Back at 'The Jack' and a trip to the Atherton Tablelands.. On the Wallaby

Mon 13th Oct

Today's plan = sorting out the next few weeks journey down the East Coast from Cairns to Brisbane.. I initially want to find a small group of travellers to all rent/buy a car/campervan and head down the coast together. After putting up an ad on gumtree I head out into town with the intention to find out more about the possibility/cost of getting a campervan and about the route... Two hours later I have booked up Whitsunday/Fraser Island/Atherton Tablelands and.. the Greyhound Bus! Having met and spoken to an English guy Dan (different from last week) about the idea of campervaning I return to find that he has also decided on the Greyhound option and we have similar dates in mind. It's good to have a clearer idea of where/when I'll be at different places and actually set off from Cairns. In the evening I meet other people in the hostel (I am now staying in the main part of the hostel where there are just dorms, as opposed to the smaller 'deluxe' rooms I was in the first week), we all head out. 

Tues 14th Oct

After a heavy night I sleep in for most the morning, today is a right off.. a day for washing clothes! In the evening me, Dan, Jonny, Lil and Ali are a team for the quiz.. a close but no prize 3rd place. It is the Americans' and my last night (before my 2 day Atherton Tablelands trip) so we all head out for a fun night with plenty of interesting dance moves. It has been a great few nights meeting the group, who were really friendly and we shared a lot of jokes. 

Weds 15th Oct

Up and leaving the hostel at 7.30am ready to be picked up for my trip..'On the Wallaby'. Bart, our guide and driver for the first day is immediately welcoming and introduces me to the rest of the group already on the minibus. . and continues with each person after each pick up, helping us to remember names.

On the bus is Nick (a Dutch traveller), Beth and Lucy (two English girls from Hertfordshire), and soon Stefanie joins us (a Swiss girl), along with a couple of American guys, German Couple and an older German lady. 

After picking everyone up we are soon leaving Cairns behind us and heading up the windy road on the side of the mountain where the forest turns to rainforest. We stop beforehand for a view across the landscape.  

Our first stop is the Cathedral Fig Tree, a gigantic 500 year old strangler tree. Next we head to the volcanic crater, Lake Barrine where we explore the rainforest surrounding it, swinging from on a tree rope before having lunch, then spotting some small turtles in the water before having a swim. Next we head to the Milla Milla Falls (famous for Herbal Essence advert and.. Peter Andre's Mysterious Girl). The here is freezing and there is a lot of shade so no sun to warm you up! After swimming to the falls and back.. (shivering for most of it..) the girls are soon attempting and succeeding in getting some pics of the water hairflicks.  Next we head for a jungle trek to the Dinner Falls and the World Heritage listed Mount Hypipamee National Park. In the evening we go Platypus spotting and also see a possum in the trees above us. A tasty BBQ ends a packed first day of the trip, with plenty of fun and laughter and new friends. 

Thurs 16th Oct

 After breakfast we are heading off for the start of our day of activities.. 1st = Mountain biking. The track is tough in places (for a novice such as me) but a lot of fun.. I manage to come off my bike a couple of times (just a few grazed knees and elbows)... the hilly parts I am soon walking my bike up .. oh dear.. by the end we are all tired! Only Nick and Stef are pros and take the harder route at each opportunity. Unfortunately for you/fortunately for me I do not have the pics yet which includes me on off the bike so a future edit of this post will come! 

On our route back for lunch we stop off to see the Curtain Fig Tree then in the afternoon we go canoeing and attempt to spot wildlife before painting our faces using the Aboriginal orhre clay. In the evening me, Nick, Beth, Lucy and Stef all meet up for some drinks. 

A great trip, with lots to see and enjoyable activities, my time in Cairns is coming to an end.. tomorrow I will be taking the Greyhound Bus with Dan to Mission Beach and the start of my journey down the east coast.