I had decided to head off road tripping in search of new abandoned places about a week before this trip and was supposed to start out on the Friday but the weather wasn't looking too good so decided to head off on Saturday which robbed me of a day to get around but hay!, I set off in the rain anyway hoping for the best.
I decided to head north this time up into Queensland and out west to check out the Warwick gold fossicking areas on the way back down.
I roughly calculated that I travelled around 845 kilometres round trip. Not bad going for two days exploring.
I'd have to say I felt it when I got home though. Lordy!
Rainbow house just as you entry Nimbin.I don't think that's what it's called, it's just what I call it. It was too wet for me to bother getting out of the car to take the photo.
Good old Nimbin early in the morning and how I like seeing the place. Misty and rainy for some reason to me makes Nimbin what it is. I was early, around 8am so no tourists around yet to spoil the view :)
Township of Chillingham looked pretty so I took a photo of it. Chillingham is at the base of the range that takes you up to Queensland and is about 58 klms from Nimbin.
Top of the range. Chillingham is down there somewhere?? If there is a road that gets my anxiety going it would have to be this one. I hate it. As beautiful as it is as you can see it is scary as all hell for me and I need to use every bit of strength to not panic driving it. It is almost the width of a one lane road and is a steep drop straight down beside the road with no guard rails. It's crazy that it affects me the way it does but it's pretty. Lots of cyclists and motorbike riders usually use the road but I was early and the rain helped keep people off the road.
Right at the top of the range where I took the photo down the range is the Queensland border so all my clocks changed because of daylight saving and it all just confuses me trying to work out times. I think I ended up gaining an hour??? I could be wrong.
Abandoned cottage I found beside the road not too far down the road from my last picture. Very pretty. Shame I couldn't get down to explore it because there were alot of houses and people about on the other side of the road.
The drive through the range was uneventful. I did detour up to Springbrook to try and find an abandoned place I found a few years ago that I wanted to explore but I couldn't find it this time and the rain was getting heavy so I will try again another time.The drive takes you past the Hinze dam that supplies south east Queensland with water. I finally got the opportunity to get a few photos of the drowned forest that lines the edge of the dam because there were not too many people on the road and the light was great for getting a couple of nice shots. I love this one because when I climbed down to the waters edge everything looked grey and dead and this small hint of colour from the waterlilies was a huge contrast from the glum. I could have stayed a lot longer but rain and time prevented me from doing so so back up the hill and off i go again.
just another one before I headed off.
Abandoned house I was aiming for not that far from the dam. It was still raining so I drove through the gate at the road and headed up to the house on the very grown over driveway. The property is now on the market for sub division so I'd be thinking that the house will be removed to make way for the development. There will be lots ranging from 2 acres to 255 acres so it's a very large property and those little white marker pegs are where the road will be eventually.
I got to explore the house which was abit meh!The house looks huge from outside but when I got in the place was really quite small. It originally only had one bedroom from what I could see and rooms were added later when verandas were closed in. I found under the house and the shed to be a much more interesting explore around. I'll get around to posting the video to youtube soon so you can see what I'm talking about.This amazing chopping block is absolutely beautiful and if I could take it I definitely would. The history in every knife mark on the block is a shame to have get lost. I hope some one rescues it.
I have no idea what this refrigeration union was used for but it was very large indeed. I opened it up and it looked to be used for ice which makes no sense for a domestic house. Beautiful old unit though.
The old laundry room under the house with it's original cement tubs. Another piece I'd love to take home. I can picture nanna wheeling her clothes trolley out the door and up the back path to the clothes line.
I had a look around the back shed after checking under the house and there was a lot of things still remaining in there like this saddle and so many bridles and bits related to horses so I think the original owner was skilled in horseman ship.
Some of the horseshoes that were everywhere
Some of the old syringes for the horses I'd be thinking?That's enough exploring here. Best I get back on the road again, lots more to see.
It was a short drive to Beaudesert from the abandoned house and a couple of kilometres before I got to town I spotted this abandoned house beside the road so what you gonna do? You gonna check it out is what. I filmed it as well and it will be uploaded to my youtube channel eventually so keep an eye out for it. It was very close to the road and I was standing beside the road when I took this photo.
Inside the house was a mess as you can see. Some one had thrown some sort of white powder (lime?) around everywhere. The house was very small and only had 5 rooms from memory.
Just a photo of the back door that I thought would make a nice photo.
This was another house beside the last house that looked abandoned but had surveillance camera signs on the front so I decided not to go have a look just in case someone came out of no where having a go at me.Odd that they were right beside each other yet this one was boarded up. Oh well, I'm off and it's getting close to lunch time so lets see what I can find in Beaudesert. 
Another abandoned house I found somewhere where ever I was when I some how ended up heading to a town called Rathdowney. I was supposed to headed to Wyaralong which is just west of Beaudesert but for some reason I can't explain I took the wrong turn and I couldn't be Jibbed about having a proper look at this place. I'd stopped in Beausdesert and picked up some KFC before heading off. I like to eat while driving. Anyway, I probably did a 100k detour down and back up to Boonah, I wasn't all too happy about it because I lost about an hour. POOOOOO!!!!...
So, anyway! after my sook about taking the wrong turn and gorging myself on KFC I just resigned myself to accepting my unexpected detour and I started looking around for things that might interest me. I was almost back up at Boonah and came across this abandoned old cemetery that I had to turn around for to go check. I'm so glad I did turn around.
The cemetery was beautifully sad and wonderfully interesting all at the same time with huge Spear grasses growing throughout the graves.
*Grave alert*I'm about to post a few graves so I've warned you's
The cemetery was established in 1886 but I can't find when the cemetery stopped taking burials. The scenic rim council now maintain the cemetery which is go because I thought it was the guy that lived beside the cemetery.
I spent a while exploring the cemetery and filmed it as well since it has been abandoned. I was very impressed by the still intact glass domes that were present on a few of the graves.
another one of the many graves now flanked by these massive Spear grass trees that reminded me of the Sesame Street character "Mr snuffleupagus" Another intact glass flower protector
Remnants of the (I think porcelain?) flowers on one of the graves. Makes for a nice photo. The craftsmanship on the flowers was stunning to see even in decay.
I found this grave up in the back corner of David Weston McLean who died Oct14 1915 aged 16. I was impressed with the state of preservation on his headstone considering the age and state of the rest of his grave. This is the last grave I'll post, honest!
As I was leaving I spotted this monument to the unmarked graves the are in the cemetery. After doing a bit of researching I found that there were 195 interments in the cemetery so it would appear there were alot of unmarked graves because I saw only a fraction of that . Ok, I'm done with graves now.....or am I??? Ha!
After leaving the cemetery I headed to Boonah which was not too far at all and went looking for an abandoned early settlers house I'd spotted on a previous trip recently. This is just a pretty picture of part of the Wyaralong dam near Boonah. I think the water board need to address those environmental weeds growing in the water.
The abandoned house was just up the road from the last picture down a very muddy dirt road that no one actually lived on but for some reason in the pouring rain there was alot of people driving on it which made no sense to me considering it was a Saturday as well. Now to get to it without getting bogged which I thought might happen.
I have no idea what this was originally for but it was maybe about 20 metres from the main house. It could have been dairy bales but seems odd that they would have it so close to the house.
What ever the structure was originally built for it was at some point converted into more of a liveable space from what I'd found inside. Well, the front section anyway because the back part since looked like a shed space.
This was beside the front door to the shed. I just liked it so I photographed it.
Side view of the main house. The back of the house was in far more in a state of disrepair and a far amount of the walling had collapsed. I got in via the small window to the left as the grass was almost as tall as me and wet and I wasn't feeling like getting all manky trying to get in so window it was. I filmed it but I can't say I found much of interest inside so it was a quick explore. Still good to have for my channel non the less.I think it was abandoned when the dam was made as part of the water board buy up of properties near the impending dam. There were still christmas lights strung around the veranda railing. Explore completed I got back on the road.
I had an uneventful drive up to Ipswich and then to Wivenhoe dam where I was on the look out for an abandoned property an Instagram friend told me about. This is a shitty pic of my crossing a part of Wivenhoe lake.
First off I have to say sorry about the quality of this photo, best I could do without scaring them and not getting a photo. I got to my target and by passed two other abandoned houses near Fernvale because of the rain. (I'd go check em another time)This raod of sorts was right beside the property I was looking for and I was surprised to find quite a well established family cemetery right beside the road you are looking at. Shame I didn't have my proper camera out and all these photos have been taken on my phone. Still a cute pic though.
When I was told about (a few graves ) I never realised it would be so many. Mainly The Conroy family. Most impressed. Did I say no more graves?? Ha! How was I to know these would be here and it's in relation to the property.
The abandoned property is in the back ground. The sheds and barns anyway. The main homestead is hidden behind the clump of trees to the right of the photo. 
The main original homestead from the driveway on my phone zoom. The original home was abandoned for a more modern house beside it. The rest of the photos you will see in relation to this property I took with remote drone............because there was a water board sign on the gate and Im good!!!! :P
You can see the newer house beside the old homestead which is now just a shell. The newer place appeared to be locked from what I could see from my drone....I found some info on the property and here is the link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castleholme_Homestead
Just copy and paste if it doesn't work. Easy
Back part of the modern house. Not at all sure what the tank is for? Water?
The old bake house and laundry shed. Would have been a thriving hive of activity in it's day.
You gotta love my remote drone device...........It got a look inside the main homestead. Unfortunately not much left which is a shame.
The post war newer house beside the old homestead. This was converted into a caretakers residence but it appeared locked up from what I could see from my drone :)
Not too sure what this was intended for? looks like an accommodation building for workers maybe. Weird set up happening under it as there were stairs leading down. It is in great condition though.
Back view of the building.
Almost surreal image of stables and barn.
I guess I should have filmed the place when I was there but it was raining quite hard at times and it wasn't pleasant weather to be exploring in so another one to explore another time now I know whats there. Shame Queensland universty only maintains the land and NOT the buildings so eventually like other places I have explored it will end up falling down with time.
Not was getting on and it was time to leave the homestead for now anyway and see about heading for a little town called Esk which was just north of the old homestead. The rain didn't really let up all day and I was now starting to get a little weiry so I was on a mission to get to Toowoomba now so I could find some where to stay. I just like this misty shot of me driving to Toowoomba. It was like this most of the way. 
I decided to break up the drive a little and see some sights instead of diving passed them so I pulled into Gus Beutel Lookout at Ravensbourne a short distance north of Toowoomba. I have to tell you I'm sooooooo glad I stopped because the view was phenomenal.......................Ha!
Ok, so once I got my fill of the best view I'd seen in a long time.... I got back on the road and OMG!!!!! What's that!?It's a bloody deer I hell with excitement as I spin my car around madly while grabbing my phone while navigating the (thankfully) almost non existent traffic while trying to sneak the car up closer without scaring them away so I couldn't get a photo and then no one would believe me. Sorry about the quality but best I could do with my phone zoom without it taking off on me. This is the male and he had an impressive white face. He was roughly 20 meters from me.
I got to photograph his herd and I was so happy, they were about 10 metres behind him and the was a baby with them. JOY!! Having come from Germany I feel a relation to deer but had never seen one in the wild till now and I was almost delirious and after they ran away I squealed with excitement LOL!Once in a lifetime moment for me.
Alright Michael get yourself together and compose yourself .... AHHH!!! I squealed again and revelled in my experience.I spotted this cemetery a short distance down the road and it warranted my taking a photo of it in the mist. You want get cemeteries in every post , it just happened this way this time and cemeteries always look good in the rain and mist.
I spotted this place as I was turning around to go back to the cemetery for a photo and thought to myself Hmmmm!???? I thought, this could be interesting so I stopped there once I left the cemetery and Tar-Dar! It was abandoned. It appeared to have been abit of an art gallery come cafe for tourists on the outskirts of Toowoomba at one time but now all over grown and left. The house and other buildings were locked so I decided not to film it. I wonder what happened for it to have been abandoned. The gardens would have been beautiful once.
I gave another lookout another go but I shouldn't have bothered. Can't even remember the name.Come on Michael, you need to find a place to stay and it's getting late and I'm getting abit irritable since the excitement of the deer sighting had worn off.
OMG! check this out. Just as Im finding my place to stay and pulling into get some alcoholic beverages for the evening unwind this greeted me with an amazing display of nature at her finest. red sky at night shepherds delight. Red sky in the morning captains warning. Glorious. Needless to say I drank two beers and promptly fell asleep.
Gosh! I must have been tired because I was out to it but morning was calling and so was the road so after making some coffee and flicking channels over and over and over and over trying to find a channel that wasn't showing some sort of religious program (not that there's anything wrong with that) it was Sunday after all. I decided to get organised and set out again for the day. Golly! Toowoomba is a chilly place. I checked out the local information centre to see if there was anything I might be interested in but nothing was screaming out at me so I got some breakfast and headed for the big lookout in town.
Oh! Noice! I finally got to see something. View looking east to Brisbane in the far distance. Holy dooly it was cold though and the wind was howling so I eat quick and got out of there. Can't remember the lookout name but its big and it's big. 
The plan for the day was head out to Warwick which is south west of Toowoomba to check out the gold fossicking areas and see if I could find some abandoned places. This is coming down off the range heading south. Lots of farms and more farms.
and more farms. This one was a sunflower farm. It was farms right up until I got to Warwick so these two pics give you the idea of what I was seeing. I didn't stop in Warwick as there is nothing that interests me. It just seems like an ordinary farm town to me so I drove through headed west to the gold fields. The drive there got very dry and not that interesting photographically so no pics.
Once I got to the fields I got my detector out and had a bit of an explore but only found a drink can. Lovely. At least I know where I'm going for next time. This is me detecting lol! It was 100 kilometre round trip out and back to Warwick. Pretty uneventful and some what boring and the point of saying are we there yet.
It was time to head back home as time was getting away from me so I Headed towards Killarney, not too far from Warwick and still in Queensland. I had intended on driving straight home from Warwick but I thought to myself, I thought, why don't you stop at Queen Mary falls for a bit to stretch out then head home so I did. This is Browns Falls at the base of the range headed up to Queen Mary Falls. I'd been to Queen Mary Falls so I thought I'd check out the bottom falls and I;m so glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the falls. The walk in was grotty and unimpressive so i didn't have high hopes for the walk. The walk itself was very muddy and slippery and the track not very well formed which didn't help much so best to go when it's dry I guess. Beautiful once there and reminded me of Protestors Falls in northern nsw,
Up beside the falls was there biggest wasp colony I have ever seen. It was HUGE! It would have been roughly 20 feet tall. It starts from the top of the rocks in the middle of the photo and comes down two thirds of the photo and takes up most of the middle of the pic. Amazing. 
I really needed to move my butt now and stop looking at everything and go home because I was still another couple hours from home and it was getting late. This is just a beautiful landscape heading towards Woodenbong nsw. Mt Lindsey in the far back ground mostly covered in mist.
Mt Lindsey Nsw, Glorious after a good cleansing rain.So, this is the last of my roadtrip. I forgot to take a pic of Kyogle which is about 45 minutes from home. Mt Lindsey was about an hour from home. I got home just after 5pm.
I hope you enjoyed this trip. I thought I hadn't done much until I started writing this pblog post LOL. Lordy! I get around. Thanks for taking the time to come along and have a read. See you next trip.
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2 comments:
Lovely photos!
Thanks for sharing your adventures.
:)
I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for checking it out.
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