Oz Blog #12 Platypus, Atherton, Cairns, and Trinity Beach.

Whoop dee do,

Life on the Tablelands is a happening place!

Below is the small creek that runs through Yungaburra, a 2 minute walk along the creek to see a Platypus feeding.

We watched the final day of a  cycle race series called Tour of the Tropics.

A 3-day event, this was one of the Criterium races. This guy made his break and took off on lap 2 

Here is the pack which for 40 minutes didn’t make any impression on his lead until 3 laps from the end when he got caught with 1 lap to go.





An amazing pattern (fungus I think) on these leaves,  I did the same walk a week later in different weather and this was gone!

These two guys I remember from a not so recent trip to Cairns.

They are now in a pub in Atherton, they were rescued from the Blues Bar in Cairns which is no longer and these were headed for the dump.

This was over 10 years ago, and I’ve still got that sax, that hat and those pants.

The falls at Millaa Millaa, are certainly a tourist attraction

Wot a great use of hair ... it was a cold day too!

The Atherton Table lands is famous for waterfalls. You have to do something between the cafes, coffee and tea plantations, chocolate shops, vineyards and distilleries, so they invented waterfalls.

Below is the shed where we are parking up our caravan over the Queensland summer (big thumbs up to Peter and Ann of Nardoo fame) till we return next year to resume our jaunts around Australia.

A tricky bit of backing, with heated directions/instructions, we survived it.

When we popped up the roof we only had about 40mm clearance...whew!

Millaa Millaa is quite famous for its dairy produce and before that its timber. This is in fact a Kauri tree tho a slightly different Latin name than the NZ Kauri. 

Unbelievable as it may seem, yes they do have Kangaroos that climb trees. They even have rope bridges across some of the roads so they can get across the road without being hit. I took the photo below as proof to my disbelieving brother-in-law in Whangaparaoa who thought I was pulling his leg (as if I would?). Fair dinkum Mate! 

We headed down off the tablelands and into Cairns for a few days to check out the Great Barrier Reef and some other attractions around this area.

Aussies relaxing as only Pelicans can.

A contemporary Aboriginal art exhibition was on in town, with quite a bit of reference to the recent past and “white fella’s” influence and attitudes.







The future leaders of Australia - maybe but not soon.

Christine took a tour of the Barrier Reef in a glass bottomed boat. The coral was quite colourless, not what she expected to see.

We headed up the coast a little and found (by mistake) Trinity Beach and what a find.

Nice little cafes right on the beach with such a lovely outlook.

I took a similar shot last year about 1000 km south at Cooloongatta.

That’s one hellava long beach (just joking!).



Trinity Beach was a training beach for troops during World War 2.

They practised and rehearsed the beach landings in as real a situation as possible in Queensland for the real thing in Europe

Quite amazing to think this beautiful beach was used for this type of activity. Don’t we live in changing times.

Next we headed north to Port Douglas.

It’s an absolute tourist town mecca - I counted 5 Gelato icecream shops in Main Street.

And I didn’t even partake, honest injun.

Well that’s all for this blog. Whew I get tired just viewing what we’ve done in Australia .

Next we headed to Hartleys Crocodile Adventures and man was that hair raising stuff.

Till then stay safe, be creative and have fun.

Your good life depends upon it!

Cheers

Jimu & Christine.

OZ Blog#11 Ravenshoe, Yungaburra Market day, Atherton Mens Shed.

We were keen to get to the tablelands because I knew of the Yungaburra Market being so good from when I last visited it when house sitting near Yungaburra. We stopped briefly in Ravenshoe, this hotel at the top of the town states it’s Queensland’s Highest Pub. 

This hairdressers shop was a weird and wonderfull mix of art and wacky trendy things to buy!

Once again we struck it very lucky being able to park up on a friend’s farmlet and settled into this interesting area!

We were struck by the extreme change in the country from the sparse, dry and dusty land of the outback to the green lush and colder country of the tablelands. It felt like being back in NZ, with the hills being so much like Rosedale.

The cattle come and say hi.

These dark red cows with the white nose are a breed called DroughtMaster.

Ah the magic of having a fire to cook on, to stare into, and to warm the body - simply divine.

For all of the week the weather was pretty much like this, but brightened up lower down (we are at 1000m) if we went into Atherton or thereabouts.

Saturday morning and off we went to the market at Yungaburra.

Man it was buzzing, heaps of people and most of the stalls were really good quality.

Most of my time was spent looking instead of busking - next month will be different!

Hows this for ingenuity - a wheelbarrow tyre water pump.

Sculptures from old shovels and spades and other tools of a forgotten age (nearly).

Pick up here, put down there - sometimes life just overflows.

After the market we explored the town further, here is the Mad Hatters Cafe.

When I walked in wearing my juggling hat I was welcomed with open arms (literally),

So I’ve gotta go back and show off my other hats.

 Don’t ya just love the Aussies, Mate!

I visited the Atherton Mens Shed, an interesting place in the old railway station building.

Only around 65 guys in this shed, maybe 50 of them are active and visit regularly.

The metals division.

This is Merv who showed me around on the first visit.

An impressive table saw purchased with grant money.

And the wood store. This Shed breaks down a lot of pine pallets and other nicer Queensland woods, and this stuff is under lock and key.

The Fronius Grey box and below it the battery for the whole rooftop bank of solar panels which generate all of this Shed’s power requirements.

They have many 3ph machines as well and apparently don’t run short of power. They are open every weekday from 8.30am to 12.30pm, so they are not using power for long periods of time.

I decided to join the Shed as I will be in this area for the next two months after Christine heads home to get back to her gardening and gym and volunteering at the RDA.

This was a special smoko for Fritz aged 85, who is cutting his birthday cake. I chatted to him afterwards and found out he came out from Germany in 1956 and spent all his life self-employed as a diesel mechanic trained by Bosch. Three years ago he survived  a major accident when the blade of his hovercraft came off and hit him in the face. His words were: ”I’m a survivor”.   

Below is the current Australian Men’s Shed Calender  pin up guys for December....

not the Atherton shed, tho we did drive through Mt Perry earlier ...sorry to have missed you guys! 

So This brings another Oz blog to a close.

Still so much happening this end..the blogs are piling up!

Cheers from the Tablelands in Far North Queensland (or FNQ for short)

Stay safe, be creative and have fun!

Jimu and Christine