And yes, he did it again.!!
Excited after a hard few months to be finally getting away for a while…a chance to escape from the phones, the people, the demands and the time frame of watching a clock and working severely to that measured hand …..to simply escape to a quiet place for a few days R and R….such a lovely thought….And we head off for our journey north.
Only heading a few hours away from our home town, but just far enough to not have to be called into the hospital, or called for things at work….we head to Tenterfield for the night.
A beautiful surprise for me awaits as my husband had booked a room in historic stannum house,…an 1886 three story beautiful historical B and B. We settle into a most gorgeous room ..the Décore is blue….Marc’s favourite colour… compete with a Monstrous huge bed, (which you needed a step ladder to climb into)…. I am so excited to be staying in this beautiful historic building.
Let’s go for a walk says my husband.
Then we walk.
A leisurely stroll around town?
A walk to the local café?
A slow amble along the roads to see what is here is Tenterfield?
Oh we did all that…but minus the stroll, or the amble…we walked…we saw the historic sights of town…and then headed off further.
Down a dell the up a significant hill…..(did I mention a hill)……to the historic railway station….but of course that was closed…..and then down dale and up another hill back to our accommodation.
But a of course it was worth it….
Our ‘little’ walk.
Leaving Tenterfield the next morning, we head for Bald Rock..en route to Stanthorpe , where we will be staying for a few days. It’s cooler, it’s overcast…and we decide to check out the bald rock.
An impressive granite Boulder.
Not your normal Boulder!
No – the largest granite Boulder in the Southern hemisphere!
Really !!!!
Now …Two choices…steep accent of 1.2kms or a nice gentle walk of 2.5 kms around and then up.
Which did we choose?
Well..What do you think ??
The gentle walk….with my husband???
Walking up a slope of 30 degrees incline…you tend to lose a little bit of breath….
(Did I mention it was up…?)oh yes , I had to pause a few times to get my breath-but on we went.And it was all Boulder. No chains, no steps, all granite Boulder in this granite belt of country.
Yes a most impressive climb….but we made it….
More to point..I made it………( while all the time thinking….Laura…he did it to me again!!!)
Photos taken, still overcast, but at least cooler…( I don’t think I would like to do it in a sunlit day- you would bake on that huge Boulder!!) …and back down we went – but taking the more scenic gentle 2.5km route impressive with its split and balancing rocks, lichens and rock orchids.
Back to the car…both of us a little smelly by now, fragrant with sweaty body odour as we reentered the car and drove to Stanthorpe. Our little cottage was not quite ready…, says the manager of the Diamondale B&B as she opens the windows and turns on the fan as we talk together in the reception area of the retreat, ( Do you think she was telling us something ).
But that was ok…we went and had a look around Applethorpe, where some of my previous in-law family lived 90 years ago….and Marc says, let’s go to the bush rangers captain thunderbolt’s rocks…where he had at times hid away.
I agree…quite compliant and happy…and once again, we are greeted with a track on more granite to view and walk upon more rocks…!
Rocks..did I say?
Boulders!! .
I handled that, of course….along with the rough track, sloping rocks, cracks and the small crevices of which I had to either squeeze through and, at one time, crawl through… as I squeezed my breasts in, attempting to hold my stomach flat ..(well tried anyway) as I tread cautiously and slowly in my way through the rocks (not up this time) to view the place where this famous outlaw hid away from the law.
Oh yes…he did it again. When will I ever learn??
But of course, I have to mention, there were pleasant highlights to these first few days of our get away from reality. Like the apple pie and cream..at Applethorpe of course…a small sample of cheese tasting, commencing our wine tasting to be expanded on in the next few days….a lovely home cooked dinner …wine
…, down time.
What more could a girl want??
Mmmmmmmm……….