Monday, Nov 14 - Exploring Buderim & Tuesday, Nov 15 - Returning Home

Monday, Nov 14 - Exploring Buderim 

  (pic:  view of Glass House Mtns. from the Scenic reserve)

We had a good night’s sleep and breakfasted on really sweet mangos, eggs and toast on Frances’ porch before setting off in her car so she could show us the area.  We drove south on the Bruce Hwy, turning off at the Glass House Mountains and wound up quite steep hills until we got to Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, an area of about 150 acres of beautiful woodland with wide boardwalks and trails.  This was really a marvelous place:  huge ancient trees, many encased in strangler figs vines, and some just the empty column of fig vines, the tree having since died and decayed. 

 We saw many birds including the brilliant red and green King Parrot, pademelons, very small kangaroos the size of a Labrador retriever, jumping through the woods, and an 8’ Carpet Python curled up in the sun, digesting a large lump of some small creature.

  We walked though groves of densely-packed, very thin palm trees, some enormous rose gums, and beautiful and varied fungi.

After three hours, we emerged and had a light lunch at the café of toasted cheese, chicken and avocado sandwiches.

Frances than drove us to the small village of Maleny.  This area is full of very pretty small towns with art galleries, book stores, and other interesting shops.  One strange characteristic of these towns is the reverse parallel parking…imagine backing into a parking spot!  Frances, of course, could do it easily, but I’m glad I didn’t have to.

We continued our circuit and stopped in at the pottery studio of  Michael Pugh, from whom she has bought several pieces. It was the most marvelous studio imaginable!  A large room in the middle of a forest, open on all sides.  Piles of clay, a potter’s wheel, kilns and lots of lovely bowls, trays, teapots, etc.  Almost inspiring me to go back to throwing pots!

(pic: Frances' possum which appeared after we left!)

We returned to Frances’ house for a rest and then set out to the tidy village of Buderim, for a delicious dinner at Thai Frenzy (our 47^th anniversary).  Afterwards we looked out on Frances’ porch to see if we could glimpse the possum which frequents the area but she never appeared.  We also went on the look-out for Cane Toads which have recently invaded her little frog pond – a real menace to all of northern Australia for the last 30+ years, but fortunately we didn’t see any so didn’t have to dispatch them (you put them in the freezer).

Tuesday, Nov 15 – Returning Home

Bob and I got up at 6 AM, Frances gave us a nice breakfast and we reluctantly left Buderim at 7.  We whizzed down towards Brisbane on the four-lane motorway until we got to stop-and-go traffic, caused, strangely, by two cars about 1 km apart which were stalled in the fast lane making all sorts of trouble for everyone.  Once past them we got to the rental car return for the International Terminal, checked in at Qantas,  boarded about one hour late,  settled into our two-abreast seats in the very back of the 747 and watched some very interesting movies.  We were served a very good dinner and after about six hours of sleep a good breakfast and there we were in LA!

We drove home in another rental car, picked up Miss Maddie, who appeared in very good shape, and are now wading through mountains of mail and laundry!

Another adventure completed!

XXXXX, Katy