Wait-a-While - Tablelands

Trip Review
Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I joined a tour to the tablelands (or Cairns Highlands as it is now supposed to be known) last week.  After viewing wallabies and Curlews around Cairns, we travelled up the Gillies highway, stopping at the lookout for a view over the lowlands below, then went to Lake Barrine for after­noon tea, (scones piled high with cream and jam).

We had our first walk in the rainforest, where we saw musky rat kangaroos, and various other animals, before heading to a  property to look for platypuses.  We saw them playing and feeding amongst the waterlillies.  This was on private property, and we could see the house in the distance.  It was wonderful to see them playing, but I couldn’t help thinking the owners were missing out by having their house so far from the water. 

We went to dinner at Nick’s Swiss Italian Restaurant in Yunguburra, and afterwards went to walk in the rainforest at different spots in  national parks.  It was very cold.  I found out the next day, that it was the coldest day on the tablelands so far this year.  My breath was making little clouds.  This made the rainforest seem even more like another world.  I had brought warm clothes with me, but was grateful for the extra warm clothing that was available. 

Walking along the tracks, we had good sightings of different animals, including a Herbert river possum (or her­bie as it is affectionately known) that was trying to cross from one side of the road to another over our heads. We watched him stretching to try and grab foliage from the other side, before trying a different route, and then giving up.  He seemed oblivious to the people that were only a few feet away from him. 

On our way home, we stopped for supper and further walking and spotlighting, before heading home again.  Everyone was exhausted but exhilarated by the trip.  Only Elsa (7 Yrs old) was asleep for the return trip.