Roadtrip to Southampton (via St George, Qld) Part Two

Roadtrip to Southampton (via St George, Qld) Part Two

30th October 2015 - 1st November 2015

Following on from Part One (sorry it took so long - work, life and Yr 12 Formal got in the way)

I had the alarm set for stupid early to check out the sunrise.  There was some discussion the night before as to what the sky would look like in the morning but being the eternal optimist I was up before the sparrows started flatulating ie very early to see if I was going to get lucky (remembering I missed out on the sunset the previous afternoon due to the glorious and much need deluge). 

When I peeked out the window the sky was showing a teeny tiny sign of promise and then by the time I got my jeans and boots on and grabbed the camera, any glimmer of sunrise was replaced with dull grey...but not to worry, the sun came up somewhere!

The only sunrise photo of the trip worth looking at.

While waiting for all the other troops to wake up I amused myself with the
lil princess's boots.  

 Everything to do with the old quarters oozed character and the boots just topped it off.

The birds up in the jacaranda tree caught my eye while I was wandering around looking for things to photograph.

The Cruiser made some groovy patterns in the jacaranda flowers on the track.
I love the contrast of the purple flowers on the red dirt.

Everyone emerged from their beds and a big cooked breakfast was soon underway. There were a couple of willie wagtails flitting around the funky fence while we were sitting on the verandah chatting and eating. While we starting packing the car the kids jumped on the quad for one last ride through the puddles.

Willie Wagtail

New Mates

Our visit to Southampton was over way too quickly but we knew it would be a flying visit as my family all had to get back to work and school on Monday and the Southampton crew had to do the same. 

We discussed the possibility of returning next year for a longer stay when the muster is underway. It is pencilled in. I just have to see how life pans out between now and then. We entered their home as strangers and left as friends (there is a sign in their kitchen that says something very similar - funny how things work out).

With a long journey home we hit the road. Waving "See You Later" to our new mates, we settled in for the trip home. My long suffering husband actually stopped a few times on the way home for be to grab a couple of photos. I will wear him down. Hehe!

I was adamant that I wanted to take photos of the pretty yellow flowers (weeds according to him) that we had seen on the way out. We found them and a couple of other little treasures.

Can't travel without these

There were two of these balls at the entrance to a property.
They would have been used with a huge chain to clear scrub some time ago.

Coming onto a mob on the stock route.  I would have loved 

to pull up for more photos and a yarn with the Drover.

A funky lil weed

Paper Daisies 

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" - Eeyore

It took us nearly 8 hours to get home, the travelling does my soul wonders. I get to sit and look out the window at our beautiful countryside. I don't have to do any chores or solve anyone's problems, I just get to sit. 

I often marvel at the fact that there are actually some people who live in SE Qld that think that once you get past Toowoomba you hit the desert. I encourage everyone once in a while to look on a map and find somewhere you have not been and head there for a weekend (or longer). Meet new people, see new sights and maybe even learn something new.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page"
- St Augustine