CRATER LAKES AND WATERFALLS DAY

Saturday 14th we decided to see all of the following places and travel as far south as Millaa Millaa to see the Waterfalls Circuit.

Firstly we visited Lake Barrine - a crater lake formed millions of years ago from volcanic activity.  Picturesque and serene so we decided to walk the five kilometre track around it.  Firstly stopping at the twin kauri trees thought to be over 1,000 years old.  I felt it was more than 5 klms - more like 7-8!!!!  We saw plenty of wild life but not able to get pictures of them as they scurried away before one could focus in.  The only one is this snake which stopped us in our tracks along the path.

This Lake is privately owned and has a tea house, boat tours and accommodation

Not sure what kind of snake but it was long so let it move on it's way before we ventured past it!!!!!

After that walk we travelled on to Lake Eacham, another crater lake which is now a beautiful place to relax and regenerate over a picnic lunch amongst the shaded tropical rainforest trees.  Plenty of folk enjoying the day beside and in the lake today.

The water is so clear one can see the fish and turtles amongst the logs.

After strolling the shore from the upper picnic area to the lower one and back we headed south through Malanda after having to turn off the highway after a motor accident closed the road.

Malanda - known for its dairy products and Nerada tea plantation.

Millaa Millaa Falls started our journey around the Waterfall Circuit encompassing Millaa Millaa Falls, Zillie and Elinjaa Falls.  Plenty of folk enjoying the Millaa Millaa Falls today.

These Waterfalls are Queensland Heritage listed.
Millaa Millaa Falls

Zillie Falls (spot the rainbow)

Ellinjaa Falls

Not too much water cascading but the rain is coming so I bet they would all look different after a week.

CURTAIN FIG TREE - CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE

After catching up with the washing after "low cost camping for a week" we ventured out towards Atherton but decided to have a look at this tree.  Impressive and well worth the stroll around this short walkway.

This Cathedral Fig tree is another 500 year old strangler fig.

We then ventured on down the road and came across this cheese and chocolate factory before heading into Atherton to replenish our food supply.

We tried about five different ones and I loved each one especially the cointreau flavour.

MAREEBA HERITAGE MUSEUM

WOW - We stopped off into this Information Centre as we had read the booklet and decided this was a great introduction for us to read and see the exibits here.  The displays steps one back into the history on Aboriginal culture, early explorers, pioneer and early history, the war years, the Mt Mulligan mine disaster and the timber and tobacco-growing industries.

Wayne has looked at a lot of timber exhibits and has not seen a timber jack that Dad had?!?!

This 100 year old house was purchased and moved from within the town of Mareeba and restored here comprising of two buildings - one the kitchen area and the other the living and bedrooms.

Wonderful history of the tobacco industry in this area.

No I did not remember having to do the milking by hand.  Dad had machines.

The street replicating an old township.

Yes, we did spend a couple of hours looking through this place and it is well worth a visit.

We then headed on down to Lakeside Tourist Park where we will stay for a week to spend time visiting all the interesting places up here in the Tableland.

Lake Tinaroo - just a short stroll from our "Duz Us"

HEADING SOUTH TO TROPICAL ATHERTON TABLELAND

South from Cooktown through high ranges that are still part of the "Great Dividing Range" that is the third longest land-based range in the world.  It runs parallel to the coast for about 3,700 kilometers from Melbourne to beyond Cooktown at the top.

We spent 2 nights at Rifle Creek Rest Area just north of Mount Molloy where we walked into town to view all the sights there and get a fresh loaf of bread.  How yummy was that bread!!

We found this anthill decorated with a sarong, face painted and and umbrella in behind the rest area.

WALKING COOKTOWN

 Yes, the best way to view, read and feel the historical town names after Captain James Cook when he and his ship the HMB Endeavour ran afoul on the Great Barrier Reef seriously damaging the hull just off Cape Tribulation.

We parked and walked to read the signage telling the history of each historical post/person/event.

The Cannon was brought to Cooktown in 1885 and is still fired at the Cooktown Discovery Festival in June each year.
One of the six deck guns and their carriages, iron and stone ballast, hoops and staves, casks and decayed stores that were thrown overboard to float the Endeavour off the coral reef.  Over 50 tonnes weight.

The Stone Cairn - where James Cook beached HM Bark Endeavour for repairs.

Chinese Monument

Mick the Miner - in memory of the Palmer River Gold rush.

The Queen's Steps - made for HM Queen Elizabeth II for her visit in 1970

We then ventured up to James Cook Museum - home of the "Endeavour Anchor and Cannon".  Originally a convent school, built in 1889.

The James Cook Museum is a fascinating attraction where every visitor can enjoy a stroll through history in the beautifully restores Sisters of Mercy convent school building, originally built in 1889.  Administered by the National Trust of Queensland, the James Cook Museum is considered one of the most significant Trust museums open to the public.

 

Highlights include displays of the original HM Bark Endeavour anchor and cannon, Cook's diary extracts, stories from local Aboriginal elders, the Palmer River Gold Rush, every day life in early Cook's Town and the Chinese who flocked to this area.  This is certainly one of the most stunning museum's we have visited and an asset to Cooktown and should not be missed.

Unfortunately we had to leave before we had taken all of the exhibits in as it closes at 1pm.


SATURDAY 7th  October - we took a look through the Markets held at the Lion's Park before heading over to the Information Centre and Cooktown Botanic Gardens.
Wow, we entered the information centre to be greeted by a very helpfull staff member who directed us to take a look through the Vera Scarth-Johnson gallery.

Vera was interested in art and botany and wad inspired by botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander who accompanied Lt. James Cook on his 1770 voyage.  She decided to paint 200 of the area's known plants.  She gave 154 of her botanical illustrations upon trust for the benefit of Cooktown before she lost her battle to Parkinson's Disease.

Vera's work desk showing two of her works of the Cooktown Orchid upon the wall.

Yes, I had to find the "Cooktown Orchid" - is the Queensland State Floral Emblem.  The colour varies from pinkish-mauve to cerise or purple and then is a rare white.

From the orchid house we entered the historic Solander garden - part of Australia's oldest Botanic Gardens, established in 1878, the Gallop Botanic Reserve (encompasses 154 acres) on the edge of Cooktown and contains the Cooktown Botanic Gardens and walking trails to Finch Bay and Cherry Tree Bay.

The Solander Garden has living specimens of the 325 plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander.  They were here for longer than elsewhwere in Australia.  This makes the area the basis of the European knowledge of Australian flora of the time and therefore a very important part of our Australian heritage.

We strolled the pathways featuring exotic fruit trees as well as native and exotic palms, orchids and a huge variety of tropical species.  Read about the plants and the history while we listened to the calls of the fruit doves and other speies of birds amongst the huge trees.

Found this little orchid in the cut flower area amongst other wonderous flowering plants.

After getting bitten alive by mosquitoes for a couple of hours wandering the paths looking at the butterflies, trees, ferns and flowers we left and drove on out to Finch Beach before heading back to park ourselves in front of the television for Bathurst Supercars for the weekend.  Yes, Wayne was out of  bed before 7am so not to miss anything today - Sunday.!!!!

NO Darling, you cannot swim in that sea!!  It looks so inviting.

MULLIGAN HIGHWAY TO COOKTOWN

Leaving Mossman we turned up the Mossman Mount Molloy Road - very steep assent leaving the lush tropical rainforest and once over the ranges, it is replaced by more open tropical savannah as you travel through the tiny settlements common to Cooktown.

Beautiful fern covered trees in Mossman

A slow climb up through the Mt Rex Road

This is the inland Mulligan Highway

We stopped to refuel and have a bite to eat at the Palmer River Goldfield (est. 1873) roadhouse where the owner gave us his photo album to look through while we were there.  Very interesting to see the hardship's endured in the earlier years before the roads were sealed and most were rendered to bog in the wet seasons.  Trying to get supplies up here was not easy.

This goldfield was once Australia's richest alluvial field back in 1872 led to Queensland's largest gold rush.
It became legendary for its hardships and the large number of Chinese miners, which peaked at
17,000 in 1877.  Now a place of significant national heritage.

Heading north on towards Cooktown we passed through Lakeland with its natural basin formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago then on passing Annan Gorge and Black Mountain before reaching our destination Cooktown Racecourse where we will be for five nights while exploring this historical town.  We are free camping so our solar panels are a godsend even though most days have cloud cover.

After unhitching Duz Us we took a drive through the main street and stopped at the waterfront
to watch the local fishermen catching their dinner.

A steep climb up to Grassy Hill Lookout with this lighthouse now decommissioned

Grassy Hill looking south down the coastline

This is an aerial shot of where we are and heaps of information on Capt James Cook and Joseph Banks journals even on the downward drive there are plaques with quotes from their journals back in June 1770.

A little smokey as plenty of bushfire burnoff's happening.

THURSDAY 5th October - We decided to drive out of town and look at Archer Point with it lighthouse high up on the hillside with views of the windswept and rugged coastline.

Very windy atop Archer Point Lighthouse and remains of WWII lookout/radar buildings.

A steep descent down to Archer Point where campers fish in the bays.  No swimming up here - too many crocodiles and stingers!!!!

Once back onto Mulligan Highway we turn southwards to the mysterious Black Mountains, steeped in myths and legends, and are a special story place for the Kuku Yalanji people.  At the viewing area signage tells of the insight into this incredible 260 million year old rock formation.  Volcanic region.

I was fascinated by these outcrops of fig trees growing in the crevices up the mountain.

We then took the road out towards Bloomfield Falls passing through Rossville, Cedar Bay National Park, Ayton Beach before arriving at Wujal Wujal an aboriginal community.

Bloomfield River

The remote and beautiful Cedar Bay National Park is of great conservation importance with its mountainous hinterland, almost entirely covered in dense tropical rainforest, is fringed by sandy beaches and coral reefs.

No Wayne, we are not a 4WD so not going back to Cape Tribulation just down the road!!!!

Driving back the way we came, we stopped at the "Lions Den" at Helenvale.  Built in 1875, the historic Lions Den Hotel is the top place to stop and have a shandy and a cold beer.  From the old miners signatures that adorn the wall along with heaps of different memorabilia, the museum items donated by locals, the old mango trees out front and the old camel across the road, this place has plenty of charm.

Like plenty of outback pubs, this one leaves you with great memories of years gone bye.

One of the museum rooms.