Atherton Tablelands and Cooktown

Saturday 14th September.
We leave Undara national Park heading for the Atherton Tablelands It doesn't take long before the scenery starts to change. It soon becomes lush and green with rolling hills very pretty and such a dramatic difference to where we have been. Its a few degrees cooler. We stop at Millstream falls the first of many waterfalls in the area. We stay at Lake Tinaroo just past Atherton which is a lovely spot and use this as our base.

 

Sunday is a big day of sightseeing and cheese tasting when we visit some local dairies and cheese making places in nearby Milla Milla and Malanda. Waterfalls are also on the to do list and we look at several. Next is Nerada tea plantation. Its a beautiful day but because it is Sunday there are no tours operating or cheese making at the Dairies.

Monday we head up to the town of Mareeba to Coffee Works. This place was great, coffee, tea, and chocolate tasting as well as a museum on the history of coffee and a processing shed where the kids could see coffee beans being roasted. We did some  coffee tasting which we all thought was disgusting but as much chocolate tasting as you wanted! Which was more up my alley and the kids... The kids get a milkshake and a quiz to do with a chocolate prize at the end.


Cooktown
Tuesday 17th September we are on the move again. We've made it to Cooktown! In my wisdom I decide today can be an ipod/I phone free day a decision I quickly regret. it was more punishment for us I think! what a long trip. The Landscape changes quite dramatically again back to dry and long stretches of nothing.
We arrive in Cooktown at 1.00pm and hit the pool for the afternoon.
The scenery is beautiful we head down to the Wharf area along the Endeavour river and have fish and chips while the sun sets......cant get much better than this.





Wednesday and Thursday we look around Cooktown some of the sights include :
The Botanic gardens

A walk down to Finch bay which is lovely but swimming not recommended due to crocodiles and jellyfish!















Grassy hill lookout gives amazing 360 degree views of Cooktown



The Captain Cook Museum



The cemetery and a walk down the main street where we encounter some school kids doing a march for NAIDOC week which we find out stands for ( National Aborigines and Islanders Day observants committee) which celebrates the history, culture and achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people. Some Aboriginal kids were in dance dress with paint and carrying the aboriginal and Australian flag.

 

 

Thursday afternoon we try our luck fishing off the wharf .Nice try Jess bit bigger next time.