An adventure

This Queens Birthday long weekend was spent jamming as much in as possible.  My sister, Kate and her boyfriend  Huges were visiting for the first time and spent Saturday doing the structured activities at the hotel while I got called into work. Luckily the rain held off and they got to try archery, clay targets and horse riding. Satuday evening we had a fabulous free meal at work (my reward for coming into work on my day off). I had wood smoked duck cooked in moroccan spices, served on a piece of  real fire wood, which had the most amazing aroma. Huges tried a Grade 6 Wagyu and Kate had the scallops. It washed down well with a Paringa Estate Pinot from Mornington.

Sunday we woke up to misty rain so headed to Toowoomba for the day to do some shopping and have lunch. We tried to find a good Thai restaurant open on a Sunday for lunch and not surprisingly ended up at our usual favourite (not Thai)  - Cafe Villeta for a good hearty winter lunch of vegetarian pizza, salmon and lamb shanks. The afternoon was finished with a dose of saduko in front of the fire and a pork roast for dinner (with apple pie - to finish the country cliche). I'm sure Kate and Huges thought that we had bunged on the country experience just for them, especially when my boss called and arranged a morning of 4WD-ing for today.

We woke bright and early to bake morning tea of triple choc muffins before we left. We met the boss and his lovely family at the local servo at 8:00am before heading to the back gate of the property.

Morning Tea break

The key hung in a secret location at the back gate, the air in the tyres was let down slightly (but precisely). We entered the property not sure where we'd end up. All we knew is that the morning tea spot had been plotted on the GPS by Cieran yesterday in an initial sortie into the property.

Kate and Huges at morning tea

Amazing early morning fog

The stunning views of the drive.  Higher than the surrounding mountains, our property certainly has some hidden vistas. We drove for only 15 mins into the property before we stopped for morning tea.

 We round a bend after 2km of driving and lo' - there is our house - dazzling in the distance.  The slightly lighter grass area on the left of the view is the airstrip, which is still visable even though it is overgrown and has not been in use for at least 5 years.  Our dam looks large and regular.  The house is just beyond, with the hanger to the right.

 Cieran led us through Brown Springs property, but it wasn't until we hit the gate that joins Brown Springs and the hotel property that I knew where we were. I decided that the short cut to the gorge on the track would be a good adventure, but had never driven along it, only heard about it last time I was in that area. Cieran, Carolyn and Michael had never seen the gorge and were keen to try.

 However the innocent little shortcut I had recommended turned out to be a slippery steep slope, and half way up Cieran's car (who was in front of us) slipped off the track to the right, towards the drop. Stopping suddenly,l Carolyn and the kids jumped out and hiked to the top.  We in Michael's car, who had been watching, were horrified, and jumped out and hiked up to Cieran's  car. Unbelieveably it was apparently better to finish going up the slope than try to reverse back down.

 Cieran made it to the top and then pursuaded Michael that he could make it. With the snatch strap he helped Michael to the top.

Kate and I made a quick reccie of the track ahead and found scarier slopes were yet to come.  Too late we warned the others and we were then faced with the decision - whether to try and gp back down the slippery slope with the long drop or bash down the fence ( a big county no no) and go cross paddock (safer).

The amazing view into Malgowie at the morning tea place

 We all held our breaths as they went down the slippery slope, Michael losing the back end only slightly. Orientating ourselves again, we back tracked, determined to find the gorge - the long way around. On the way, we got bogged.  It had to happen, Cieran would have been disappointed if it hadnt happened at least once on our adventure.

 Carolyn and Cieran put on the gum boots and attached the snatch strap as we waited in the car, surrounded by knee deep mud. Carolyn stood off to one side as we were yanked unbelievably fast out of the bog, the snatch strap only just missing her as it pulled us out.

 By chance, the track Cieran though would lead to the gorge started to look more familiar and Michael and I realised it was the back of our home block. We felt safe again as we made our way down along the familar track, spying the cliffs of the gorge in the distance -which actually turned out to be at the head of our valley (which I had always had a sneaking suspicion would be the case).

Now we now the way and the not-way, we will head out again soon for a BBQ on the plow disc BBQ plate (how country is that?)