AN ABUNDANCE OF RAIN

Yes, from July 2010 until about three weeks ago we had an abundance of rain. Until the January floods the weather was almost perfect for gardening.  For six months I didn’t need to irrigate my garden, because every week we would get enough rain – nice steady soaking rain, not storms with damaging winds and heavy rain. I’ll probably never enjoy such a period again, but it was great while it lasted.

After the floods the sun has shone brightly, which was wonderful for the farmers of the Granite Belt. They had plenty of stored water for irrigation, but what their crops needed was hot, sunny days to ripen and sweeten their fruit. Even when Tropical Cyclone Yasi roared in across north Queensland the sun continued to pour its heat down upon our district. The grass had grown madly after all the rain and now it has gone to seed and is rapidly browning off.

Glen Aplin valley view

This photo shows a view  from our farm to the ridge on the other side of the Glen Aplin valley, but only two weeks previously the grass country beside the river had been under flood water. Read the rest of this entry »

AFTER THE FLOODS 1

For a number of reasons I haven’t been able to write a weekly post, but with a bit of luck I might be able to put up something more personal during this coming week. What I will share with you now is a newsletter I receive regularly from Food Connect. They are a group of organic farmers who have got together to market their produce directly to discerning consumers. It is my intention to visit the farmers of Food Connect here on the Granite Belt over the next month or so, armed with my camera, to pass on to you information about their ways of producing tasty food.

Wildflowers, wilderness and wine

My good news is that Colin Campbell, who many of you will know from his appearances as a presenter on behalf of Queensland gardens on the ABC TV program and in the magazine Gardening Australia, has kindly agreed to read my book Wildflowers, wilderness and wine. He will then write reviews of the book and submit them to the Courier-Mail newspaper and the Gardening Australia magazine. Colin is a delightful man who has visited my garden a number of times, including November 2009 when I last opened it for the Australia’s Open Garden Scheme. www.australia-book.com.au

On http://fayhelwigauthor.com I put up a post yesterday which included some beautiful photographs of the vineyards around Stuttgart, Germany.

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A STANTHORPE MUSEUM DISPLAY

On the 11th November I participated in a service at the Stanthorpe Museum to honour those who had fallen in all wars and for the opening of a new display dedicated to Stan Halloran, who had been a spitfire pilot, based in England during the Second World War. He survived, married an English woman and came home to the Granite Belt where he and his wife continued to serve their community.

11th November, 2010

After this solemn period of observance the crowd were invited to inspect the extensive historical collection of the museum and enjoy lunch and fellowship together. Read the rest of this entry »

STANTHORPE MUSEUM REMEMBERS

The sun shone brightly, although thunder rumbled occasionally to the west, as the Granite Belt community gathered to remember the fallen at the Stanthorpe Historical Museum on Thursday 11th November.

Back in August I had been asked for Flanders poppy seeds by one of the volunteers who work at the museum. I replied that it was too late to then grow poppies from seed, but that I would bring in some plants from the Remembrance Field and transplant them into the prepared garden bed.

Poppies at the Stanthorpe Museum

Flanders poppies are best grown from seed and do not establish easily when transplanted, so it was with delight that I observed some of the transplanted poppies were flowering beneath the railway siding place names that once marked the destinations throughout the Soldier Settlement established in 1920 when 500 returned service men took up blocks of land to grow apples. Read the rest of this entry »

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Below I share with you an extract from my book Wildflowers, wilderness and wine.

My first great marketing success happened when I was fifty-five years old and my dark hair was starting to grey, but I knew myself to still be a good-looking woman. I paused, stood loosely away from the lectern and sought eye control with my already sympathetic audience. When every eye was focused on me and every woman feared I would
be unable to speak, I announced forcefully, ‘I am passionately interested in tourism!’
I do not remember what more I said, but I topped the poll and became a Director on the Board of Queensland’s Southern Downs Tourist Association.
The association had received a grant of one hundred thousand dollars for the development of a Tourism Strategy Plan for Toowoomba-Golden West and the Southern Downs. At one of the first meetings I attended as a Director, one of these strategists, Dr Hugh Lavery, an environmentalist, asked the question, ‘How can we in tourism capitalise on the history of the seven Flanders battlefields place names on the northern end of the Granite Belt?’
The light bulbs flashed and I knew I had the answer: In 1920 five hundred returned servicemen, who had served in France during the First World War, won blocks of land in a ballot. The Queensland government surveyor determining the course of a branch railway line to service this community gave the seven railway sidings the names of Amiens, Messines, Bapaume, Passchendaele, Bullecourt, Pozieres and Fleurbaix.

Seventy years later those siding names are now to be seen on a signpost at the Stanthorpe Museum and there is very little to mark some of the districts. A road traverses the region and it was portion of my suggestion that this road become a memorial drive.

Railway siding names at the Stanthorpe Museum

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THE TOWN SQUARE MARKET

As the name suggests, the Margaret River Town Square Market is situated in the centre of this bustling tourist town and I was there on the Sunday of a long weekend. As Monday was a public holiday many Perth and Fremantle visitors were staying in the region. I arrived at the market while most of the tourists were still breakfasting, which gave me an opportunity to converse with the proprietors of these stalls before they had to deal with the rush of customers.

Margaret River Town Square

There was only one person who refused to allow me to photograph her stand. She seemed to think that I wanted to copy her designs, although I explained my purpose. Although her dolls were attractive works of art and each one was an original, her art form was not unique. Here on the Granite Belt at our Market in the Mountains one of the exhibitors not only sells her creations, but is a willing teacher of this art. Read the rest of this entry »

THE FARMER’S MARKET

During my recent road trip to Western Australia with my son Paul to see the wildflowers and taste the Margaret River wines we spent a weekend in the township of Margaret River. I discovered a Farmer’s Market on the Saturday morning, which I found to be a sensory experience. There was the bustle and noise of stalls crowded together, the earthy smells of freshly dug potatoes, the citrus aroma of oranges and lemons on a stall decorated with fresh orange blossom, the free tastes of olives or honey and the visual delight of seeing so many happy stall holders. The thing that was so impressive about this particular market was the happy camaraderie of those selling produce beside neighbours they have known for years, plus the holiday atmosphere created by an influx of weekend visitors from Perth.

Honey and olives

The market was laid out in a open square of grassland between buildings. All these stall owners were well equipped with sun shades, tables and shelving indicating that they were regulars at this market. Clearly there was sufficient demand for their products because in several instances there were different stalls, spaced a little way apart, each selling a similar product.

For instance there were two stalls selling honey, two stalls selling bakery items, two stalls selling free range eggs and half a dozen stalls selling fruit and vegetables.

This indicated to me that every stall holder considered this market provided a good return Read the rest of this entry »



BROADWATER MONSTER MARKET

During the past six weeks I’ve attended the various markets scattered across the Granite Belt district. Yesterday I not only attended the Monster Market held at the CWA Hall at Broadwater, but I also became an exhibitor. On Friday it was doubtful a market could be held as the rain bucketed down over the Granite Belt causing minor flooding.

Water over Mt. Stirling Road

Late Friday afternoon the rain eased and Lolita, my present helpful WWOOFer, was able to assist me to cut bunches of daffodils and Spanish blue bells. We packed my Holden station wagon with two small tables and two old doors, knowing we would have to lay them in first, then place buckets, baskets and assorted other goods over them. This would of course mean that we would be obliged to totally unpack our station wagon on arrival at Broadwater before we could get the tables set up. The alarm clock was set for 5.00am to allow us to leave at 6.00am. I had been told by the market organizer that I could begin setting up by 5.30 am as the market would be open to the public by 7.00am.

As we left home the sun rose over the eastern ranges showing a blue sky day. Read the rest of this entry »

MARKET in the MOUNTAINS

The Market in the Mountains has never disappointed me whenever I have attended it. Last Christmas I went to the market, which is always held in the Stanthorpe Civic Centre, just before Christmas and bought a selection of Italian sweets and a traditional Christmas cake.

Christmas treats

The women who sold me the Italian sweets have a stall at every market which always proves a popular destination for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Home baked Italian sweets

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WALLANGARRA MARKETS 2

When I access the New England Highway at Glen Aplin I must STOP and look for trains before I cross the railway line. It is compulsory that such road signs be obeyed, or I risk a fine and the loss of points from my driver’s license if sighted by a Queensland Policeman. Every time I obediently comply, it makes Eberhard chuckle. Only one day a month will a train appear twice on this line. This is a steam train, the Downs Dasher, bringing tourists from Warwick to Wallangarra for the monthly market. It arrives at Wallangarra about mid-day and departs on the return trip at 2.00pm

The Downs Dasher

Pulling a couple of passenger carriages it chugs its way up from the city of Warwick at the south of the Darling Downs to the border highlands of the Granite Belt, which is the northernmost extension of the New England Tableland.  It’s destination is Wallangarra/Jennings the Queensland/New South Wales border town.  When I took these photos it was true to its name dashing down the slope and across the bridge to gather speed to pull up the far hill.

Off to Wallangarra

In Australia the railways were built and managed by State governments who foolishly could never agree to cooperate. Read the rest of this entry »