20260705 Qld Finch Hatton

20260706 After a fun filled few days we pack up and head to Sarina for supplies after that who the hell know’s where we will end up, we’re feeling a bit buggered so it won’t be far today. The rain’s heading our way so we camped at the Showgrounds, we both jumped into bed and slept the afternoon away, that festival has taken its toll on our poor old bodies. 

20260707 Waking all refreshed we headed inland to Finch Hatton to catch up with Jodies who’s recently brought another property that we are yet to see. Through Homebush where Pinger lives but unfortunately has plans, following the Mirani-Eton Rd we continued through the cane fields until we reached the Pinnacle Pub where I got a text from Jodie, ha just pulled into the Pinnacle as you drove past, WTF, there’s no turning around so she followed us to Finch Hatton. We park the van and pile into her 4WD to check out the road into her block but as soon as Des saw the mud all over her truck, there was no way he was taking his van on that road. Stopping at her neighbours for a quick chat only it’s never a quick chat with this girl, she can talk under water. The driveway up the hill was a mission, man I wouldn’t even take my van up there let alone a motorhome, see ya after it’s fixed Jod.

We had the funnest afternoon after a cookie monster episode and trying to eat our Pizza in between our giggles, we were like three teenagers.

We were in the beer garden when Des started complaining about getting cold, well look at you with hardly any cloths on I said, I have something underneath as he show’s us his singlet, then he said to Jodie, what have you got underneath, give me a look and she quickly reply’s, Mind your own fucking business, well off we go again giggling our heads off. We were getting a few stairs so we returned to the van camped just up the road on bitumen for a few final drinks under the stars, check out the results, I couldn’t ever get a decent photo.

OMG! the drinks kept flowing along with many giggles and bad photos.

Originally called Hatton, but was renamed Finch Hatton in 1906 to avoid postal mix-ups, it was named after English brothers Harold and Henry Finch-Hatton. The town flourished with the arrival of the railway in 1904 and the opening of the Cattle Creek Sugar Mill in 1906, then closing in 1990 so with no mill the town reinvented itself as a thriving rainforest tourist destination. Well I don’t know about a thriving town, but it does have a café, convenience, second-hand stores and most important of all, a Hotel.

Jodies life style house on the hill, another big project this girl has taken on, already she’s started clearing the land around her home, you wait she will have this place spick and span in no time, can ya start with the road first.😉

Looking down from her house on the hill to another little house that definitely needs some work.

I love the open plan of the house and the solid timber framing.

I spotted this moth lurking around the house, as pretty as they are, it would be wise not to touch as they can cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.

Another unusual moth, known as the Creatonotos gangis moth, often referred to as the Baphomet moth, characterized by its pale orange or whitish forewings marked with distinct black stripes. These little buggers are what feed on crops like soybeans, rice, and maize. Males possess four large, inflatable scent glands called coremata used to attract females.

Aww! look at those sweet curious faces, lamb chops for dinner anyone?😄

The town of Finch Hatton, originally called Hatton, was renamed Finch Hatton in 1906 to avoid postal mix-ups, named after English brothers Harold and Henry Finch-Hatton. The town flourished with the arrival of the railway in 1904 and the opening of the Cattle Creek Sugar Mill in 1906, then closing in 1990, with no mill the town reinvented itself as a thriving rainforest tourist destination. Well I don’t know about a  thriving town, but it does have a café, convenience, second-hand stores and most important of all, a Hotel.

The 1908 pub has served as a central community hub since the town’s early sugar-farming days and it even survived a massive 1958 flood.

20260708 Well that was one hell of a funny night, but did Jodie make it home in one piece, the girl left her phone in our van so we couldn’t even phone her until she knocked on our door at 6am waking us up, does this girl ever sleep in and the only morning Des has ever slept in and I didn’t have to listen to him tinkering around in the kitchen at sparrow’s fart. We left Finch Hatton sprinkling with rain heading to Nebo to watch the state of origin tonight.

The Pinnacle Hotel, was built around 1903 as the Railway Terminus Hotel, relocated to the main road and became the Pinnacle Hotel in 1910, today its famous for its world-class pies as it is for its cold beer.

There’s not much to explore in Gargett these days but a General Store, like all the others small towns in this area that came to life as a sugar-farming town also in the Pioneer Valley.

We turned inland at Marian along Marian Eaton Road, Passing Eaton, Hazledan, Epsom along Peak Downs Hwy and onto Nebo where we were told they have great meals. We parked across the road from the pub, so we had an easy walk to watch the State of Origin.

The current structure replaced the original slab hut hotel that was established on the site overlooking Nebo Creek in 1862. It was officially renamed the Nebo Hotel in 1948.

Well! that was disappointing, Queensland played terrible, Not Happy Jan😠😠

We were told about a bush camp down the road so we checked it out, let’s have a fire I said, there’s no wood, we’re in a bloody bush there’s always wood so I started cleaning the area picking up rubbish and bits of wood and within no time I had my fire, I’m not bringing diesel anymore said Des, because you can start a fire with nothing, it kept us warm for a bit and the area looks much cleaner.

The Historic Nebo Museum, located in the Main Street celebrates the pioneering and gold-rush history, featuring historical buildings like a slab hut, a courthouse, a jail, and vintage machinery.

Look! I found a cowboy Desie😅

Allen Edward “Snow” Burgess (1931–2016) the youngest of nine kids was raised in Nebo, leaving school at 14 he began droving stock from surrounding properties to Sarina on 11-day journeys. Droving declined in the 1960s so Snow worked as a stockman and farm labourer before retiring to care for his mother for seven years. He later returned to station work until a heart attack forced his retirement. Snow owned, trained and rode racehorses at the Nebo races, with Mighty Ringo winning 11 races being custodian of Jack Arnold’s historic wagon, once used by teamsters transporting supplies in the early 1900s. In 2008, Snow was honoured by the community with a life-sized bronze statue as part of the Q150 celebrations. He passed in 2016, donating his wagon to the Museum.

Burrenbring Station Slab Huts, was reconstructed using materials from the original buildings, with some modern materials. Built between 1870 and 1880, they were used as living quarters with a kitchen for the homestead, today’s open plan housing.

Numismatic Trench Art Bracelets Made during WWIl from coins that were Struck in America. The silver was so pure and soft that it could be cut and hammered easily. Coins of various denominations were cut into strips and hammered into tiny links for coin bracelets often made by the Soldier and given to a loved one at home.

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