Away and Home

It was time to head home because Jo needed to get back to her coffee shop but there were still op shops to visit along the way.  From Esk we headed to Somerset Dam where we finally found some jacarandas that were fully in bloom.  Above the dam we stopped to admire sweeping views across Lake Somerset then headed for Kilcoy.

The Red Cross oppy there is in a lovely little old timber shop at the very top end of the shopping centre, near the roundabout with its distinctive memorial clock.  I didn't find anything to buy there but did spot the ubiquitous Irish coffee glasses.

The next stop was Woodford, where we found the most crowded op shop any of us has ever visited.  It is down a side street and literally inside a double garage.  As well as being packed with stock, it was crammed with people and it was very hard to move around.  Surely a booming little town like Woodford can do better that this?

Up the range we then headed to Maleny, where we found a beautiful flame tree all decked out with Christmas gifts, in the middle of their roundabout.  Even better, there was a group of older men busking in the main street, playing quite snappy jazz, and one of them had a shiny red sousaphone.

The prices in the op shops we, as we expected, inflated, Maleny being Maleny.  Bloomhill is the most up-market.  There is also a Vinnies, an Endeavour and a Lifeline where we found some more creative spelling, all beautifully laminated. 

None of us bought anything, as we all had plenty of goodies by now, but it was nice to amble up and down the street, have a tasty lunch and check out the shops.  The best thing I found was a cheese shop!  This made up for the disappointing closure of Cheese World at Goomeri.
Here I bought my final souvenir from the trip, some Woombye Blackall Gold Washed Rind cheese, and it was superb. I suggest you seek it out and try it. 
We headed for Imbil back down the western side of the range, through Conondale and Kenilworth, and the Third Op Shop Road Trip was over.  The car was not quite chockers, but only because this year we had the biggest car!

Jan bought nine Hawaiian shirts for her brother and a matching hat; Jo found some beautiful pyrex, and I am particularly please with my skirt from Maryborough and my glass vase from Esk.

We gave the Best Op Shop Award to the big Lifeline at Pialba; the Most Interesting Op Shop Award to Lavelles at Scarness and Best Value For Money to Treasure Cove at Urangan. A trifecta for Hervey Bay.  Now where shall we go next year...