Folk Village at Suwon
http://animoto.com/play/JBY1mvfjkqLMw0m180p2wQ
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Childers Queensland Australia
Well preserved historic town on the main road between Brisbane and Bundaberg.
Located 325 km north of Brisbane, 60 km north of Maryborough, 52 km south of Bundaberg
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Queensland/Childers/2005/02/17/1108500202242.html
The area grew slowly as teamsters stopped in the town and the land around was taken up by pastoralists eager to raise cattle on the fertile soil. In 1902 the town was virtually wiped out by a fire which demolished nearly all the buildings on one side of the main street. Those that survived are now the interesting and important buildings in the town.
Childers Pharmaceutical Museum
The centrepieces of Childers charm are the Childers Pharmaceutical Museum and the Olde Butcher Shoppe, both of which are specialist museums where the history of particular trades can be explored.
The Pharmaceutical Museum in the main street (it is also the Tourist Information Office) was originally built in 1894 and retains much of the charm of the late nineteenth century. The shop fittings are made from cedar, there are old leather bound prescription books, mortars and pestles that are works of art and a very early cash register dating back to 1906. The shop is now owned by the local council and it is the centrepiece of the town's regeneration as a tourist destination. There are brochures available which list all the interesting historic buildings in town and for those who really want to know the history of the area there is an excellent book available titled Taming the Isis by B. W. O'Neill.
Olde Butcher Shoppe
Just around the corner from the Federal Hotel (1907) is the Olde Butcher Shoppe which, it is claimed, was the first tiled butcher's shop outside Brisbane when it set up in 1896. The owner is a true enthusiast who happily takes visitors through explaining early butchering techniques and the history of the building which, by luck, managed to escape the disastrous fire of 1902.
Over the road is the Childers Court House (1897) which is a fine and well preserved example of the kind of country Court Houses built throughout Queensland at the turn of the century.
Just up the road is the famous Palace Hotel, the most ornate and ostentatious building in town. It was recently converted into a backpacker destination but in late June, 2000 it was severely damaged by fire. Tragically 15 backpackers were killed in the fire.
Today it is the home of the Childers Information Centre and the Childers Regional Art Gallery upstairs, which is also a memorial to the Backpackers who lost their lives in the fire.
Soldiers Room Memorial
At the Maryborough end of the main street there is the Soldiers Room Memorial a touching memorial to the soldiers from the local area who were killed in all the wars this century. Each soldier is honoured with a bronze plaque and, where possible, a photograph. The images of young men who were killed is tragic and powerful. The building itself was built in 1926 and is designed in the shape of a Maltese Cross.
Historical Complex
Over the road in Taylor Street is the newly established Historical Complex with an impressive sugar cane locomotive imported from England in 1916, a cottage from Isis Central Mill which was once rented out to mill workers for the modest sum of 2 shillings a week, and the old Isis Central Mill School. Both buildings contain interesting collections of local artefacts and memorabilia.
Isis Central Mill
It is possible to visit the Isis Central Mill between July and November at 2.00 pm Mondays-Fridays. Contact the Tourist Information Office or ring the mill on (07) 4126 6166 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (07) 4126 6166 end_of_the_skype_highlighting for more details.
The Barrel...Bundaberg Gingerbeer
Yes, I did return after the tour, and finish the tasting.
My favorites were the lemon Ale, peach, apple, lemon and bitters, usual, and the sarsaparilla.
The Barrel is a small display area with a shop of many products, including sweets, jams and beauty products.
The tour costs $9.50 and there is no sign saying it is only a virtual tour, and one does not reach the production place. I went back to ask where that was, after listening to slow taped sessions that droned on immeasurably in front of displays that we could photograph. The idea of the display talk was fantastic, but it was far too slow and repetitive, and difficult to speed up, so I just left it alone after the first few displays and read the notices.
http://www.bundaberg.com/info/home/
Milaquin Sugar Mill and Rum Factory Bundaberg
The Millaquin Sugar Mill is situated about four kilometres from the center of Bundaberg and was established in the early 1880's on the banks of the Burnett River.
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/exhibit/online/timewalks/other/bundy/mill
In 1927 it was destroyed by a fire, rebuilt and is now the home of the Bundaberg Rum Factory.
Icons of the sugar industry are getting a facelift as Bundaberg Sugar spends millions upgrading their Millaquin sugar mill.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/04/08/2866985.htmIt will cost the miller $40 million over four years to upgrade the Bundaberg mill. Eight million has already been spent and another $14 million will this year go towards replacing things like the mill's historic steam engines.Further down the track the very visible 62 metre high chimney stack will also be swapped for a smaller one.
Millaquin Mill is located at its original site on the bank of the Burnett River in Bundaberg. This is an integrated
site at which cane is crushed, raw and refined sugar is produced. Nearby, alcohol is distilled and rum is bottled. Millaquin Mill provides the Molasses needed to make Rum. The other products are yeast and water.
The PDF will tell you more about Bundaberg Sugar.
http://www.bundysugar.com.au/files/Bundaberg%20Sugar_corp%20brochure_June%2008.pdf
Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".
The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.
Bundaberg Rum originated because the local sugar mills had a problem with what to do with the waste molasses after the sugar was extracted (it was heavy, difficult to transport and the costs of converting it to stock feed were rarely worth the effort). Sugar men first began to think of the profits that could be made from distilling.
Bundaberg rum was first produced 1888, production ceased from 1907 to 1914 and from 1936 to 1939 after fires, the second of which caused rum from the factory to spill into the nearby Burnett River.
In 1961, the company introduced the polar bear as its unusual choice of mascot, to imply that the rum could ward off the coldest chill.[2]
In 2000, the Bundaberg Rum company and distillery were sold to British company Diageo.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundaberg_Rum
The Virtual Tour is $9, and this offers a very comprehensive story of the Rum Process and distillery, and actually would be sufficient, as the full tour does not take you into where the rum is made, simply into the Molasses Vat, and to the doorway of where the huge barrels are stored, and gives you 2 free drinks of a Rum of your choice in the Bar Distillery. You can probably buy a drink here without the tour.
One also is not permitted cameras, and anything with batteries, but as we did not go anywhere with fumes, I cannot see the point of all this security. Everything is available on the new Virtual Tour which also includes a comprehensive video based on a character who is supposed to be yeast, and he tells the story of how yeast and sugar get together to create Rum. It was entertaining and stretched to maximum time, which means it was slow, repetitive and levelled at someone slow, but it was a show.
Bundaberg Cooperage ..Schmeiders Cooperage
In Bundaberg, famous for its Rum and Sugar, is also famous for its handmade wooden barrels.
A cooper is someone who makes barrels, and some of the huge barrels holding 4 million liters of rum, (and there were 400 of them at the Rum Factory), have a life span of over 60 years. We were not able to photograph the Rum Barrels, just stand at the entrance and peer inside to sniff the rum aroma.
The Cooperage was situated on the same road as the Rum Factory, and is well worth a visit.
Entrance is free, and there is a shop, the workroom and huge shed of Barrels.
The Glass blower is housed in the same building so you get a double tour.
When they are there there is also demonstrations.
Parking is on the road in front of the Cooperage.
Formally Schmeider's Cooperage, Bundy Kegs now operates from the same building that has become famous for making American White Oak casks, suitable for holding spirits and fortified wines. Schmeider's Cooperage began in 1982 and was operated by Dave and Pam Schmeider.
Lee Bates and Justin Gillett are using both traditional and modern methods to produce a quality oak barrel that will give its owner a lifetime of enjoyment. The casks are produced from old wine & spirit casks that are selvedge from all over the country.
Visitors are welcome to the complex where they can see Lee and Justin working on their casks and also view the range of accessories that are available for their barrels.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Mt Walsh National Park Queensland
http://www.qld.gsa.org.au/walsh.pdf
Mount Walsh is a prominent rocky bluff a few kilometres south of Biggenden, overlooking the town.
It is included in the eastern part of the Mount Walsh National Park.
Despite its benign appearance today, it has had a violent geological history, which began in the late
Triassic period (about 215 million years ago).
Coastal Range, Mount Walsh National Park is a rugged wilderness park with open eucalypt forest and dry rainforest. Spectacular views are rewards for experienced backpackers and climbers. The “Bluff” area of Mount Walsh, at the park’s northern end, is a prominent landmark in the Biggenden area. The park features sheltered gullies, rugged ridge lines with mountain areas with spectacular exposed granite outcrops and cliffs support an amazing diversity of vegetation. Such diversity gives a home to many endangered animal species such as the Powerful Owl and Grey Goshawk. You may also see peregrine Falcons and Lace Monitors.
Things to do
- Have a picnic or barbecue below The Bluff
- Bush camping is allowed in the park. No facilities are provided so visitors must be totally self-sufficient
- A 300m trail leads from the picnic area through open forest to a rocky creek gully fringed with dry rainforest. Continue 200m to the treeline for views over the surrounding countryside. Only experienced walkers should attempt the 2·5 hour hike to the summit of Mt Walsh.
Paradise Dam
Situated approximately 20kms north-west of Biggenden and 80kms south-west of Bundaberg, the dam sits at the site of historical mining town of Paradise, hence the name of the dam.
Paradise Dam, also known as Burnett Dam, is a dam in Queensland, Australia located on the Burnett River The dam is situated approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-west of Biggenden and 80 km (50 mi) south-west of Bundaberg.
The Paradise Dam was Burnett Water's major construction project and practical completion was achieved at the end of November 2005 by the Burnett Dam Alliance. [2]
After driving the project through the approvals, planning, design and construction stages, Burnett Water will step aside in December 2005 to allow SunWater to take over operations.[dated info]
Construction of the 300,000 megalitre capacity Dam took four years to complete and will assist the social and economic growth of the region. The Dam is also significant in the wider context of leading the way in state-of-the-art dams due to many notable environmental features.
The dam is named for the ghost town of Paradise, which is now under water following construction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Dam
The Dam is currently full after the recent rains, and the surroundings are green and beautiful.
The entrance has one shop which also does the bookings for those wanting to camp at the Dam.
Cost is $5 a night, and the designated areas are along the edge of the property, a wide open space with no shade trees, and along the dam, where there is one tree, and the toilets and showers.
There is also another camping area across the other side where there were a few tents and vans.
The campers here come to fish and water ski.
There is a barbecue area and a large undercover area, and a large public car park.
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