Roamin' around the Glass Houses

As Queenslanders celebrate the 150th anniversary of their separation from the colony of NSW (in 1859) we toured the remnant cores of volcanoes (active about 25 million years ago), these mountains/hills were formed as molten rock was forced out of vents from within the earth. In May 1770, Capt. James Cook, while sailing up the coast of Terra Australis, named "these hills" as the Glass Houses, (the reflections and shape of these hills reminded him of the glass manufacturing houses back in England).

Capt. Cook, his botanist Joseph Banks and others on board are recorded as the first British people to come ashore in Queensland - on May 18th 1770!

There is a total of 15 mountains, covering an area of over 600,000 hectares They range in height from 100 to 556 metres.

Surrounded by fertile plains

We stopped for coffee at the Glass House Cafe, and relaxed for some time enjoying the view (below). There were a few kangaroos putting on a show for us as well.

Many different crops are grown around the Glass Houses

Including fields of pineapples (below) - (One third of Queensland's pineapples are grown in the Glass House region)