Unlike at the theme park we were trying to stay as dry as we could as we packed up the car.
We were sad to leave the very hospitable home base of Murray and Ann Diment and start the drive home.
It had been our intention to head inland ( possibly to Charleville and down the Strezlecki track) but many of the inland roads are closed, so we decided to stick to open roads and slightly more settled areas.
The constant rain continued as we headed out via Woodford. We started deviating from the high road and followed the edge of Lake Somerset to Kilcoy, turning south to take the more scenic route along the edge of the lake on a winding road. Today the scenic view was limited.
The spit on Somerset dam was a great spot for a cup of tea. From here we could see the dam wall on the southern end of the lake. ( Built 1935-1958) which gave work for 1000 during the depression. This supplies water to Ipswich and Brisbane and mitigated floods from the Brisbane River. Hydro power here was commissioned in 1953. Average rainfall is 896mm per year!!
We continued along the small road through the Lockyer Valley and the town of Grantham, where there was so much destruction from floods in 2011 as we listened to a podcast featuring the story of the rebuilding of that town. ( Conversations with Richard Fidler Jan 30). We drove up on to the hill above the old town where the residents who chose to stay were rehoused as they rebuilt their lives.
Then on in to Toowoomba where we refueled at $133.9/litre for diesel and decided that this was far enough for one day.
The rain was been constant all day, tugging on the car as we drive. Trevor has been doing a great job but is now tired out. A motel bed was always strongly on the cards and it will be a good sheltered sleep for us here in our double glazed motel room before we move onwards tomorrow.
Our current rough plan is that we will stay close to the shortest route home (maybe Coonabarabran) tomorrow night?)
Luvapuzzle 