A picnic at Kenilworth

On the weekend we decided to head out for a picnic which we haven't done in ages.  One child was happy but the other whinged and moaned quite a bit about it all.  As they grow I'm starting to think that happy family outings maybe a thing of memory so I'll soak up and enjoy these days while they last.

Hubby is a bit notorious for taking us on picnics and some 7 or 8 hours and 500 kilometres later, we get home.  (Perhaps it's the memory of those days which prompts the whinging).

Anyway, we decided to just go to one of our usual and favourite spots.  You know, the place you go to when you have no other place in mind and where everyone will enjoy it.

For us that is the town of Kenilworth which is about an hours drive away up over the range through the town of Maleny and down the other side in to the valley dotted with dairy farms.

I did attempt a bit of hooking in the car on the way over but the winding roads of the ranges soon put a stop to that when I started to feel a bit queasy.

The photo below is one of the views of the valley we're about to head down to.  It's taken from the top of the range community of Witta which is near Maleny.

Our first stop was the picnic ground at Little Yabba Creek as there's a short walk through the a small section of sub-tropical rainforest there.  Even meandering along taking photos it took only 20 minutes although I'm pretty sure Miss R did it in 10.  She just marched through not taking in much at all.

From the car park you cross the bridge over Little Yabba Creek then onto the walk.  It's a very easy one with no steep inclines and has either boardwalks or bitumen to walk on.

The creek doesn't have much water in it right now as we really haven't had a lot of rain but I remember having plenty of picnics here growing up and in summer it was a perfect place to cool off in on a hot day after a game of cricket.

The walk itself is one of meandering paths...

...odd looking fungus...

….and more spectacular fig trees.

I have many photos of my kids standing next to the tree below at various stages in their lives but we now seem to have reached the stage where they don't want to be photographed.  Ah well...

It was then back to the bridge with the troops already across and waiting for me before I'd even finished the walk.  I do like to dawdle and look at my surroundings though and not rush.

In this instance they were happy to wait as there was something waiting in the picnic area near the car which caught their attention.

Can you see it in the photo below?  My Australian readers will probably know what it is.

It was a goanna that was wandering about the grounds.

After that it was just another 10 minute drive and we were in the town of Kenilworth itself where we had lunch and a play in the playground.

The Kenliworth Cheese Factory is opposite the playground and has some beautiful cheeses to try.  We didn't go over there or buy any on this particular day, mainly because we didn't take an esky with us and also because our local grocery shop stocks a good range of the cheeses if we have a bit of a craving.

We then drove home the same way we got there which was back over the range to Maleny again.  There are a few different roads you can take to get there and we often take a different one just to break up the view but today we were happy going back the same way.  Why not though, it is a beautiful drive.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week wherever in the world you are.

xx Susan