Lost!

What do you do when you are in Southern Queensland? (that is when you are not either making sand castles or scoping out your next silicone creation.) You go get lost in a Maze. Not just any maze but the Bellinghim hedge maze. It actually is a very pleasant outing. We packed a simple lunch and embarked on a 20 minute car ride north (well going south it was 20 minutes, north was 60 but that is a different story ...) of the Dicky Beach Holiday Park!

You can find Bellinhim back in the hinderland of the Gold Coast. (Which looks remarkably like northern Georgia to my untrained eye.) With parking for about 25 cars, and the lot not even half full, I was looking forward to a pleasant experience. The walk from the lot to the Maze starts with a magic waterfall which parts from time to time so you can rush through and stay dry. Someone knew I was coming so it was permanently parted. We then walked over a cute bridge over a lagoon fitted out with a stone crocodile and a fountain. Through some bush and to the ubiquitous café. (I have yet to find anyplace in either Australia or New Zealand that does not have a fully functional espresso machine and someone capable of operating it.)

The café doubles as the admission centre (notice the kiwi spelling) Chris paid our $12 a head to enter the Maze and we let Dennis go! The gate to the maze had a simple sign on it asking that you pay before entering. No one here to check a ticket, just the honor system, I like that about this part of the world.

Once in the door we saw a picnic area and two smaller Mazes and the entrance to the hedge maze. Dennis was not distracted he wanted to get lost! So we quickly entered the hedge maze and within five steps he had lost us. I think Dennis’ plan all along was to cull his parents, two go in one go out, taking divide and conquer to a new level! We were not frightened by the prospect, no while he was running around Chris and I took a slow deliberate approach to solving the puzzle thus assuring that we would both make it back to the car and our next stop at the Maleny Cheese Factory!

In the Maze we did catch glimpses of Dennis, and heard him a bit more regularly. I am sure that Dennis went through every turn and twist. I know for a fact he did more than me for there were a few times he would run to a dead end and back, or through a loop at a three way divide, while Chris and I were still talking about which route to take!

We found the centre without too much fan faire. The fountain was less than glamorous and I unfortunately forgot to take a picture to prove our completing of the maze. For the record there were four Pegasus (Pegasi?) with a large shell on their back that had a support to another shell, that had an cherub holding something or another that was spaying water; around this terracotta aberration were six terracotta planters each with a Bougainvilleas.

The way back from the Maze ... well it took a while longer. As for me it is always easier to complete a maze in reverse I figured the way out would be a complete piece of cake. I was wrong! I know I went through a couple of those dead-ends that Dennis had saved me from on the way in. For some reason everything seemed strange and backwards to me. Even as I was thinking about exiting the Maze on my way in an made a point of trying to remember key turns. Apparently I should have focused on the not-so-key turns. :)

Long story short I found our way out and back to the café. It was truly a delightful walk through the Maze!

We finished our time there by having our picnic lunch where Dennis spent more time chasing magpie’s and other birds than eating his meal. Then we went to the café and purchased our requisite coffees and ice cream and chatted with another family that were on vacation. On our way out we visited the Aviary where Dennis was able to pet a nesting bird (stupid bird laid an egg on the people side of the fence!)

Then into the car and off to taste cheese. Where we saw the Glass House Mountains!

They are another blog entry as I have to get some sleep Dennis will wake me up early to build a sand castle with him; which we have to have done so we can get to the Australia Zoo by 9:00am. You can’t come this far and not see the Zoo that Steve Irwin, the Crocodile, built!