Kingaroy

Am now in Kingaroy. The drive from Brisbane was beautiful with the countryside quite different from that I have traversed of late. Very green and much softer. Not sure that "soft" is a word used too often to describe landscape, but it suits, so for the moment will suffice. Not as much wildlife or livestock, but a couple of quaint little townships passed through. It is easy to see how when a by pass road is put in place some of the little rural villages are impacted. The other point of interest was that although Tarong Power Station and a mine were signposted, they must be located far enough off the road to be out of view. As for the fame of Bethany - the landholding of the Bjelke Petersen family, there is Bethany Rd, "to" Bethany and Bethany Bed and Breakfast signs. That said, while peanuts are well in evidence I have not yet been offered a pumpkin scone. Not a bad thing in my book.

I am beginning to get a feel for life in regional Queensland and would like to think that if the need ever arose I would not only fit in, but would thrive as a countrygirl. That said, it is easy to develop a fondness for some regional communities versus others. Goondiwindi rates as the most picturesque community I have visited so far, but Winton, Hughenden and Charleville all had elements I could relate to. My benchmark for being able to live somewhere remote seems to have developed into the basic requirement of having a bakery and a library. When you consider that I can cook quite well and that I always have a mountain of books on hand this is interesting. It must be more about the sense of place and heart within the community and perhaps this is why the library being the hub of the town and the smell of fresh baked bread appeals.