Australia, Queensland, Gympie: Visiting Cooloola Berries is a Great Way to Enjoy a Day with the Family and Friends

It has been a while since I have written a posting to the Compassionate World Traveler Site. I do apologise for that. It is not that I have not traveled, or even had some compassionate visiting experiences in the world since my last posting in 2014. On the contrary, I have had many.

Since then I have started volunteering at the local Tourist Information Office. I have also completed a Certificate III in Tourism and every month for the last 18 months, I have visited places around my new adopted community with my fellow volunteers. Maybe it is this transformation of the personal travel experience from being the visiting traveler myself to at the same time being an advisor to the tourists visiting the local area that has been the changing factor for me expecting more of my own personal travel experiences than before. For me, even the whole concept of travel has had a profound transformation. It turns out that what I now want is to feel that the places I visit and the people I meet there truly connect with me and my compassionate nature. That helps to heighten the personal experience and I as a traveler am bound to leave with some new knowledge, a refreshed mind and a renewed conviction that the world we live in is indeed, a great place to be. So, the new attitude has taken its time to reform but now that I have found my way, it feels as a right time to blog once more.

I cannot praise highly enough of our recent experience at the Cooloola Berries Family Farm in Gympie, Queensland in Australia. What a way to spend a day with grandkids and enjoy the fresh produce of the local area and the compassionate nature of the owners Kim and Jason.

They run this farm with their whole family with the warmth and care that really makes the visitor feel at home. I felt like I was in Finland as a child, picking strawberries and running around the field like a free spirit. Even my daughter commented very similarly, saying that it really felt like it because the children were able to have such an unrestricted wide space where they were allowed to just play and pick and eat as many berries as they felt like. The adults could sit at the café tasting food and observe it all in relaxation. No need to run around herding the kids and shouting 'no, nos'. The little cabby house, the tractor and the berries were entertaining enough for a long while for our children.

Not only the simplicity of the play but at this place they make their own #tastesunshine ice-cream in the house. We went on a Saturday, which is of course a Cooloola Berries Pancake Day, ice-cream included. Of course there is lots of other food possibilities as well but we wanted to feel the freshness and experience the delight of being alive on that day. So pancakes it was:

Kim told me that the café buyes the basic ice-cream from Bulla and then they have a machine that blends the berries and other ingredients to the mix and ola, a new special natural in-house flavor is created. Of course, I and my grandson chose strawberries. My daughter chose to have chocolate and my granddaughter ate the mango and ginger ice-cream. What can be better than that? And there we were, enjoying a very memorable day, siting on some strawberry material covered chairs in the shed area while looking over the strawberry fields. It nearly made me poetic and wanting to sing some old Beatles songs about 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. The comments I heard around me were: 'Next time when we come, we will try this, instead'. It feels like we now have found that special place to come and celebrate anything and everything we used to have in our former place of residence.

Getting there was a bit tricky, though, because of the distance from the Gympie town past the adorable rural landscape. The distance turned out to be 25kms through the Tin Can Bay Road and then taking the Wolvi turn and following the little strawberry signs that guided our way to the farm. Driving there proved to be an experience itself. I found it very enjoyable and invigorating.

So, there you have it. Check it out though their WEBSITE. The strawberry season is through June to December and the blueberries are ripe in December. Enjoy and share.

Australia, Victoria, Macedon Range: Climbing The Hanging Rock

The Macedon Range in Victoria, Australia is just a place for a compassionate traveler to visit. The possibilities are great for a day in leisure combined with adventure for the whole family. The Hanging Rock (Formerly Mount Diogenes) with the hint of mystery should be at the top of the list for anyone wanting an outing spent with a friends and acquaintances.

The Hanging Rock is a former volcano, left from a few million (6.25) years as a monument on how a special kind of stiff lava can form peculiar sites. The formation is geologically called a 'mamelon' because it is formed from dense lava that does not flow away after eruption but instead forms a hill in the place.

In 1967, a novel 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', written by Joan Lindsay was published. It is a story of a party of schoolgirls and their teacher who went to a picnic at Hanging Rock in 1900. Some of the girls and later the teacher disappeared mysteriously while there. The case was never solved in anyone's satisfaction.

This story inspired a film:


'Picnic at Hanging Rock', in 1995, directed by Peter Weir. It was one of the first Australian films that truly created an international following.

The Hanging Rock has also inspired plenty of artists:


'At The Hanging Rock' by William Ford, 1885. (Picture from Wikipedia) is one of the earliest ones on display at the Victorian National Gallery.

I went looking for that particular place it was painted at and may just have found it here:


The Hanging Rock is quite a challenge to climb. I recommend sturdy shoes and great spirits.

There is a large picnic ground at the bottom, including a restaurant and a discovery centre. We found it really inspirational.

There are two ways up the rock, the stairs and the well made path. It should be easy to climb, being only 105m above the plain, even for the faint hearted, providing some rests can be had. Though, caution is recommended as always.


We found the rock really majestical and fun. The climb was vigorous activity and the discovery centre and the shop a real treat.


We inspected several cracks just to make sure that all has been done to solve the mystery of the Hanging Rock by now. Nothing suspicious was found.

At the end of the day, we had some ice-cream, the really fabulous kind, paid our $10 fee for the car to get out of the gate and left with great satisfaction.

A well recommended and enjoyable day for everyone.
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Australia, Victoria: Visiting the Historical Beechworth.

This is the second time I am visiting a dear friend at Wodonga, Victoria. Last year we started our tour of the surrounding historical Gold Rush towns by visiting Yackandandah. This year it was time to investigate the town of Beechworth made famous as the birthplace of the Australian bush-wrangler Ned Kelly and by all the stories surrounding him and his gang.

As it was my second time around, I was already prepared for the idyllic atmosphere of the town. The trees were just getting their autumn colours and the streets were full of happy and curious people. I was told that the town lives for the weekends when the tourists flood the streets and the shops in order to unwind from their worldly troubles.


By dropping into the town visitor information centre the curious traveler is able to get all the needed help about accommodations, tickets to venues, souvenirs and the latest books on the Kelly family.

In fact, I was really impressed by the compassionate attitude of the information shop attendant. She was tackling the wealth of enquires showing such knowledge and problem solving skill, well worthy of high recommendation. I am sure that the inviting manner she displayed will play a crucial part on the impression the visitor gets of the town.


Our first goal was to experience the Beechworth Bakery and taste its famous pies. I had a vegetarian Coulicolli Pie and my friend ate a Curry Pie. For the dessert, we had an apple pie, all with a nice cup of tea while watching an endless flow of people. There was a huge cycling event going on in town and everyone was milling around getting drinks and snacks.


And of course, we bought some home with us as well. Especially as it will be the Anzac Day soon and this particular bakery is so very famous for baking the Anzac Biscuits just right. I just had to have some.


Our second stop was the charming and old fashioned Burke Museum where we were able to get a warmhearted insight to the 19th Century town life through walking through the displays of shops and streets representing the history of the town.


The very famous Ned Kelly was introduced through his original death mask and the amour.

The building was originally built for the Beechworth Men's Association, later to become the Athenaeum for educating the young men of the area.

I spent some time reading a few articles on Ned Kelly's final funeral that was conducted 132 years after his death, only in January, this year (2013). I had missed that. Also I longed to buy the new book on Ellen, Ned Kelly's mother that I found in the shop. It promised to be a great read giving lots of new insights to the life and times of the historical town life and its women's blights. Unfortunately, it weighted a lot and I am flying home soon.


The rest of the day was spent wandering the historic and cultural precinct of Beechworth on the 'Echoes of History' walking tour, taking pictures and inhaling the idyllic atmosphere.

According to the Official Visitor Guide book, there is lots to do in Beechworth for curious families, including nature and ghost tours. And did you know that the famous'General' Tom Thumb who was 77 cm tall and the celebrity in his own time around the world and who was presented to Queen Victoria and the Char of Russia, was also from Beechworth?

I am quite certain that a few days holiday at any of these historical towns but especially at Beechworth will be able to help to relax anybody wanting some relief from the hurries of the big city or otherwise stressful life.

Spending some time there will be able to educate the compassionate traveler on how to preserve the historical heritage of a town in a loving, heartwarming and respectful way.
A recommended choice for great time.
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Australia, Victoria; Be Inspired by the Changing Seasons in Melbourne

Recently, I went to Melbourne for a long weekend for work. Usually, up north in Queensland, we do not get to experience the seasonal change as those who live down there do. I was really inspired by the possibility of a walk along the streets, where I could spot the falling leaves of the front gardens and experience the coming winter in Australia.

Sometimes that is the only touristy thing a person who is travelling for work can expect to experience. There might not be time for going to museums or visiting the cultural monuments or events or anything else that might be recommended. While enjoying the services of a good hotel or a wonderful restaurant, it still could feel like there might be very little time to getting to know the place.

Taking an inspired stroll from the place of your conference, hotel or work could well be the only option available to you. So, instead of taking a taxi, why not walk. It cannot really be put down as exercise if it is leisurely but it could be said to be a touristy thing to do. Besides you get to know the location for when you go there again.

If you are from the northern hemisphere where you are used to Birch, Oak and Mable trees, walking the streets of Melbourne is a treat. They are everywhere. It is even possible to spot trees like in the Lapland tundra as some are grown in a very peculiar way. The other things to watch for are the roses in bloom. The whole walk will remind you of Europe, UK in particular with the small fenced off front gardens and flowerbeds.

While walking you can marvel of how much effort, compassion and dedication the ardent gardeners put into their small front gardens. It is a pleasure to find gardens are so dear to us and that often we try to replicate of what we have liked or know even tough living on the other side of the word to our original country of birth.

In Australia, it is a real effort to grow a tree that drinks so much from the ground where there is not so much water around. So, it is a pleasure to travel to Melbourne to see that clearly the trees we wouldn’t be able to grow up north thrive and the leaves fall just like on the other side of the world. Maybe just when it is spring in my birth country, but who cares anyway. This is the seasonal change in Australia we are talking about.

So, do it. It will be jolly good fun and healthy, besides. It is highly recommended!

Australia, Victoria: Visiting the Historical Town of Yackandandah

Australia is a huge place to tackle to visit on one go.

I have heard a few stories about how people who are not so familiar with the distances have asked their friends to give messages to other friends thinking that it is only a short way to travel from one capital city to another on the Australian continent. This kind of stories are a great amusement to the Australians who of course know that it takes days by a car or the train to travel between the largest cities and that it is not possible to know everybody from your ethnic background across the nation, not even if you live in the same city.

So, when my friend said to me that she had moved to Melbourne, I believed her to mean the CBD, or there abouts and said that of course, I'll come to visit. And true to my word, I hired a car, and started driving along the Hume Highway towards Sydney. It took me three hours to reach my destination. By that time, after seeing all the beautiful countryside along the way, I was quite intrigued by what I would find.



What a person will find is a very interesting scenic drive through a few of the most adorable little historical country towns that have become a very popular destination for tourists.

On a fine sunny day, we visited Yackandandah (forgot to ask the meaning of the name), a little historical town along a route of several other similar town. We found a lovely street full of shops, including a large Buddha shop, nice cafeteria and a very interesting Art Gallery. And I should not forget to mention the the organic store and bakery, which by the way bakes rye bread in the style I am familiar with from my Scandinavian heritage. Yum!




It will be worth your while driving around the place, absorbing some Australian autumn weather by walking up and down the main streets of the little towns, visiting interesting stores, parks and art galleries. At the same time it will give you an opportunity to remember the history of the Australian Gold Rush of the 19th Century that led to the building of these towns.

It will also be a compassionate act to help the local economy by finding some cool things to buy, like for example this nice leather case from b.sirius® for an iPad to keep it safe while writing the blogs about where you have been.




I most warmly recommend to anyone a few days holiday along the Victorian Historic Towns of Indigo Shire.
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Australia, Queensland, Sunshine Coast at Bli Bli; The Finnish Memorial Park

On the Finland Rd at Bli Bli, at the Sunshine Coast, there is a park that would interest the Finnish immigrant population to Australia, if not all the immigrants to Australia. It is the Finnish Memorial Park, created by the Finnish cane cutter families that lived there during the times when cane was still cut at the Sunshine Coast.

It was about 17-years ago that I had last visited this place. Then it was just cane fields, but the place for the park had been selected and the organisers of the planned park were just getting to ordering the memorial sculpture. After much discussion they settled in inviting Martti Väänänen, a sculpturer from Kiiminki in Finland to create the memorial. The park itself was opened in 1997. At the same time it was also donated to the Council for upkeep.

The Finland Rd as such is a long and lumpy ride amongst the last cane fields at Sunshine Coast. Not much of them is left as the new suburbs are born across the coastline. However, it is a delight to suddenly end up in a small, well tendered park that makes one remember those people who came to Australia on ships, after spending weeks on the oceans, and months on the migration centers in the south and ending up in Queensland on the cane fields.

The Migration Museum at Peräseinäjoki in Finland, previously presented on this blog, carries matching information about the emigration of the Finnish people to around the world. I am hearing that more than million Finnish people live permanently abroad.

One of the highlights of the Finnish Migration Museum is the cane cutters cottage that was actually dissembled in Ingham, Queensland and sent to the Museum at Peräseinäjoki, where it was reassembled in a totally new surroundings to the delight of many people interested in the migration history of the people of the area.

The Finnish Memorial Park at Bli Bli carries on the delightful tradition of people building spaces for themselves where they can comfortably meet and have a picnic in memory of the times gone by. I, for one, can very well see this park as a functional meeting place for a family gathering, even a wedding as there is a kind of Finnish style pavilion included in the park just inviting dancing.

When choosing a place where people could meet at Sunshine Coast for a celebration, the Finnish Memorial Park is a good pick. It is well kept, secluded and spacious. See you there sometime on your travels.

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Australia, Queensland, Sunshine Coast; Bellingham Maze

If you are looking for a very cool, wonderful and compassionate day with your family, friends or business partners at Sunshine Coast, Queensland and unsure of what to do, I would recommend choosing to 'get lost' at the Bellingham Maze. A day of fun and games there will make your visit a memorable addition and give your brains some extra exercise. The main attraction of the site, a large star shaped hedge maze was designed and planted in 1991.

According to maze masters website 'a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route.

Mazes have a long history, the famous Cretan Labyrinth being the oldest and the most famous one. It was where the king kept a minotaur. Hedge mazes have been planted since the 16th Century in Britain. This is when gardens became places for games and fun for the noble families.

The original hedges at the Bellingham Maze are of Cypress Tree, but they are now being replaced with the native Australian plants for better sustainability.

I can just imagine the start of it. About 20 years ago, somebody at Sunshine Coast, who was fond of British mazes and puzzles had a bright idea of starting a tourism business. You can clearly see that the place has been developed with love and compassion for the environment. It is a nice Australian adaptation of the European mazes.

There is a very curious water fall to walk through at the entrance, a tropical garden, plenty of purposefully designed puzzles to solve, a friendly cafe to rest you feet at, have a 'cuppa' and discuss some serious or frivolous problem solving issues. The large aviary is a nice addition, displaying local birds.


The maze itself is good fun. It will take a while to solve. At the same time, the visitor can look for how many gnomes are hiding in the maze. Your reward is finding the secret fountain in the middle. And then you have to find your way out, or, you could find the 'give up gate' like my friend did.


It is possible for a family or a group to spend a whole day at the
Bellingham Maze solving puzzles, playing around, drinking tea, walking in the forest, looking for birds and visiting the Snow White House. Apparently, she even shows up at the house herself. The place calls for a peaceful and friendly day amongst the busy time during holiday or weekend fun. There is a natural feel to it! That is it's charm. I would definitely classify this attraction as a compassionate place to visit.

We dragged a wheelchair along the corridors of the maze with some effort, but it worked and provided lots of fun and entertainment to try to get through the openings. Finding our way back was a 'piece of cake' as our 'tracker' just followed the previous wheel tracks in the gravel. Very clever of her, I thought. I am certainly looking forward to taking my family there another time and seeing how the new Australian type of maze will look like.
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Australia, Queensland, Logan; Local Library as Art

If you are truly interested in books, a library near your home would be the easiest, cheapest and the most accessible place to find them. Sometimes the library experience can also be inspirational to your senses. It can be true art.





Sharing of knowledge through the free libraries of the world can be looked on as an expression of compassion and kindness. It is wonderful how reading books, magazines and other materials that can be found there can help to make the world a better place by providing an outlet for easing everyday worries. Enjoying a moment of peace and quiet reading, listening or browsing amongst the treasures that can be found in any library can contribute to the general wellbeing of any community.





Many libraries also contain art or house various exhibitions that highlight the importance of knowledge. Some libraries are built on a theme. This is a case of the main library at Logan in Queensland, Australia. Curiously, the theme it shares with the clients is 'books'.





Being a great admire of books, I found that visiting this particular library inspired me to find thing about using books as art in other places, too. Throwing away old books is often a hard thing to do. Many find it difficult purely on the basis that it does contain information that can be useful. In this high technological age, where eBooks and eBook readers rule the world, finding additional use for old books is a kind thing to do. For people fond of libraries, visiting your nearest one with friends and children can open up a new world to you and the people around you.

Let's enjoy the libraries of the world and promote their usage as an compassionate act to everybody!

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Australia, Sunshine Coast, Bli Bli; The Sunshine Castle

For a compassionate world traveler interested in the historical sights of the world visiting the Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli in the Sunshine Coast of Australia is a curiosity without question.

History

The Bli Bli castle is a modern replica of a Norman medieval castle. The building of it started in the early 1970's by an enthusiast who thought to build a castle in Australia.

The first time my family visited the castle was in 1996. We were told by friends that this is a curiosity that we just must see. And truly, even then while we were swept beyond belief by the idea that someone would build a castle in such a place, we were also charmed by it, especially by the then new doll displays.

Visiting the castle today when it has grown and flourished into a real awarded tourist attraction is greatly inspiring.

The castle is a compelling experience of mixed and matched kind

The compassionate visitor is introduced to the medieval life through the objects and signs around the castle, including a considerable display of swords.

Visitors can dress the part, walk around the battlements hunting clues to the questions about the life in the medieval times and at the same time get the more frivolous fairytale feel of childhood memories through marveling the expanded doll exhibition and the fairytale panoramas scattered around the place. There is also a nice miniature train display to see.

Our only disappointment was that there is no access for the higher parts of the castle to people with wheelchairs. Some creative thinking would be greatly appreciated in getting the young disabled persons to see the dolls and experience the spectacular battlement views over the coastal area.

One of the highlights of the exhibitions is the room displaying different castles around the world. It is on the ground floor and would be accessible even to the people in wheelchairs. It truly shows the owner's love of castles, especially the German ones.

The other curiosity that greatly interested our younger mediaevalist minded friends is the original chair that was used in the production of the Hercules and Xena TV series.

The second highlight of our visit was the castle shop. It is filled with quality toys and figurines of knights, fairies and castles.

Our experience

All in all our visit was highly enjoyable. Our friend, who has lived near the castle for a long time, but never visited it before commented that it will be a great place to bring her grand children over the summer holidays. "It is just a place to wake their curiosity", she said. Be prepared to spend a much longer time there than originally planned.

If a visitor were to spend a longer time in the costal area there are scheduled events, such as opera and other theater events throughout the year, including a Medieval Fair.

The Sunshine Castle is a place that a traveler can visit again and again as it keeps growing and developing just like the old castles did. It's presence has been printed in my mind for the last 15 years and I look forward to taking my friends and family for renewed visits there in the future.

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Australia, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Chenrezig Institute a Centre of Buddhist Study

Chenrezig Institute at Eudlo, Sunshine Coast hinterland is a centre for Buddhist study, retreat, meditation and practice. It is one of the oldest established Buddhist centers in the Western World, being founded in the early 1970's.

It is a delightful experience for the compassionate traveler to spend a few hours there, having lunch and partaking in a discussion on the meaning of the Buddhist tradition. You can also spend longer time there in a retreat enjoying Buddhist teachings. Currently the Centre is a home of two Tibetan Lamas and a community of ordained nuns and monks, students, residents, volunteers and guests.


To get there requires a drive up the hill and an effort to walk lots of steps or drag a wheelchair up a steep hill but it is really worth it. The lunch at the cafe is excellent. The scenery and the atmosphere is breathtaking. Even the insects like it as they are not harmed or killed for sticking to your fingers.

What you need to do though, when planning your visit, is to get on Internet, check the current program and either send them an email or phone to book your lunch and other planned activities.

If you require wheelchair access or otherwise need help, you need to let them know. The centre is not well prepared for this as it is very high on the hills with gravel roads and steps everywhere. There is lots of goodwill and kindness available and thus all the hardship will be overcome.


A visit to the Garden of Enlightenment at the retreat is also a treat. It has a large Stupa that is surrounded with a lovely garden hosting smaller Stupas.





Our time was well spent there. We also took some time visiting the gift shop listening to music, browsing books and other information about the centre, it's activities and the general Buddhist way of life.

If a compassionate traveler would like to know more about the Buddhist tradition. The Chenrezig Institute is a member of the Foundation of Preserving the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Lots of worthwhile information about this can be found by googling the Internet.

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Australia, Brisbane, Visiting Brisbane in October During the Jacaranda Festival Time

If anybody asked me to pick a fine time to visit Brisbane, the capital of Queensland in the down-under land of Australia then without hesitation, I would recommend the month of October. This will give the compassionate traveler a chance to see Brisbane when the Jacarandas are in bloom.




Driving around Brisbane in October

Once a year, in October, the city of Brisbane and the surrounding areas turn purple because of the Jacarandas. It is a sight to be appreciated for it's splendor. Drive anywhere in Brisbane and you will find them. Suddenly, where there used to be green trees, the scenery has changed colour. This time of the year a traveler can appreciate the long term planning of the city gardeners.

About 20-30 years ago, someone chose to plant Jacarandas along the Main Rd (Ipswich Rd) at South Brisbane just off the Story Bridge by envisioning what the street would look like to the people who were driving by in the future. Now the future is here and every time we drive by and witness the bloom, it really is spectacular.


One of the good things about touring Brisbane in October is that there is no extra money needed for this, unless you count the fuel cost, of course. For free the traveler can choose a cafeteria next to a Jacaranda tree and enjoy the scenery while having a meal or drinking tea.

 

Choosing Jacaranda Festivals and favorite picnic spots at weekends

There are several famous spots in Brisbane for the compassionate traveler to have a picnic or a possible festival. The New Farm Park with it's ring road is the most favorite choice for the local people in the city area to spend some time during the weekends or the afternoons. There is also a beautiful rose garden there to be enjoyed at this time of the year. In other areas, for example in Ipswich, you could choose the Goodna Jacaranda Festival as a destination.


And it is not only purple you would see. It would be all the other spring colours that celebrate the time of the year as well. A highly enjoyable experience for a traveler with no extra cost involved.

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