Today was officially our last big drive in the van before handing it back this coming Saturday. After our usual morning rituals we packed up the van and left the campsite at 8:45am, rejoining the Bruce Highway heading north. A quick stop in Innisfail for some maps and we took a turn off the Bruce Hwy going west to the Atherton Tablelands, first stop being Crawford's Lookout, which looked down on the North Johnstone River and gave us a good idea on just how high we had climbed.
We then took a turn on the ‘Waterfall way’, which had an impressive display of…you guessed it…Waterfalls! Perhaps the most picturesque was Ellinjaa Falls, where we were lucky enough to be able to walk to the bottom.
Ben (map reader for today's drive), then took us on a very scenic detour through Mount Hypipamee National Park, where we walked to a crater and Dinner Falls.
Next stop was through the heart of dairy country to Gallo Dairyland, where after being warned by a road sign about the car eating cows that frequent this part of the country, we purchased some local cheese called Baci…to you and us, that is the Aus equivalent of BRIE!!!!!
Lunch today was at a picnic spot at Malanda Falls, where we also went for a hike through the rainforest trying to spot tree kangaroos, unfortunately the little fella’s didn’t put in an appearance.
Next stop Lake Eacham, part of the group of crater lakes in the area, where we did a 3km hike around the shoreline…again no animals to be seen! After which we drove through the most picturesque old town in the Tablelands – Yungaburra…we loved the look of the old Aussie hotel/pub!
A short drive out of town was the hugest curtain fig tree either of us had seen, at approximately 500 years old, with aerial roots that hung down to create a curtain effect it was impressive.
Last stop of the day was outside Mareeba at the Country Caravan Park…full of permanent residents in the customised campervans/buses, we soon made ourselves at home and tried our first Bundaberg rum and coke.
We were also visited by a creature of the night…who didn’t get on with Ben as he had a big love of bananas….and Ben doesn’t!
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