6th May tourists on the Atherton Tableland - Lake Barrine - Mareeba - coffee works - Hartleys Croc World

Monday 6^th May

Yesterday we had a totally touristy day.  Pete left the boat early, again, to talk to some of the other people on the marina about the Indonesian rally, starting from Darwin in June.  As well as this we met Dot, a cheery chick on the big boat next door – a converted quarantine boat, built in 1952.  She too is from Tasmania – from Flowerpot, in fact.  So may Tasmanians here, in this small marina – Chris, from Hobart (I think…), Tim and Barbara, from Hawley Beach, another Tasmanian boat in last night… Pete says if all the Tasmanians out sailing around the world went home, the island might sink!

We had a long drive up into the Atherton Tableland.  Such a steep, winding road – we felt like cyclists in the Pyrenees, on the Tour de France, only a whole lot more comfortable in the little Daihatsu.  I took a touristy panorama shot at one of the lookouts, just because I could.  Also, I think the little dove coloured car needs to be celebrated in photographic form, it was so reliable up and over the hills, twists, turns.

Our first stop after our Photo Op was at Lake Barrine Tea Rooms, in operation since 1926, with the same family.  Very old-fashioned, with scones, jam and cream, and chairs wearing chintzy skirts.  We had a cup of coffee and sat looking over the little lake, not much bigger than a football field said Pete, but in fact about the size of a polo ground.  We were very amused to see that there were two tourist boats in operation, from the little jetty below the tea rooms.  If they were both on the lake at the same time, said Pete, they would bump into one another.  The lake teemed with life – little turtles, large eels, lots of birds.  We were very taken with these little coot-like birds, which swam around valiantly, diving down for fish, chasing each other in a very territorial way.  They really struggled, paddling along, and Pete pointed out that it was all very difficult for them – they don’t have webbed feet, like the little mallard ducks which gilded past, effortlessly, beaks in the air.

The climb through the mountains up to the Tablelands was through beautiful thick, steep rainforest.  And then at the top – rolling paddocks, rich red soil, sugar, mangoes, avocadoes, corn, coffee, peanuts!!  This was all very well known to Pete, who lived up in this area for a few moths in 2004.  But all new to me!

We went through Yungaburra, which was such a pretty little town, a bit like a Blue Mountains township.  I expected all of the towns would be similar.  But no… Atherton was a bitter disappointment, all felt, and not cute or quaint at all.  Pete had had lunch there at the pub, which he said was very nice, but he agreed to press on to Mareeba, which I assured him would be DELIGHTFUL.  It wasn’t… But there was a fabulous coffee place…just turn left, and go 500 metres, and there you are!  Coffee Works – go there!  We had a delicious lunch – Pete had an enormous bratwurst in a fresh bread roll, I had delicate chicken skewers with cucumber.  And here is Pete drinking a VERY creamy icecreamy affogato I told him to look happy, but maybe not quite as happy as this!!

This coffee shop sells fresh roasted coffee from the region, and there is a shop as well as a café … an amazing shop…a bit like Reliquaire in Latrobe, minus the dolls and stuffed toys, but totally full of bedazzling knickety-knackeries, lanterns, soap, home decorator books, and – of course – a delightful selection of hippydippy clothes to which I was magnetically drawn.  (And no I didn’t buy any…)

A panorama shot back at Hartleys Croc World – more extreme prettiness…

Our tickets from the day before allowed us to go back there to see some of the bits we had missed.  We sat, riveted and highly entertained, by the Croc Attack display.  Yet another very talented, funny, self-deprecating presented, full of information and fun.  And totally terrifying to see a 3.5 metre croc erupt from about 30 centimeters of murky water, where he had been completely invisible…setting up his ambush attack.

Last night was more social than touristy.  We were invited to dinner in a beautiful house on Kewarra Beach, full of books and art.  Oh and also full of very ncie people – former Tasmanians Diana and Rosemary, their husbands Clive and John, and their friend Bill.  John, Rosemary and Bill had an infinite amount of information about the coast north of here; Pete took copious notes.

Today – another touristy day…and a bit of preparation for the next leg of our trip – NORTH!!