The Lakes District ... of Atherton

First posted on May 8, 2013

My last day in Atherton. I wasn’t exactly up with the larks which meant that, as I was heading off for the day, I ran into the great aunt of the Boston Twins. They have a new cousin born this morning. I had dinner with the family (aunt and uncle of the twins) only last night, two Boston babies and two young Atherton cousins madly having fun together. More blessings.
And not so blessed. Back at the grandparents for dinner tonight, I took a call from my daughter-in-law. My son left for Afghanistan today. Prayers for safety being said.

But to today’s tourist travels.
First south to Mt Hypipamee National Park to see the Crater and Dinner Falls. My favourite falls remain those at Millaa Millaa, seen yesterday.

Dinner Falls

The Crater though ….. almost as soon as you get to the viewing platform you’re looking right over the edge, no gradual approach. The crater is deep enough that it made my stomach lurch, being afraid of heights, as I am. But then …. the setting was eerie. You could imagine “something” happening there, very much in the vein of Picnic at Hanging Rock (although very unlike the Hanging Rock landscape).

Hypipamee Crateer

Crater wall

Crater rim

Walking to the crater, I was fascinated by this amazing tree trunk.

Then north, first stop Tolga to visit the mainly wood gallery – there were some beautiful things. Just as well they were right out of my price range otherwise I could have been seriously tempted. As it was, I fell for the banana milk shake in the cafe there – just like the ones we had at home, how many decades ago?!

Next, on to more lakes …. Tinaroo, the biggest. But the part I arrived at was all boat ramps and fishing, which I think it pretty much is the whole way around. So I didn’t even get out of the car.

Lake Barrine, also a volcano crater but not spooky. I had lunch in the Tea House here – a pretty good frittata and an excellent salad. before arriving, I'd planned to have a boat ride but on seeing the place, it was too much like a toy boat on a pond.

Lake Barrine

Nearby in the rainforest that surrounds the lake were two kauri trees – the biggest trunks on any trees I’ve ever seen in Australia.

Kauri treetops - further up than the impression the photo gives

Massive Kauri trunk

In the cultivated gardens of the Tea House I got my best ever photo of a Ulysses butterfly. Not exactly a good photo (understatement!) but the blue of the butterfly is the best bit of it!

A patch of blue in the Lake Barrine Tea House gardens

 And broader view of the gardens …

Finally, Lake Eacham, another crater.

I liked this. I think because it was so relaxing watching fish and turtles swimming about. Humans are allowed to swim too but nobody was. I imagine it gets pretty crowded in summer. It’s very well set up with picnic areas, shelters, barbecues.

Fish but no fishing in Lake Eacham

Reflection and turtle

Turtle heading to dry land

I had a quick walk around Yungaburra on the way back, stopping in at the local library, as I often do when I’m somewhere new. It was small, to suit the small town, but looked well set up, displays were current, that sort of thing.

Distant view of Yungaburra and volcanic hills

ANZAC display at Yungaburra Library

The ever so slightly renovated Lake Eacham Hotel, aka the Yungaburra pub, looks like she could be a beauty if fully renovated. The lounge area (photographed through an open window!) looks straight out of the 20s or 30s - gorgeous!

On the road back to Atherton there was a sign “Cut flowers here”. I did a quick turn and made my way down the long gravel driveway. There weren’t as many flowers as I expected, almost none, in fact. I was shown boxes packed for shipping to different parts of Queensland. But I did get something suitable for the new mother (third child, second daughter) and the now well-experienced grandparents. I also learned that I haven’t been seeing corn crops all over the place. It’s maize!

Maize!

A (relatively) short day which gave me time to write some postcards – don’t do much of that any more – and then go to dinner at Nana & Grandad’s for the last time. We’ll have coffee in the morning in Malanda as I head off to Cairns. I’d better get packed!