The Granite Belt.

We are back up at Frogknot.The drive up was quiet but the countryside around is very brown and lots of the dams are looking low. There has been no rain since we were last here and it is all very dry. The veggie garden is looking dire, with everything looking wilted and shrivelled. We saw three euros (a kind of kangaroo) hurrying off as we arrived and suspect they are responsible for those plants that have been nibbled within an inch of their lives.The patch up job we did last time looks good and there are no new cracks, so at least there has been no new movement since we last left. There is some staining around the cob patches but we will cover those with another coat of whitewash while we are here. There were no 'little presents' lying around from any visiting rodents so that is good too.It is very quiet here...I am particularly noticing it today. In Brisbane there is the ever present whine of light aircraft taking off or landing at Archerfield or throbbing helicopters doing the same, the regular deceleration noise of larger aircraft coming in to land at Brisbane International, the roar of 'Dragon' trucks on the main road, the barking of dogs and the monotonous dove that can sing the same flipping song for hours on end!Here....nothing...just the ticking of the cow clock.Our address here is 57 Garth Lane, Glen Aplin.Glen Aplin is a small town just off the New England Highway south of Stanthorpe in The Granite Belt. The Granite Belt is an area of the Great Dividing Range, in the Darling Downs region of Southern Queensland. It is centred on the town of Stanthorpe. It is called the Granite Belt because of the large number of prehistoric granite rocks and boulders that litter the countryside hereabouts. It is also an area known for its spectacular flowers and this is the area that produces the $40 million apple crop for the whole of Queensland, from just over fifty local orchards. As well as a fruit growing area there are also many vineyards and wine tourism makes it a popular area for visitors. They are also drawn by the National Parks of Girraween, Bald Rock and Boonoo Boonoo.The Granite Belt is also known for being the coolest part of Queensland because of its elevation. Its climate creates four distinct seasons and the winters here can be cold with night-time frosts in July very common.Stanthorpe is 223 km from Brisbane and 811m above seal level. It is close to the New South Wales border. In the 2011 census the population of Stanthorpe was 5,385.The town was founded by tin miners and the name 'Stanthorpe' means 'tintown'...as stannum is latin for tin and thorpe 'middle english' for village. When the price of tin fell many miner turned to farming instead. After the First World War many soldiers suffering from exposure to Mustard Gas were resettled here where they took up the land leased to them.Stanthorpe today is a popular place to live 'because of its welcoming acceptance of newcomers.' (Wikipedia).