Murph and Crowey: Atherton Tabelands - 07.10.2012 to 09.10.2012

On our way to Cairns the highway led us through the beautiful little towns of Ravenshoe and Atherton, a destination we wanted to visit on the way back from Port Douglas. This area is full of green rolling hills, dairy cows and quant old buildings. Our first stop was at the home of Wilga Bill, the bush poet we met at the Wallaby Creek festival about two weeks earlier. Bill lives in a tin shed next door to his son's house. Quite an interesting little place to call a home but I must say Bill was so hospitable and soon had us sitting down to a lunch of rissoles and vegies. He had already decided what he was making for dinner, so it looks like we were staying the night, even though we just called in to say hi. We decided that afternoon to go and have a look at Lake Tinaroo, a man made lake formed to service various agriculture sectors. It was huge with some gorgeous campgrounds right by the lake and some very scenic spots. We also stopped at the Curtain Fig National Park where a wide curtain of the fig's aerial roots drops 15 metres to the ground.There is a boardwalk which takes you around the tree to protect the fragile root system.

Heading off the next day, (I think Bill was a little sad to see us go), we headed for Atherton, central town in the Tablelands to everything around us. The next day took us into the beautiful world of the Tablelands, not just those rolling green hills but absolutely beautiful waterfalls with swimming holes everywhere. The towns of Atherton, Yungaburra, Malanda, Ravenshoe and Herberton offer quant little quiet towns with picturesque rainforest, friendly people and a must see for anyone visiting far north queensland.