Monday 3rd September - to Mission Beach via Tablelands
Wild Carol does Australia
John and Fiona Fraser
Mon 3 Sep 2018 16:00
146 5.676E
We enjoyed the Gillies Highway so much last time that this time we drove up it to stop at the viewpoint to take some pictures. The van managed fine, managing to go as quickly up the steep winding road as we’d want to go anyway. We were tailed up the hill by a massive cane truck (empty).
We stopped at the crater lakes, first Lake Eacham where there is a long-established tearoom with beautiful gardens; then Lake Barrine, which we walked around. On to Yungaburra for our second visit in a few days. We were there to go to the butchers to buy our dinner - crumbed chicken. We carried on through the dairy town of Malanda, stopping at Malanda Falls where the soldiers stationed there built a pool during WWII. Our destination was the Gallo dairy where they make cheese and chocolate. We bought enough cheese to last until the end of our trip!
We carried on back through Milaa Milaa - it seems a long time ago that we passed through here in the Landcruiser - and on to the Palmerston Highway back to the coast, calling in at Etty Bay to see if we could spot a cassowary - no luck! Finally we arrived at our Mission Beach campsite at nearly 5pm. This whole area was hit by Cyclone Debbie in March 2017 and it was noticeable here. The beach restaurant marked on the campsite map wasn’t there, just an empty site.
View from the Gillies Highway lookout
Gardens at Lake Eacham
Orchids growing on the palm
A bush turkey
Yungaburra butcher’s shop
Malanda Falls....
...with pool, like a lido?
A real turkey at Malanda dairy
