When we had gone to bed it had been raining. When we awoke it was still raining, at times heavily, so we had a leisurely breakfast, considered where to go and eventually decided on the Atherton Tablelands which had been recommended by folk I met briefly at Eungella and also got several mentions in the Rough Guide and leaflets we had acquired.
We followed the Cook Highway and shirt distance then turned inland and started to climb up into the tropical forest on a winding road. At a viewpoint overlooking the coastal plane we saw the beautiful Cairns Birdwing Butterfly and the person who identified it recommended we visit the Barron Gorge near Kuranda as the rain would have swelled the river turning the falls into a magnificent sight.
She was right! We followed signs to the Barron Falls which are overlooked by several viewing platforms linked by a walkway that threads its way through the tropical forest. They were spectacular! The quantity of water, the spray, the thunderous sound of water cascading, the spray combing with low wispy cloud all made for a wonderful experience. The photographs do not do it real justice. I think, apart from Niagra, these must be amongst the most spectacular and powerful falls I have yet encountered in my travels so really I should be thankful for the rain!
We motored on to Mareeba, a small linear country town and because it was mid afternoon almost every shop was closed! It felt like a ghost town. Clearly tobacco is grown in the area as there was a building devoted to the Tobacco Growers Association and we also spotted a Ladies Waiting Room and several other early 20th century buildings. We finally found a cafe that was open and still cooking so we settled into a couple of chairs on the pavement and watched as the odd car came and went and one or two people were in evidence but this was Saturday afternoon and the town was deserted.
It was too late to visit one of the coffee growers and exhibitions as they all seem to close about 1500 so we motored on across the Tablelands past orchards, more sugar cane, tobacco and coffee plantations and a wide range of other fruits and vegetables then it got darker, the rain began again and accompanied us intermittently all the way back to the apartment. Still, it had been dry, apart from dripping rain forest, during our walk at Barron Falls and whilst we had been out and about and as we were later told, we are seeing the area at its best in part because we are still in the wet season.
We dined on beef and chicken curries, rice and nan with a sharp white wine, did some reading, photo editing and a bit of tv watching and went to bed.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment