Nov 6, 2009

AussieMonkies: Day 7

Ipswich - Workshops Rail Museum - Lillydale

Halfway through our holiday, and di-di & I have been having a wonderful time so far! It was time to move all our barang once again, and we would be heading back southwards towards Brisbane.

Daddy & Mummy told us that we would be going for a farmstay next, and that we would be able to assist the farmer to feed the lambs, chickens, pigs and also milk some cows! The farm is a 90 minute drive away from Brisbane, but we started off really early in the morning 'cos there was one other place we needed to go on a Sunday.

A superb Train Museum... And boy, was it really really huge, with loads of stuff to see and play!

The Workshops Rail Museum is located in Ipswich, which is along the way down to our farm in Rathdowney. It is filled with trains, trains and more trains; from vintage steam locomotives to the present-day trains... all coming together with lots of hands-on exhibits, multi-media encounters & colourful stories tracing the 140 year history of rail in Queensland.

Which is all very nice I feel... but the added bonuses to the museum has got to be the many children-friendly exhibits and playthings. Much like these giant sand pits!

Filled with sand toys and giant construction vehicles, no less!

Aiyah, no need to say... di-di & I spent lots of time digging around. Heh.

That was until Bob the Builder made an appearance.

Di-di was unfazed though, 'cos he was busy constructing something. Or so he said.

But he still couldn't escape the lure of the next attraction though.

Chugging aboard a mini train! TOOT TOOT!

And straight after our ride round the museum compounds, we literally hopped our way to a bouncy Thomas the Tank Engine inflatable.

Phew, the action never failed to cease I tell you. Hee hee...

After all our bopping, I immediately rushed to the real-life steam train which I had set my eyes on from the moment I entered the museum. Well, of course di-di followed me lah.

It was once a working train, but it is now disused and parked at the museum so as to allow monkies like us to climb aboard to have a feel of how those days of shoving coal into the furnace and driving the train was like.

If it wasn't for the hot sun, I guessed I would have sat aboard the train for the longest time. ::P

Then we headed into the museum proper where the comfort of aircon welcomed us. This is where all the different generations of trains are displayed, ranging from the very old ones all the way to the bullet trains.

There was even an awesome gigantic display of a model railway set. Stuff that only boys can gawk and dream of.

But di-di preferred to stick to the simple LEGO model of just 1 train going round and round the track. Hee.

We then climbed aboard onto one of the trains, where we got a hands-on experience in being the train driver for a few minutes. Di-di & I took turns... and when I wasn't the driver, I was busy playing the role of a conductor as I shouted into the intercom to ask all the passengers to sit down and buckle up.

But Daddy was so disobedient... he kept standing up to take photos of us in action. Tsk tsk.

Then the biggie playarea of them all came into our full view...

A railway playground, with lots of equipment and vehicles... for us kids to go absolutely bonkers!

There were bikes, wheelbarrows, cars, miniature train playsets and even costumes for us to look the part of a train conductor.

Di-di, on the other hand, was busy loading up blocks onto the train. And mightily enjoying it too.

And when he got bored with that, he decided to get a more cushy job and sell train tickets instead.

We spent 4 hours at the museum and it felt like it wasn't enough! We truly had so much fun! Me think even Daddy & Mummy enjoyed themselves too lor. Hahaha...

But we had to make a move as we wanted to reach the farm before sunset. It is definitely a must-go place if you are in Brisbane, and we would go back again the next time we are back in Queensland.

So for now, it was time for the both of us to nap while Daddy drove us to our next accommodation.

And when I opened my eyes, we still haven't reached yet! Turned out that Daddy had took a wrong turn on the highway previously and we got briefly lost. OOPS.

But luckily, we managed to make it to Lillydale Farmstay before night fell.

We were all tired from the road trip, but once we saw our room and the scenery just at our doorstep...

...the drive was truly worth it.

The room was just so homely and cosy that Mummy fell in love with it the moment she stepped inside. Well, I guess the spectacular scenery helped too.

I still found some time to wander around the farm, and stumbled onto some cute lambs baaa-ing for me. Hee hee...

There were truckloads of stuff to do on the farm, and di-di & I would find out all about them the next day.

But first, we needed to recharge after dinner. All because we have to help the farmer feed all the animals then next morning! Can't wait!


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