Time on the Tablelands………

We left Malanda this morning and I can honestly say I was not sorry to leave this place.  I do hope that one day it receives the love and care it needs as it is such a shame to see the only caravan park in  town looking like this.  Our destination this morning was another caravan park in Walkamin.  This tiny little dot on the map is half way between Atherton and Mareeba and we have passed it many times before but had never stopped here.  This year our usual camp site is up for sale and we had no idea if it was still taking campers so it was time to find somewhere new.  Another wow!  

A lovely little park owned by Dallas and Mark who have made this lovely spot into such a welcoming place to visit.  One of the reviews said you arrive as visitors and leave as friends and that is so true.  Together with on site caretakers Lorraine and Jim this lovely park is beautifully kept and a lovely, central spot to spend time exploring the whole area as we did.  We ended up staying for longer than we expected and thoroughly enjoyed our time here.

With Mareeba only a short drive away we had many trips into town and many coffees enjoyed at Coffee Works and Jacques Coffee Plantation.  Atherton was only a short drive the other way so there were shopping expeditions there too.  We drove down to check out the markets at Kuranda one day and I finally found a hat I am happy with.  I can’t believe how difficult it has been to find a simple hat that was not cowboy oriented.  Though I suppose we are in that sort of territory now.  The market seems not to have rebounded quite as well as pre Covid time with lots of empty stall spaces now.

After lunch at Mungali Dairy one day we called into Lake Eacham Caravan Park to catch up with Bob and Ollie who where staying there.  Another sad little park here that’s in need of lots of love and care.  The birdlife here is wonderful though and while enjoying coffee and cakes with our hosts Bill got some lovely pictures of  the Honey Eaters that visited.  It was good to see them both again.

We visited Jeff and Donna who were staying at the Rodeo Grounds in Mareeba and after a fun morning with them in the lovely sunshine we had a complete change of weather in the afternoon when we drove to Nerada Tea Gardens for lunch.  As we passed through Atherton the rain started and continued all afternoon.  We braved the rain to see the Tree Kangaroos but I left Bill there and returned to stay dry in the car.  Back at home winter had returned in earnest and it was inside with the heater once again.

After hearing of a sighting of some Lesser Sooty Owls we spent a couple of nights visiting the Curtain Fig Tree in Yungaburra.  Just a few metres away was a tree with a large hollow and just on dark the owls appeared.  There was an adult and two juveniles and it was just so great to be able to see them.  Although on both occasions there were other people there as well they seemed to be used to people viewing them.

We visited Yungaburra a couple of times in the day as well.  Once to take a walk along Peterson Creek to see the platypus and we saw four of them in a few different spots.  This year we walked a little further and found the suspension bridge across the creek.  It really is a lovely place to visit.  And of course we had to go to the market there one Saturday.  It really is the best one on the tablelands.  

We drove down to Port Douglas one Sunday to check out the market there.  It was certainly a different story to last year with wall to wall people throughout the market.  Seems people on holidays are not concerned about Covid.  There was not a mask in sight (ours stayed on) so any wonder it is still spreading.  Once again I bought a fabulous tea towel from a local artist and a sweet little platypus from the resident glass blower.

We decided to drive home around the coast road and stopped to have a look at Rex Lookout.  It was a glorious day and we found lots of people here watching the Hang Gliders enjoying the thermals.  While there we watched two guys set up and take to the skies in Paragliders.  It was amazing to see them both though I was a concerned about how they would get back on the ground.  

There were trips to Hastie Swamp, Wongabel State Forest, Julatten and Mount Molloy.  A visit to Atherton to see the Tablelands Regional Gallery gave us the opportunity to see the wonderful exhibition ‘Beyond the Lens’.  This showcased four local photographers who all use different techniques to manipulate their original photos to create stunning art pieces.

A final visit to Cairns where we had a look at the Art Gallery there amongst more mundane chores.  The exhibition called ‘Faceless’ had us scratching our head but as we all know art is in the eye of the beholder.

One incredible experience was visiting The Bat Hospital in Atherton not to see the bats but to see the Victoria’s Rifle Bird.  We were not disappointed and many males and females came in attracted by the fruit put out for the bats.  A noise above me made me look up and right above me was a male dancing and displaying for a long while.  Bill got some amazing pictures and it is something neither of us will ever forget.

As we drove through the tablelands each visit we have always passed a big strawberry farm but have never stopped.  This year we did and what a treat.  Shaylees Strawberries has great coffee, fabulous scones and the best strawberry jam.  We bought a large jar!  And the strawberry gelato was to die for.  Can’t believe we have never found this before.

Finally our visit to Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands had come to an end.  It was time to begin the long trip south to home again.  We said goodbye to Dallas and Mark, thanking them for a wonderful stay and we truly hope to see them again one day.  

until next time…….