Atherton

A lovely day today as we covered about 100km around the area.  We drove across to Malanda through beautiful farm land and broad acreage. Its so green and the crops are thriving.  It reminds me of the Southern Highlands in parts with green fields and rolling pastures in the distance. Its very different to the landscape along the coast where sugar cane dominates the scenery. The Malanda Falls were pretty and they have built a swimming pool at the base of it.  It was green and not so inviting but a lovely place to sit all the same.  We drove into town and stopped at the Dairy Centre Museum and stayed for lunch.  It was pretty low key with lots of poster boards telling the stories of locals who pioneered the area. On to Millaa Millaa where we saw nothing really, but did we stumble upon the most amazing logs of kauri pines taller than Rick in diameter. A tree fell in 1993 and has been cut into massive logs and moved to a shed of no noteworthiness at the back of the main street. We happened to stumble upon them and they were incredible. 870 years old with a diameter of up to 10 metres.  Amazing.  Further up the road we ventured along the waterfall circuit, stopping at Millaa Milla Falls, Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls.  All very pretty and well worth the drive. Millaa Millaa Falls were packed with plenty of tourist catching some rays and taking a dip. A mini bus of Japanese tourists took a particular liking to Zachie and kept pointing at him and watching every move, laughing, gooing and gaaing and pratilling on in their native tongue. Evidently he was more exciting than the scenery. On the way home we headed past The Crater and Dinner Falls that were hidden in yet another rainforest. The track in was tarred and narrow but OK until we got closer to the crater where it had a very steep decent on the cliff side. The Australian Museum had a team of researchers diving in the crater, the first group to survey it since the 1950s. We had an interesting chat and Maxie asked way too many questions.  We took the track some other tourists suggested back via the waterfall and it was very scary.  A goat track, slippery, steep and I cannot believe they would encourage it with three small kids.  I was scared, Rick was very stressed and the kids were tripping over and frightening the hell out of us.  Thank god it came to an end and we were in one piece.  Never again.  Dinner beckoned and on the way home we stopped in at the Atherton International Club that was having an Italian night.  It reminded us of the Yoogali Catholic Club and we felt very at home amongst the local Italians.  And dinner was as expected, just as the Nonnies would make back home in Griffith at one of the clubs.  Rick thought the meatballs were excellent which is pretty impressive given his educated palate in meatballs.  Home to bed and the kids were asleep within minutes. Zachie feel asleep in car and I changed a stinky nappy, dressed him and put him to bed without so much as a murmur.