This was published 3 years ago
Eat your way through Brisbane's backyard while borders remain shut
In the past decade the Lockyer Valley has endured floods, fire, drought and now tourism operators have been crippled by coronavirus travel restrictions. They need our help.
By Lydia Lynch
The Lockyer Valley is perfect winter get away for Brisbane residents.Credit: Katie Purling
It has been a grim decade for Sue Renfree but the sight of dark rain clouds rolling over her 400-hectare property in the Lockyer Valley brings an instant smile to her face.
Sue, like many producers in the rich farmland region, does not whinge.
"Other people have it tougher than me," she says.
If resilience has a face, it is hers.
Sue Renfree runs Fordsdale Farmstay and Horseback Adventures.Credit: Katie Purling
Sue's husband suicided about 10 years ago, leaving her to raise teenage children alone and run the business she had started with him on her own.
Not long after her husband passed away, an inland tsunami ripped through the valley during the 2011 Queensland floods.
It took Sue's cattle along with it.
Then years of drought set in, the worst in living memory.
Sue Renfree's business, Fordsdale Horseback Adventures offers one-hour, two-hour, all-day and overnight horse-riding experiences at the homestead.Credit: Katie Purling
"It was just dirt. The trees were there and the rest was just dirt," Sue says.
"It really just looked like a desert."
With no rain, Sue was forced to truck water onto her property to keep her horses alive.
"All my savings were gone; I had no more money left," she says.
"I wasn't eating much food. I was just eating the vegetables that I had growing in the garden and nothing else much.
"It was devastating. It really was."
Summer rain has transformed the dust bowl into a sea of green with grass-covered hills as far as the eye can see.
After losing her husband, and persevering through floods and years of ravaging drought, Sue revamped her business model from agriculture to tourism.
Her money now comes from guests at her farm stay, campers and guided horse-riding tours at Fordsdale Adventures.
The coronavirus travel restrictions dealt another devastating blow to Sue and tourism operators right across the region.
But as intrastate restrictions ease, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wants Queenslanders to "rediscover their state" and support regional businesses doing it tough.
"This will go a long way toward giving our critical tourism industry a welcome boost after adhering to the necessary restrictions we were forced to impose and I encourage Queenslanders to take advantage of the easing of rules around intrastate travel," she said.
Awassi sheep farm and cheesery near Grantham, where cheese lovers can enjoy a platter and a bottle of wine under the avacado trees. Credit: Katie Purling.
For Brisbane residents looking for a weekend away after being holed up at home in isolation, the Lockyer Valley is a slice of country paradise.
And the locals out there need support from city travellers.
About an hour's drive west of Brisbane, the region is a great choice for a weekend away with mates, a scenic drive or a place to take children to teach them about where their food comes from.
Dubbed the "salad bowl of Queensland" the Lockyer Valley is one of the most fertile farming areas in the world and a burgeoning hotspot for foodies.
David and Di Piggott operate the boutique Awassi sheep farm and cheesery near Grantham.Credit: Katie Purling
"Paddock to plate" dining takes on new meaning at boutique operations such as Awassi Cheesery near Grantham.
David Piggott, who runs the sheep farm and cheesery with his wife Di, says it has been a tough few years.
"We have been through some things here and the drought is just one," he says.
It is hard to imagine the "salad bowl of Queensland" has been gripped by devastating drought after rains transformed the landscape. Credit: Katie Purling.
"We want people to come out and see what we can offer. I have not heard a negative comment from anyone who has come and spent time here.
"We have turned vegans into cheese eaters because they look at how we handle our animals; my children are vegan and they eat our cheese."
Visitors to the small farm can milk and feed the Awassi sheep and enjoy a cheese platter and a bottle of wine beneath a canopy of avocado trees.
"People come out here with their families and the adults can sit around and drink wine and eat cheese while the kids run around, play frisbee golf and climb trees," David says.
"One guy came up to me and said 'woah this is the first time I have been somewhere and not seen the kids all day', because they were off having fun."
There are plenty of hidden gems scattered through the Lockyer Valley such as Scotty's GarageCredit: Katie Purling
If you are looking for a way to help out resilient farmers and tourism operators trying to land on their feet after years of hardship, take a drive out west and eat your way through Brisbane’s backyard.
Lockyer Valley
- More about the region here
- Create your own food trail here
- Accommodation options available here
- Fordsdale Horseriding Adventures: one-hour trail ride: adults $66; children $55
- Awassi Cheesery: cheese tastings $20 per person
Lydia Lynch was a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland.