A Haunted Hotel and a Cracker of a Clock

I knew there were two hotels in Boonah, and hoped that Jan had booked us into the nice old-fashioned one, not the modernised one. It turns out there are three. The Commercial is the pretty one, but it no longer does accommodation; and there is also the tavern. The third option is the Australian, which opened in 1888, but has seen better days. It certainly has character. 

Our family room was at the top of the traditional two thousand steps that are compulsory in all two-story hotels of that vintage.  It was basic, with only fans to cope with the stifling heat, but one of the best equipped hotel kitchens we had ever encountered.  I hope you are reading this, Hinterland Hotel, Nerang.  We were especially impressed with the salt and pepper shakers, which were little Sirromet wine bottles, a red for the pepper and a white for the salt!

The hotel is rumoured to have not one ghost, but many, with one website describing it as "one of the most haunted sites in Australia". Apparently several people have died while staying there.  Creaking stairs, yes; ghosts no, in our experience. Dinner, also no, as they only serve lunch.  There's very little night dining choice in Boonah, actually, so off to the Commercial Hotel we went.  It has been recently refurbished, and there we relaxed over a delightful dinner.


We had only just stepped outside, when we heard some sort of commotion and saw a group of outlandishly dressed people cross the road and head into the IGA. They carried on loud conversations, danced around a bit, and then headed raucously off down Boonah's quiet night-time main street.  Jan popped into the shop to ask what was going on. Apparently they were doing some sort of course which teaches you to "step out of your comfort zone'. Not a lot to do at night in Boonah!

At least our room had cooled down to bearably hot when we returned so we settled down to a ghost-free night.  The next morning I went to prepare my daily Weetbix, but couldn't find a bowl, and had to be inventive. Only after I had finished did I discover the well-stocked cupboards UNDER the sink. I had previously only spotted the ones up top.  

My research indicated that there was a geocache just down the road near the Blumbergville Clock.  What?  Off I went and found the town 's newest tourist attraction.  Blumbergville is Boonah's previous name, and the Scenic Rim Council commissioned artist Christopher Trotter to create the clock, which he made from various bits of local farm equipment.  The result is a sort of steam punk wonder.  At seven o'clock, it started wheezing and whistling, bits started turning and it eventually chimed the hour.

Abandoning all hope of finding the cache because of (a) the number of people around watching the clock and (b) the serious refurbishment to the town square which was happening right next to it, I raced back to tell the girls.  We made sure we were packed and out of the hotel before it chimed eight o'clock.  Then it was time for a leisurely wander around town till the oppies opened.