We had a short drive from Cairns to Babinda, a stopped we missed going north. We stayed in a free camp in town, which had excellent facilities and was extremely busy with over 50 vans each night, the site along side the river and close to town. The only issue was the resident rooster that needs a new clock timer, as 2 am, 3 am and each hour after this till morning is not acceptable as a wake up call.
Babinda is framed by QLDs two highest mountains Mt Bartle Frere, 1622m and Mt Bellenden Ker 1593m.
Our first afternoon we went out to the Babinda Boulders, a great swimming spot where John braved the cold water but I didn’t with my asthma still not great. The swimming area was pretty and so was the walk along the creek with many massive boulders directing the water flow.
We wondered around the small town and then drove out of town to Bramston Beach in the Russel River National Park, the beach wasn’t exciting but we did see a cassowary crossing the road but he made the bush cover before we got closer enough to get a good photo. And a quick stop at Eubenangee swamp, see map below for the area we are in.
We had booked a kayaking tour the following day but had to cancel as Johns back had got infected where he had a lesion taken off 6 months ago. So it was off to the Dr for lancing and to see if a stitch was left, but nothing was found. So after the procedure we drove out to
Josephine falls in the Wooroonooran National Park where a cool rock slide exists, but not for us with Johns back and the water freezing we left this to the youngens. See the video for more on this.
and then a stop at Golden hole a picnic area by the river.
Our next destination was Innesfail for two nights and wow how it rained. Over night especially heavy with 130 ml approx. We stayed in a van park by the Johnstone River as power was needed for the fridge in the car as no solar input was available with this miserable weather. The rain caused a small leak and John fixed this with the usual silicone.
The first afternoon we visited the town area, not very inspiring except the old art deco building in town which wasn’t open inside and then a drive out of town to Coquette point and views over the South Johnstone River, where a wallaby poised for us on the side of the road.
Day two the sun didn’t shine again but it did stop raining for most of the day. We went into Mourilyan and visited the hertiage sugar Centre to learn more about the sugar industry and then the Harbour where the refined sugar is stored and shipped for export.
Then onto Etty Bay hoping to see a Cassowary. This area is known for them to be near the beach and we weren’t disappointed seeing three , one on the beach track, another on the road and entering to the beach and another on the road as we were leaving the Bay. See our videos below. The beach also proved a nice walk even though the sun still didn’t shine and a nice lunch at beach cafe was had before going back to the van and listening to the rain for the afternoon.
Video Etty bay, Cassowary sightings and Josephine falls
We left Innesfail and hopefully the rain behind us but this wasn’t to be the case and arrived in
Atherton after a brief stop at Millaa Millaa for morning tea. Our route across the Palmeston Hwy as the Giles from Gordonvale has the most number of bends on any road in Australia and definitely not suitable for Caravanners.
The afternoon, after setting up the van, was to check out where to go for my birthday dinner the next day. Settling on the international club and Chinese restaurant. Not a choice I would have made normally but nothing else was available except pubs and we eat in them semi-regularly and the menu rarely varies.
July 10, my birthday
I woke up on my birthday to presents from John and a nice card, then he cooked me breakfast. Was so nice!
Then off for the day before going out for dinner with a courtesy car collecting and returning us to our van from the club. The meal was nice and the music good so we had a lovely night.
Our activities in Atherton area were
1/ A drive to Yungaburra, a pretty town near the south side of Lake Tinaroo, the south side lake view below.
We saw the Avenue of honour for WW2 soldiers on the way to the lake, the lake was a lovely area with lots of people picnicking and some with their water boats out on the lake.
We stopped in town and walked part of the Peterson creek walk and looked for platypuses but none were sighted. The walk was accessed by two different areas, one over a swing bridge at Allumbah Pocket, the other in town.
A massive fig curtain tree is in the rainforest outside of the town and was a very impressive tree.
Fact
This tree was created by a seed deposited in a host tree’s crown, it germinates and the first root descends to the soil. Then enriched by the soil, the fig develops aerial roots which encircle then strangle the host tree. This host tree fell into the neighbouring tree, the vertical fig roots descend from the figs truck and forms this curtain like appearance. Eventually the host tree rots away leaving the free standing fig tree.
Then lunch at the quaint old pub in Yungaburra for my birthday
After lunch we visited the volcanic crater lakes of Lake Barrine where their where two huge Karri trees and Lake Eacham where people were swimming and taking their stand up boards out for a paddle.
Lake Barrine
Lake Eacham
The walk close to the lake had a viewing area to see the saw-shelled Turtles, which we spotted swimming in the clear water. .
Then home via the Gallo dairyland for chocolates and cheese.
2/ A day to Herberton 27 kms west
Stopping first at Hasties swamp where thousands of birds were nesting. Mostly ducks and magiepie geese, the swamp is one of the last remaining wetlands not drained for farmland in this area. It really was an amazing place.
As shown on video above
Then at Herberton we went to the heritage village which was really extensive and so much stuff to see, it took three hours to go around the village.
Followed by the mining museum
Herberton was developed on the mining of tin. The big block of tin below weighed 70 kgs and was more over $2000.
The drive out to Herberton was on a circuit road and on the way back we stopped at Mt Hypipamee national park where a really deep crater is to be found. The crater was formed by a gaseous explosion in the landform causing a volcanic pipe or diatreme, the crater is 73 m deep. The circuit walk here also went past the Dinner falls which are part of the Barron river.
Photos below includes our stop at the lookout on the way to Herberton, pic 2, the others the crater and Dinner falls.
3/ A day trip to Mareeba.
First we explored the historical museum which was part of the information centre here in Mareeba.
Had coffee and cake at Coffee works, this area known for its coffee and it is grown locally.
then drove out to
Granite gorge where we did a walk through the granite boulders and feed the rock wallabies. A peacock put on a lovely display and the turtles 20 plus came looking for a feed at the weir. More on Johns Video.
video of Granite Gorge is with lake eacham and hasties swamp.
Lunch was at Skyburys where they grow coffee and tropical fruits, the view nice and the food good but not plentiful. The dvd here discussed the coffee plantation and harvesting methods. The Arabica coffee produced from 90000 trees grows well here as there is a good rainfall annually and no frosts. Their plantation also included red papaya and bananas which were the next few days breakfast.
A scooter ride in the town of Mareeba around the bicentennial lakes was undertaken before heading home. Not that picturesque but an chance to get the scooters out.
4/ A day to Malanda
A drizzling rainy day that got worse with rain and fog and a lot of things were closed.
First we visited Malanda falls and walked through the rainforest which was very muddy. We had hoped to see a tree kangaroo but will have to settle with seeing the stuffed one at the info centre.
Then we went down to Millaa Millaa but by the time we arrived the fog was to bad we didn’t bother with the waterfall circuit and drove to Neranda tea plantation which was very uninspiring. There was no tour, no nice tea room and a limited menu as they had a bus tour in, so we left and after lunch at the pub in Malanda it was home to the van for the miserable afternoon. The malanda dairy centre was also closed.
5/ A two day and two night trip to Chilligoe
We drove from
Atherton via Irvinebank to Chilligoe
The tiny town of Irvinebank was once a large town supporting the tin mining industry. Now just a few historical building exists, a pub, small museum and a free camp.
The buildings below are the museum which was the former home of John Moffat the local mining magnet of the time.
Then we hit 42 kms of a dirt stony and bumpy track through to Petford. At Petford a small shed sits on the railway line and nothing much else exists.
Along the track we had come across a marker to show where the old Cobb and co coach came one a week supplying mail and other items to the people living in this remote area. It was interesting being in the dry countryside after all the green lush areas of the rainforests and our track was covered in horse poo and eventually we saw the wild brumbies that left this behind.
Then
Back on the tar and patches of gravel for another 62 kms to Chilligoe and to the hub where the info on the area was scanned for info and the tour of the cave paid for.
At Chilligoe we stayed in a motel hotel for two nights a nice change from the van. It was basic and the lady running it was a moron and to be avoided as she traps you and talks about nothing at you until you can get away.
We relaxed with a beer and dinner at the pub before waking up for our day of sight seeing in Chilligoe.
First was a tour of Donna cave not that impressive compared to many other caves we have seen but the tour guide was informative. There were lots of low areas and lots of stairs and one section had some micro bats 🦇 present. The silhouette below is where the cave got its name as it looks like the madonna. A video at the end of Chilligoe shows the cave in more detail.
Then out to Balancing rock which was an interesting walk through some rock formations and then saw the Wullamba Art site
Next on to Mungana archways which was a self guided walk through some open rock caves and it was amazing seeing where trees will grow in small spaces. John climbed thru a small hole to explore more of the rock caves. Not being able to crawl I didn’t bother. Another aboriginal site was viewed here.
Video of Mundana Archways.
Then back to town for lunch at the hotel
After lunch we went out to the weir but didn’t feel inclined to swim there
East to the ledge abo site which after just a 30 m climb the view through the cave was lovely and fascinating to see the rock ledge held up by not much
Then finally out to Smelters where in the 1900s zinc gold lead silver and copper were mined, the mine employing 1000 men. Mining started here in the 1870s.
Our day completed it was back to the pub and a noisy night as the house across the road decided to have a party and band. Hum!
Then we drove back to Atherton the next morning and took the main tarred road to Mareeba which is called The Wheelbarrow Way and then down to Atherton. The drive home was very foggy in parts. We stopped at “the end of line” at Almaden along the way . There is some photos of here on Johns video below.
Apparently you can catch a train here from Cairns as a couple we catches to at the pub had done and then a bus connects to Chilligoe.
Our final stopped at Dimbula for morning tea and we were back in the tablelands.
Video Donna cave, the ledge, and Almaden.
7/ Tinaroo Dam
We went to the top part of the dam and walked out across the dam wall and looked at the spillway, John took some drone footage. This footage is above with Josephine falls etc.
Then along the lake to platypus rock where there is nice camp grounds by the lake but no view from the rock lookout and no platypuses.
8/ Waterfall drive
This drive leaves from near Millaa Millaa and visits three waterfalls. The Millaa Millaa , Zillie and Ellington falls. today the weather was fine and clear.
The first a great spot to swim at the MM falls and the falls looked man made they were so pretty and precise.
Zillie was just a view from the top of the falls
and Ellington a 850 m walk to bottom where people were swimming below the falls.
9/ Malanda centre was opened this time and had a display about dairy farming in this region and the Tazali lakes was open but no platypus viewing as a weed had overtaken their ponds.
10/ race day in Mareeba
A small race meeting with only five races low numbers of horses and low odds. John got a few winners but with the odds so low still lost $1 for the day.
It was a pleasant day sitting under an old big fig tree and having a little flutter and a drink.
Time to leave Atherton and its lovely scenery,
now we leave for the west of Qld and the gulf of Carpentaria.
