by Krista | Jan 10, 2016 | Summer
After Sue and I left the historic Woolshed at Jondaryan, we headed north on our adventure. We aimed for the Bunya Mountains, a place that promised forest, views, and cooler temperatures.
It did not disappoint.
As Sue’s trusty van inched higher and higher up into the mountains, we opened our windows to breathe in the fresh air and brrr! We could hardly believe the difference in temperatures between our farm and the Bunya Mountains as we switched from sweltering to shivering. We hastily pulled cozy flannel shirts over our sundresses and felt much better.
How I loved it. With overcast skies that foretold rain, dense forest, massive trees, and clean, cold air, it felt just like my old stomping grounds in Canada or Washington State.
As we moseyed our way through the trees, exclaiming at the massive Bunya pines and dramatically twisting vines, we emerged into a clearing that would serve as our home for the next two days and nights.
Much to our delight, we weren’t the only ones in residence. All over the grassy sward were wallabies happily noshing on green grass.
I know these beauties are normal sights to most Aussies, but to my Canadian self they are still a novelty.
Aren’t they gorgeous? The ones on our farm hightail it out of sight as soon as they catch wind of us, but these lovelies ignored us completely, utterly unfazed by our presence, letting us wander among them sighing happily at their adorableness.
They amazed me as they nuzzled each other, scratched an itchy elbow, and hopped from one verdant patch to the next.
The most wonderful moment was when a tiny joey hopped out of its mother’s pouch to have a bit of a graze with the grown-ups before crawling right back in again for a snuggle.
We finally tore ourselves away from wallaby-watching when the rumble of thunder reminded us we’d better get our camp set up before the storm arrived.
We found a spot with lovely views of the woods and hastily arranged table and chairs, organized food supplies and Sue’s van room, and put up my tent. I closed the last zipper a mere 40 seconds before the rain pelted down. I hid inside for the duration, listening to the rain pelt against my waterproof tarp as I cozied in and read my book, thinking that I couldn’t have asked for a better start to our trip.
The storm dissipated after a few chapters, and Sue and I emerged from our homes into the rain-washed air to make a hot dinner.
Sue poured wine and collected the fresh basil as I boiled up plump gnocchi and poured on a simple tomato sauce and generous sprinklings of Parmesan cheese.
Then we settled into our cushion-topped chairs to chat, eat, and watch our neighbors attempt to wrestle a too-big mattress into a too-small tent. It took seven of them huffing and puffing, pushing and shoving, but they managed it. We were duly impressed.
After welcoming us with a humdinger of a rainy storm, the Bunya Mountains made up for it with a spectacular sunset.
It was the end of a wonderful first day of adventuring in Southern Queensland. xo
by Krista | Jan 7, 2016 | Summer
One of the things I love about traveling is the opportunity to discover places that showcase distinct ways of life that are totally foreign yet uniquely inspiring or informative.
When Sue and I headed out on our Southern Queensland road trip, our first stop was at such a place: The Woolshed at Jondaryan.
Jondaryan Woolshed is a heritage-listed shearing shed built in 1859 that was once the largest freehold station in Queensland. It passed through several hands, each owner or manager adding their own stamp to the property through additions of land or buildings. Soon the station boasted its own church, St. Anne’s, shearer quarters, a station store, butcher shop, hide and tallow house, and a stable and coach house.
Property owners from miles around brought their sheep to Jondaryan to be shorn. During the 1873 season, 24,000 of the sheep shorn were from other properties. It is believed that over a million sheep have been shorn at Jondaryan over the years.
In January 1946, Jondaryan ceased being station, and in 1972, following the success of celebrations held at the Jondaryan woolshed to mark the centenary of the Jondaryan State School, the owner of the property offered the woolshed and 12 acres of land to the people of Jondaryan.
In 1976 it became an open air museum and tourist attraction. Numerous buildings from the surrounding district have been moved onto the site including an 1850s blacksmith’s shop, a shepherd’s hut from Mt Moriah, the 1880s Lagoon Creek homestead, and a shepherds hut. Visitors can also see the Woodleigh Cheese factory, the Jondaryan Railway Station, a shepherd’s hut from Cecil Plains, a police lockup from Peranga, the Evanslea bagged grain shed, the Oakey Bank of New South Wales, and a railway building from Bongeen, now used as a barber’s shop.
The day Sue and I arrived at Jondaryan, the skies were filled with thick black clouds. And before we’d made it halfway through the station, we found ourselves stranded in the Woodview State School as sheets of rain turned the paths to rivers and the grass to ponds.
It was an excellent building to get stranded in for there were plenty of things to read and the displays inside were interesting. I like how the school desks have slots for the slates to slide down into. No doubt this prevented many a student from losing their slate on the way to and from school and, in the case of students like Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, smashing their slates over each other’s heads.
My other favorite part was exploring the inside of one of the original homestead buildings. In writing the Freestone history book, I learned that early Australian settlers either built kitchens separate from their houses, or lined the cooking area with galvanized iron. Fires were lethal in this tinder dry country, just as they are now, and the early settlers learned to take precautions.
I talked about it with Bear this morning, discussing how sensible it is to build an outdoor or well-ventilated kitchen in this country that is hot so much of the year. It also makes me smile to look at the table, because we have those same tin plates with the blue rims. Excellent, non-breakable dishes for the eating and food prep we do outside.
This is just one end of the Jondaryan wool shed. It is massive!! I love the open plan and soft light, and the addition of chandeliers to fancy it up for various functions makes me happy.
It really is a unique place, full of beautifully restored buildings, informative displays, and fascinating tidbits of history.
Having grown up with my nose perpetually in one or more of the Little House on the Prairie books, it was interesting to compare the history of American pioneers with Australian settlers. Landscape and weather play such a huge role in how cultures develop, and are reflected in everything from attire and transportation to food and traditions.
And I couldn’t help but be charmed by this cheery red building bordered with flowers and greenery. It was once a police lock up in Peranga.
It was definitely worth the stop.
Next time I’ll take you to the Bunya Mountains, where the nights were cold and wallabies grazed next to my tent.
Do you have a favorite open air museum? xo
by Krista | Dec 26, 2015 | Summer
Christmas was simple, small, and quiet for us this year, and that’s just what we needed. We rested and napped, read books and watched way too many episodes of “Arrow”, ate good leftovers and favorite desserts, and enjoyed not having to go anywhere or do anything.
Bear surprised me with two swords of my very own, beautifully strong but light enough for my non-bloke-y self to wield. I’m excited to start practicing with him and our Blackwolf medieval friends in January.
The other pressie from Bear delighted me no end: an adventure.
As you know, travel is very important to me, one of the great delights of my life. But since moving to Australia it has moved to the back burner for a variety of reasons, among them, poor health, visa requirements, and responsibilities on our beloved but time-consuming farm.
But this weekend I get to go traveling again, on a Girls Only Aussie Road Trip with my dear friend Sue. Bear thought I might be disappointed that his gift wasn’t something I could hang onto, but I laughed and assured him that adventure was the very best thing he could give me.
I worked hard this week to get all my projects and writing assignments completed before I left, and the rest of my work I can do remotely on the road. I have stacks and lists everywhere and I’m getting so excited!!
This afternoon Sue and I are packing her van with camping gear, good food, and stacks of books, and tomorrow we drive north. We’re heading for the Bunya Mountains where we plan to relax our little hearts out, cook simply over a gas burner, hike in the bush, and sit around camp reading and chatting and snoozing. We will stop at other places along the way, ending in Biloela where we’ll spend New Year’s Eve with Sue’s good friends from England. Then we’ll mosey on back, stopping wherever takes our fancy. I cannot wait.
But this morning it’s all about getting ready to leave. There are gardens to be watered, newborn chicks to be checked on, house to tidy, food to organize, bags to pack, and a Bear to hug often to make up for a week apart.
My gardens are going beautifully and will supply Bear with tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, greens, and carrots while I’m away. On Christmas Eve my artichokes bloomed. Aren’t they stunning?!
They’re like something magical out of a fairytale or a Dr. Seuss book, and I love them.
Today we’re also finishing off the last of the plum pudding I made Bear for Christmas. Made with crumbed oats, sago pearls, and dried fruit soaked in spiced rum, it is moist and flavorful, delicious served with a generous drizzle of cold cream.
Wishing you all a relaxing holiday and beautiful New Year with people you love and who love you in return. xo
Sago Plum Pudding
4 Tbsp sago pearls
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups oats, blized in food processor until crumbs
1 1/2 cups dried fruit
1/2 cup spiced rum
2 eggs, whisked lightly
1/3 cup butter, melted
Directions:
- Combine sago pearls and milk and leave to soak for 1 hour.
- Combine dried fruit and spiced rum and leave to soak for 1 hour.
- Stir in baking soda until dissolved.
- Combine with remaining ingredients and stir until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour into greased pudding pot, cover with baking paper, and secure lid.
- Place in large pot, fill with boiling water to halfway up pudding pot, cover, place on medium-high heat and simmer for 3-4 hours. Make sure to check water level regularly so it doesn’t boil dry. Add more boiling water as needed.
- Carefully remove pudding from steam bath, remove lid and baking paper and loosen pudding from the pot with plastic spatula. Invert onto serving platter and decorate as you wish.
- Serve warm with cream.
by Krista | Jul 27, 2015 | Winter
Sometimes life goes a bit wobbly. The last couple of weeks have been difficult ones with my body reacting badly to a redback spider bite followed by a virus and then migraines. Good grief. I looked at Bear this morning as we relived the gong show that has been our life recently and laughed, saying, “You just can’t make this stuff up!”
Thankfully, all is not dreadful. We have twelve baby goats toddling about our farm, and it is not possible to stay discouraged with their cute little selves making us smile.
We had luscious rain this weekend and all my gardens are thriving. Even in the middle of winter we’re harvesting radishes and tomatoes, lilly pillies and blueberries, rocket and fresh herbs.
The last couple of days have been especially painful for me, but today I perked up a bit and decided to make the most of it by baking and cooking. I made a huge pot of chili, dark chocolate brownies, and two loaves of spelt bread. It smells marvelous in here, and it’s a relief to know that even if I get sick again, we’ll have good food to nourish us and keep us going.
This afternoon I was able to get out for a little walk with Luna. It was glorious. Such wondrous skies and rain-washed air and excited greetings from all the dogs as we strolled around the farm.
Even when life is hard, I feel so lucky to live in this beautiful place with my Bear and our menagerie.
What keeps you going through wobbly days? xo
by Krista | Apr 15, 2015 | Autumn
Autumn weather is here at last with stunning beauty. Chilly mornings where slippers and flannels are essential, followed by exquisite golden days of rich sunshine and cool breezes. I feel like I’ve come back to life and it is marvelous.
Bear and I have been working hard on the farm pruning trees, chopping wood, planting winter veggies, and using up the remains of last year’s bounty from the freezers so we can start filling them again with homemade sausages, frozen vegetables, and baking.
We’ve been bottle-feeding two orphaned baby goats and look forward to each feeding. They are the sweetest little girls and make us laugh every day.
Our geese, ducks, and chickens have slowed down their laying, ready to hunker down for the cold months. Each time we find a new egg is cause for celebration.
In my downtime I’ve been making wood-burned necklaces for my Etsy shoppe, building up my stock for the medieval markets we’ll be attending in just a couple of months. It’s such a lovely break from hard labor, turning pieces of wood, beads, and stone into little works of art.
Today we took a break from our labors to wander through one of our favorite thrift stores to see what we could find. My treasures are this darling little pottery mug and a bag full of nearly-new cookbooks and gardening books to inspire me.
Our dessert this week has been a fresh strawberry tart with vanilla cream in a whole grain crust sweetened with dark brown sugar. Simple, delicious, and just the edible cheer we need to keep us going through our chores.
What keeps you plugging along when you have lots of work to do? xo
Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, washed and trimmed
1 tub sour cream
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crust:
1 cup whole grain flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix all crust ingredients, add a little flour if too soft. Press evenly into 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
3. Gently blend sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Do not whip or it will get too runny. Chill until crust is cooled.
4. Let crust cool, remove from tart pan and set on serving tray. Spread sour cream mixture in the bottom of the tart shell, and top with strawberries.
5. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
