Day 21 Sunday 28/6/2026 Somerset to Beachmere, cool mist 13 – 19

Shock and horror, we’re up early this morning as we are returning to the big smoke. We are invited to Double or Nuthin’ and Shirley’s son and daughter in law’s house for lunch.

As we leave, we are accosted by Jenny the caretaker with a warning to watch out for deer on the road. She tells us that as there are many dips in the road, they are often locked in by floods. They always keep 7 days of essentials on hand.

It is a windy road that follows the lakeshore to Kilcoy. The hillsides are dotted with Bunya and Hoop pines. We pick up the D’aguilar highway at Kilcoy and pass towns like Villeneuve, I’m going to have to look this up.

And then we cross my very favourite, Mary Smokes Creek, and all I can think of is a housewife with rollers in her hair and wearing a flour covered apron just slipping out for a cheeky puff.

On our left the Glasshouse Mountains come into view, with cottony puffs of cloud on their peaks. Lt. James Cook (we call him Captain) named them after the glassworks back home…..

We cross the Bruce Hwy A1, and head for the coast. Beachmere is on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay and is a colourful and vibrant village, with no beach. The caravan park is small and tight but neat and tidy. There are several cafes between here and the beach waterfront.

We spend a delightful afternoon lunching on the deck of E & S’s old Queenslander with its views to the mountains. After being plied with gourmet home-made pizzas and red wine, there won’t be any dinner for us tonight.

Accom: $40.10

Towing Kms: 89kms, it seemed remote, but we weren’t all that far from the ‘burbs after all.