Atherton Tablelands

The hilly area inland from the Atherton Tablelands is called the Atherton Tablelands and is dominated by spectacular and diverse rainforest, waterfalls and distinctive hill towns. Atherton is the major town, Ravenshoe is the highest town in the area at about 920m or 3000ft while Yungaburra is a pretty small town.

Click on a picture for a larger version.

Millstream National Park

Millstream Falls, the park is exactly 100 years old and one of the state's oldest

The Falls are formed by the weathering...

of 3 layers of lava...

deposited between 3 and 1.2 million years ago

Cooling lava formed the crystaline appearance

This will be a raging torrent at times in the wet season

Dragonfly

The second lava flow forms the wall in the background

Regenerating woodland where the camp once stood

There is a new interpretive trail about the army camp opening 2 days after we were there...

that will provide information about the remains...

but most of the sign boards were not yet installed so we don't know what everything is

Ravenshoe - 18/06/08

Millstream near the town

The height of each sign represents the annual rainfall of that locality: this area is the wettest part of Australia

The town has a steam railway running 7km

The old station house

The train runs Sundays, but today a party of kids are getting a ride

People can camp at the station for $6 including power, a great deal for a location right in town... plus we have a garden!

Old station house

Waterfall Drive

Ravenshoe is very proud of its wind farm

The terrain here reminds us of new Zealand

Picture perfect Millaa Millaa Falls

Zillie Falls

Ellinjaa Falls

There is still a fair amount of rainforest in the region

Mungalli rapids above the falls

Mungalli Falls

Epiphytes

Papina Falls

Little Millstream Falls

Upriver from Millstream Falls

We were not sure what this ooze was

Tully Gorge

There were once falls on the right...

but now the water is diverted for hydro power

Rainforest walk

Pond at the top of the old falls

Looking over the falls

This succulent plant was used as a saw blade by Aborigines

Part of the hydro scheme

Innot Springs

Our campground from the front...

and back

Nettle Creek

Old tin mining equipment

Erosion near the old mine workings

Small wetland area

Innot Springs Hotel

The campground has 6 pools with varying temperatures

Ravenshoe - 22/06/08

Sunday market at the railway station

The train runs regularly on a Sunday

We get our same garden site

Spare rolling stock

Main street looking up the hill...

and down

Lake Barrine

Brush turkey

An old volcano crater

Kauri pines...

we last saw them in Northland NZ

Impressive vines in the rainforest

Common Black Snake... venomous and we hope not TOO common

Gillies Range

Heales Lookout on the eastern edge of the Tablelands

View towards the coast

Gillies Lookout

Atherton

At over 800m/ 2700ft the area is often cloudy

The Atherton Show was in full swing

Main Street

An Aussie institution, the drive through bottle store

Lookout from an old volcano

Wallaby

Rare type of forest, a remnant remains in the old volcanic crater

Yungaburra

Cathedral Fig

Figs grow around a host tree, drop their own roots and remain self supporting when the host dies. This one grew on a tree that then fell against another.