekend road trip and loved exploring the new countryside! and we loved our visit with Bruce and Jenny at Tingoora!

Definitely an area of Queensland to visit and explore! Still lots more for us to see and do there! Believe the Bunya Mountains, a bit further south, are amazing! Planning already....... love the life of a grey nomad.....glad I became one when I grew up!!!!!