Drives out to the wide blue yonder

Another bonus of 'Ekka' week, is the fact that we get a public holiday smack dab in the middle of it on the Wednesday. Just for the show. The other bonus being that as a public servant in a public hospital, I get paid for it, even if I don't work.

Seeing that the last time we had headed off anywhere remotely distant was back in April (on our grand tour of NSW), I had pretty itchy feet when it came to getting back out on the road. And the Ekka public holiday was as good a time as any.

First stop was Boonah, and a great breakfast at Flavours Cafe.

Then on to Mount French National Park to check out the view of the Scenic Rim.

Looking back towards Boonah

Cunningham's Gap

Then on to Condamine Gorge. We travelled down the 'low road' for a bit. The Condamine river is the head of the Murray Darling Basin, which starts in Queensland and ends in South Australia.

Condamine Gorge

Closer shot of the Gorge

This shot is for my mum

Checking out the RTA car

(this is the land of the free range cow)

Sitting by the side of the 'road'

(a glorified cow trail down to the Gorge)

Almost got that itch!

Don't forget me!

When the signs started telling us that this road was only for 'high clearance vehicles' (with 14 river crosses to get to Killarney), we did a u-turn and headed up to the High Road. First stop here was Carr's Lookout, for another great view of the surrounding area.

I think we go that way!

Looking back over the Gap

Glorious rolling hills

It was still fairly early at this point, so after a quick visit to Killarney, we kept driving over to Stanthorpe.

Queen Mary Falls

And we ran into these fine people and stopped for lunch!

My parents, who had taken the EXACT same route we did,

and had almost exactly the same photos!

After lunch we drove off to Girraween National Park and took a scenic drive through the mountains.

It's not called the Granite Belt for nothing!

Large boulders everywhere you turn

On the road again!

Then it was time to head home. But not before stopping at Vincenzo's (the Big Apple), and having the best Apple Pie I've ever had!

It was a beautiful day, and we hope to stay up there for a weekend at some point.