The Tablelands

We bid Cairns adieu and for the first time in over a month, we took the road south. Instead of following the coast as we had coming north, we headed inland to an area known as the Atherton Tablelands. Almost immediately the scenery changed from coast and sand to rolling hills, big trees, waterfalls, and lakes. Over two days we saw all that the area had to offer. Beautiful waterfalls surrounded by rain forests were packed into just a few kilometers, each one unique. In Enungella we met a British couple who enlightened us to the wonders of the Tablelands and pointed us to the real draw of the area--the Cathedral Fig Tree and the Curtain Fig Tree. It seems odd to get excited about trees but both were worth true, wonder filled, mouth-hanging-open excitement. We visited the Cathedral Fig first, named for its height and the way it branches extend to the skies, allowing magnificent glimpses of sunlight to cascade down its branches to its massive trunk. At 50 meters high and 500 years old, the tree was simply amazing. The Curtain Fig a way down the road is an example of a strangler--another tree fell on the original tree, strangling it with its branches and in a sense swallowing it until the branches disintegrated and a new shape V shaped base was formed. The strangling is still evident, as many branches reach across in a sort of a death hug that resembles a webbed curtain. Both trees reside in forests of regular trees, emphasizing their size and beauty--it would take 24 people holding hands to make a circle around the Curtain.

After leaving the Cathedral Fig, we headed to a lookout touted to be one of the region's best. We left the main road and passed beyond the first of two gates that led down a dirt road. At first, the road was flat and level but after 2 ks the path began climbing steep hills and dropping down winding descents. Our van has spirit but there were many points at which we thought Astro Boy would quit us. The lookout was nice, beautiful, but not that much different than the scenery available from the main roads. This is one of the times that you wish you could give the writers of Lonely Planet a piece of your mind.

We woke early after a night spent at Lake Eacham to chance viewing a platypus. These shy creatures only show themselves at dusk and dawn, not the usual trekking hours. We roused ourselves early, drank down cups of hot coffee and started off on Petersen's Creek Walk, a local trail known to produce sightings. We sat at the viewing platform and watched the water for movement. We sat and sat. After about ten minutes we started walking along the creek, following the old idiom: change your location, change your luck. Within 5 minutes, our luck changed and a baby platypus appeared. At first you see air bubbles on the surface and then the little creature comes above water and ducks back under. We saw two babies along our walk and both graced us with many above water appearances--totally worth waking up for.

With our time in the Tablelands complete, we headed south of Townsville to Alva Beach, a very small town that serves just one purpose--to shuttle enthusiastic and adventurous divers out and back to the S.S. Yongala, a ship that wrecked off the coast of Australia in the early 20th century and one of the best wreck dives in the world. Oded took this one solo and brought back stories of rough currents, big fish, and descriptions of the still intact wreck. Back on land we hit up the grocery store, the gas station and the local boating, camping and fishing depot. With ten days in the outback in our immediate future we needed food, water, fuel and mosquito netting galore. With all our gear in tow, we set out for the 2000K drive to Alice Springs and the Red Center.

To see photos of the Atherton Tablelands, please click me