When travelling alone and staying at hostels in Australia
it is always very easy to meet new people. And so I did when staying at the
Globetrotter hostel in Cairns. They asked me if I wanted to join them on a road
trip to the surrounding country of Cairns. With ‘them’ I mean a girl from
France named Lea, one from Scotland named Keri, one from the USA named Julie
and an English bloke called Rory.
We departed the following day in a rental car to discover
the Atherton Tablelands, which holds the two highest mountains in Queensland
and is known for its beautiful waterfalls, endless green rolling hills and lush
rainforest covering the mountainside. With 5 people crammed into a small
Hyundai Getz we set off to our first stop, The Boulders.
The name more or less explains what we were about to see.
Giant Boulders with clear water flowing around them. It was too dangerous to
swim there and we followed a walking trail from look out to look out to take in
the beauty of the site. It looked a bit surreal. The way the water had shaped
the rocks over years and years to a smooth surface. Rounds boulders stocking
out, dimples carved away by the ever flowing water. Different colored layers
made up the surface of the rock. Ranging from dark red to light brown. I
reminded me vaguely of the manmade wild water rapids found in an old tropical
waterpark called Tropicana only much bigger and without the plastic tinge to
it.
We could immediately feel that we were in the rainforest.
Off course the tropical vegetation gave it away but it was the humidity that
was prominently present. I absolutely loved it. Nothing like some heavy sticky
air to remind you that you’re not in Kansas anymore.
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| Josephine falls |
We continued to what turned out to be one of the
highlights of our trip, Josephine Falls. Underway we found that Australians use
some pretty weird and macabre names for creeks and places. We passed a ‘Murder
house winery’, slaughter house creek and a Butchers creek. While we were
laughing about it we noticed a little town on the map called ‘Bones Knob’. I
imagined that to be a pretty sexy place to live in where ’70 porn star
moustaches are the facial hair of choice.
Anyways, back to Josephine Falls. This place was
absolutely amazing. Apparently everybody thinks so since a manmade concrete
path led us to it. The waterfall is fed by cold water coming down from Mt.
Bartle Frere, the tallest mountain of Queensland with its 1622 meters. The fall
cascades down over several levels. Grinding down the mainly marble and basalt
surface to a slippery slope before plunging in pool at the bottom only to
repeat this again until the incline drops and turn the river into a rapid
littered with boulders that disappears into the forest. The last pool isn’t fed
by the water falling down but rather by a slope that doubles as a waterslide
for the people who dare to brave the cool water. Surrounded by impenetrable
rainforest this clearing is breathtaking with the sun peering through the
canopy, glistening on the crystal clear water. We had lunch on a giant boulder
with a flat top in the middle of the stream looking out over the waterfall.
Soothed by the sound of the falling and flowing water.
After lunch I decided to check what beauty was hiding
behind the corner as the stream bend to the left into the forest. Jumping from
boulder to boulder I made my way down. The stream broadened a bit and forced me
to follow the water’s edge, but I didn’t make it that far. Using branches of
the trees lining the river to balance myself on the slippery rocks I felt
something brushing up against my shoulder. I turned out to be a web of the
weirdest spider I have ever seen. The little critter was about the size of my
fingernail with what looked like a shield of bright red and yellow which stuck
out on either end of its body. This encounter cured me of any other adventures
endeavors for the moment and reminded me that I was in a tropical rainforest in
a country where everything is either poisonous or venomous. I made my way back
to my travel companions to regroup and move to our next destination.
We followed the road that led all around Wooroonooran
National park. (Try and say that quickly 5 times) to Millaa Millaa Falls. It
took about an hour since everything in Australia is far away, but it was a
beautiful drive. Endless green rolling hills on either side. Grazing cows and
horses as little spots in the hillsides. Mt. Bartle Frere as background with
its summit hidden in the clouds. A wide range of the color green, the one shade
even brighter than the other.
As we cruised along we were overtaken by Jeep Wrangler
rented by some hipsters. They didn’t keep enough distance between them and a
big truck in front. Due to road works the truck had to brake and the Jeep
almost folded itself around the back fender. The smell of burning rubber and brake
pads greeted us accompanied by a big puff of smoke. It was a very close call.
After this ‘almost’ accident the driver of the jeep decided to continue in the
same fashion and overtook the truck in a corner while climbing a hill. We were
all dumbstruck by that and dubbed the Jeep, ‘work truck’ since it was obviously
full of tools (slang for dumbasses).
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| Millaa Millaa |
Not long after our front row seat show of faces of (near)
death we arrived at the circuit that led past three waterfalls. Millaa Millaa
being the biggest and most well-known. The waterfall was about 15 meters high.
The water plummeting down into a calm pond that drained into a small stream.
You could swim up to it and enjoy a nice massage of falling cold water. The
back of the waterfall I found especially interesting. Through all kinds of
ways, listed on a tourist information sign which I don’t remember, straight
columns of basalt, black at jet formed the wall behind the thin curtain of
water.
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| Ellinjaa |
Although MIllaa Millaa was supposed to be best one, I
favored Ellinjaa Falls. The water didn’t fall from hat high but rather cascaded
down over formerly jagged rock now rounded by the water. A big tree trunk that
came down the waterfall, probably during the raining season, was stuck a
shallower part right in the middle in front of the waterfall. This off course
made for a perfect picture opportunity and we all had our little ‘Kodak
moment’. The third fall was called Zillie Falls, but not as easily accessible
as the others.
Since it was close to 4pm we pushed on and headed for
Lake Eacham. A crater lake of 65 meters deep which made for a unique habitat. I
found it the (true) highlight of our trip. Rainforest lined the entire lake up
to the edge save for the manmade clearing used for sunbathing and picnics. There
was a certain calm about the place. A true serenity. It was quiet except for
the birds and sounds of the rainforest. A single pelican swam across the lake
as a silhouette while the reflection of the sun formed a golden dagger on the
water’s surface. I just sat there taking it in, writing in my journal trying to
find the words that did the place and the energy it emitted justice. I still
haven’t found them.
The sun was slowly descending towards the horizon and we
had one more thing on our list we wanted to see before heading back to Cairns.
Lea had already seen it and promised us that it was quite special. We went to
look at a tree. And not just a tree, but a curtain fig tree. The roots of fig
trees grow down from the branches to form trunks of their own and support the
ever widening ‘roof’. This tree however fell over onto a neighboring tree and
the roots had grown down as a curtain, hence the name. It was an enormous tree
around 500 years old and definitely something special.
We took about 20 minutes to marvel at the sight of the
forest giant and got back in the car for the last leg of the trip back to
Cairns. Most roads so far had been straight so we were not prepared for the
type of road that laid ahead. A 2 lane road winding down the mountain. Steep rock
cliffs on the left and a green valley on the right the road twisted and turned
constantly. Turn after turn at a pretty steep decline. It was called Gillies
Highway and it felt we were on a rollercoaster ride that lasted for over 30
minutes. I was loads of fun although not everyone in the car felt that way. But
after half an hour of snaking down the mountain everyone was glad that it was
over. The rest of the ride home was very smooth and we just chatted about what
an amazing day it had been.
We had driven about 300 km that day, had seen some
amazing places and all that for just $20. Being backpackers and always on a
budget, that made the already successful trip taste just a little bit sweeter.
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