Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Kalbar Hay Bale Sculptures

Thursday 15 October. 

On this Hungry Hiker outing, we enjoyed the amazing creativity, energy and community spirit of Kalbar, a rural town in the Fassifern Valley, just over an hour's drive from suburban Brisbane. It was their annual Hay Bale Festival. 

Annual? Now, why had we only just learnt of this event.


 

On arrival we found this lovely park, on a rise just outside of Kalbar, with its view west to the Great Dividing Range. I'll add again, this range is the Australian equivalent of the the American Rockies.[In minature.]

Beside the park was this very special war memorial, beautifully looked after and with both flowering Jacaranda and Flame Tree.

 
The day was crisp and clear and there was a special beauty to the sadly dry vistas, as we enjoyed our morning tea.



Downtown, one could sense the pride of the locals in their town. Lovely old buildings, beautifully looked after.






The hay bale sculptures were all so impressive that I found it impossible to select a few. You may or may not want to look at them all. Be warned.

In and around town.






























To see the rest, we had to take a lovely drive along country roads.























The Aussie cattle dog is a 'Bluey' or Blue Heeler.






Before finding somewhere for lunch, we visited Karoomba Winey and Lavender Farm. We had read that their lavender was in full bloom. It must have been an old article, as none at all, but a purple salvia plant was quite special, along with the range views.


Such a wonderfully happy day, with the best friends!
I wonder which hay bale is your favourite?

I would love to read your comment.

18 comments:

  1. I loved all the hay bale art! The people of Kalbar are so creative!

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    1. I have to agree Linda and each year they have to come up with a new creation.

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  2. A lovely day out in the country with friends. Those hay bales are really delightful. We have the Tin Horse Highway here in W.A. on the road out of Kulin. Horses are created from drums and other scrap found around a farm.

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    1. Thank you for commenting Just Jood. I have driven the Tin Horse Highway and was just as impressed with them, as with these hale bale creations.

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  3. LOVE these!!!!! All of them. Oh..well there is one I might set on fire, but even that one is a marvelous caricature. Loved the homes and other buildings as well. Wonderful post, Helen!!

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    1. Ha, ha, the Orange Clown!
      I thought they would brighten your day, Bill.

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  4. The fifth photo of the tree trunk which looks like a vase is unusual and beautiful. What a lovely little town. My favourite is the bale with the mask on, a sign of the times.

    What a great place to visit!

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    1. Marie, the tree is a Queenslandn Bottle Tree and has this very distinctive trunk.

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  5. The saushayge dog is my favorite.

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  7. I can't believe how creative people are. We have lots of hay bales here, would love to start something like this!

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  8. Mary, I hadn't imagined your area being a hale bale area.
    Something you can be planning through the winter?

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  9. Kalbar is a lovely part of the world. Those sculptures are amazingly creative and so many of them. The organising committee must be fantastic to get such a high level of participation.

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  10. Well, I guess every town has to celebrate something!

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  11. There's a lot of creativity exhibited in the hay bale sculptures. I think I told you before that someone placed a hay bale in a face mask on a lot as you enter our small Kansas town. The one you pictured is very similar. I love the play on words shown by some of the creators. I love a good pun!

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  12. Gorgeous jacaranda! And the bale art is amazing!

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  13. To say that town is obsessed with Hay is an understatement! Who knew there were so many "Hay" jokes and puns put there. I ;oved them all :)

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