Ipswich is one of the oldest cities in Australia and it celebrated its 150th anniversary a few years ago.  In the beginning it was supposed to be the capital of Queensland but due to the fact it was so far up the Bremer river and far from the ocean it was decided that Brisbane would become the capital. Which incidentally is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane an engineer formally of Largs in Scotland.

Another possible reason for the move was that the river had to be dredged a lot to keep it navigable and so this would have been a costly exercise although I wish they would bring back at least one boat that would go from Ipswich to Brisbane as I imagine that it would be an enjoyable trip doon the watter.

I moved to Ipswich in 2004 because I wanted to buy a house and property was cheaper here, but to be honest I really like it and although as I’ve said before I would love to live in Brisbane I would always keep my house here.

It is only 35 km from the city but it is not busy and it has a community feel to it and it’s almost like a big country town.

It has a thriving art and cultural community. There are many great places to eat. I really like the Cactus Bar Cafe, but there are many more to choose from. On a Sunday you can walk down the main street and it’s quiet, it’s mainly people going for breakfast or maybe to have a look at the Art Gallery. Just a little out of the centre you can go to the Showgrounds on a Sunday and have a look at the flea market where if you are lucky you can pick up a bargain.

Ipswich is not a quiet sleepy town but neither is it a busy city and I hope it stays that way. The main highway from west to east and also to the south goes around Ipswich and so you have to decide to come through town and this is great. Because of its history many people do make that choice.

Ipswich is the gateway to the Scenic Rim area where you will find spectacular scenery, wineries and such activities as going on a Hot Air Balloon or Sky Diving and you can even go to the Drag Races.

But for me it’s the scenery and the long drives through some lovely little towns. They all have a similar feel although some still look a little more authentic and untouched than others.  I was however disappointed to see housing being built on a massive scale in an area called Ripley, where up until a few years ago it consisted of a few houses and farms and fields. Now when you drive through there is this cancer of shitty little soulless dwellings which to be honest don’t look fit for man nor beast. I know land is a premium and folk need a home but they carve and slice the landscape and it looks as I said before like an incurable cancer.

This is the price many communities pay when they are growing, but I feel that the design of these new estates are sterile and will soon rot into decay.