As we edged toward Atherton, the hot scorched countryside gave way to more vegetation and a slightly cooler clime, both of which were most welcome. A few days in the heat of outback Queensland during early October and we were ready for a taste of coastal weather. Ravenshoe, was our first foray into the Atherton Tableland. At 930m above sea level, it is the highest town in Queensland. After a short stop at the information centre in Ravenshoe it was on to our final destination for the day, Atherton itself. It was a beautiful drive through rolling hills of green dairy country, peppered with pockets of tropical rainforest. The road with all its twists and tight turns was not really ideal for towing a 21-foot caravan, but we simply took it slow and eventually arrived at our the Big 4 in Atherton, a short drive out of the centre of town.
It was now October 8 and despite feeling the rising heat of the imminent outback summer in Western Queensland, the weather at elevations of 750m sat in the mid to high twenties during the day and was exceedingly pleasant with cool nights. After setting up camp we were eager to get exploring the surrounds which we would discover had much to offer and eventually enticed us into thinking quite seriously about a more permanent sea change. Into town for an orientation, a stop at the information centre and a shop for food supplies. We also found the Crystal Caves in the main street, home of the world’s biggest amethyst geode, the Empress of Uruguay, which is eleven feet tall and weighs in at two and a half tonnes. Apart from the Empress, the shop had an impressive collection of gems, crystals and precious stones, which gave Josh an idea for Trace’s upcoming birthday present.
On the way between town and our caravan was the platypus park where allegedly these shy creatures could be seen frequently at both dawn and dusk. We vowed to make a trip there at the appropriate time to catch a siting.
After our first cool night’s sleep in several months we decided to drive out to Lake Eacham, one of the 2 large crater lakes just outside of Atherton, for a walk around the fringing rainforest and then a swim. Once again Jem enjoyed passing the time as our tour guide on the walk, talking us through some of the local flora and of the original inhabitants of the rainforest. Butterflies were topical as they were in an abundance, some bigger than the palm of your hand. Following our circumnavigation we had a dip in the cool, clear waters of the lake, cursing ourselves once again for forgetting to bring our snorkeling gear.
We headed to Malanda for some lunch through some beautiful countryside. We were beginning to appreciate how blessed this part of the country is with its rich, fertile soils, small pockets of rainforest, generous rainfall and a climate in which tropical fruits thrive. It was a stark contrast with our recent travels in Central Australia and western Queensland.
Unfortunately, the dairy museum in Malanda closed for the season, which was a little disappointing, but after some local pies Rubes and Trace soon found a shop with lots of treasures to spend some time in. On the way back to Atherton we made another stop, this time in Yungaburra, a really quaint Tableland village. The old pub was something really special with restored timber floors and panelling, timber tables and chairs and complete with old style accommodation upstairs. Down the main street and around the bend we found a newly opened retro cafe to recharge with some coffee and milkshakes and talked with the owner about life in and around the Tablelands. We were full of questions about the trade/barter system that she was linked into with some of the more alternate residents around the area. We were liking this place more and more.
The historic village of Herberton was our next day trip. It boasted the largest private museum collection in Australia and we were not disappointed with its eclectic pieces. There was everything from 19th century classrooms and apothecaries, to old cars, machinery and printing presses. Interesting and educational and being a Thursday, the perfect venue for a school excursion.
In the late afternoon/early evening, Josh, Oscar and Jem cycled down to the platypus park in the hope of spotting one of these elusive monotremes. We didn’t really expect to see one and after combing the creek we had all about given up. We wandered down to the pool the picnic area overlooking a large pool and spotted not only one, but two small platypuses. Even though it was dusk and the light was starting to dim, we still caught some excellent glimpses of them. The boys were so excited only a little disappointed that mum and Rubes weren’t with us to see them. These are the only existent mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth. Also, it is one of the few venomous mammals with the male having a spur on each of its hind limbs that can deliver venom during mating season. We rushed back to tell the others about our find.
Trace’s birthday, the last to celebrate on the road, had finally arrived. The day started with present giving. The kids had each made vouchers to be redeemed for anything from massages to pedicures and good behaviour for a day. Trace also got a beautiful large rectangular amethyst which she plans to get set into a ring. The day was well planned, a walk around the second crater lake in the area, Lake Barrine. Despite some initial complaints, once we got started they got into their stride. Well shaded rainforest, some giant trees creating a towering canopy and huge fig tree buttresses made for a walk awe-inspiring proportions that rain forests seem to evoke. No swimming here, but after some 5km of walking, we were all ready for a birthday lunch at the Lake Barrine Tea House. Sitting on the deck of the 1930‘s timber tea house overlooking the lake, Josh was reminded very much of his visits to some of the hill stations in India many years ago. Lunch was pretty good, however, we could not linger as we had supplies to gather for dinner, which Oscar had predicted would be ‘epic’.
We sent Rubes and Trace off to look for platypus and got busy preparing a 3-course meal starting with assorted antipasti, Turkish bread with zatar and olive oil, followed by Moroccan lamb with mint yoghurt, couscous with dates, honey glazed mini-carrots and roasted asparagus, and for desert meringue with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberry puree. It was EPIC! But the evening was still young and a night of original entertainment commenced including some novel dance routines from our resident Michael Jackson impersonator, Jem.
Visits to Mareeba market and Tolga saw us at the end of our 5-day stay in the Atherton Tablelands. It was on to Cairns where Josh would fly out to Sydney for a week of work. In the interim, the rest of the expedition would remain in tropical Cairns.
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