Malanda

We spend a week at a Christian Campsite at Malanda. We definitely have a taste of winter here with very chilly nights and mornings. We finally get to use all our winter clothes!! During our week here Chris helps out with some jobs and we also enjoy this beautiful place. A canoe on the lake was one of our favourite things to do. We got up close to some cute little platypus.

As well as enjoying a canoe on the lake, we would also sit up here and enjoy our breakfast while watching the platypus swimming around.

This was one of the girls favourite spots. There were 2 waterslides and 2 diving boards. The big waterslide was sooo fast and scary (Iknow from experience!) Even though it was winter and we'd had frost in the morning, the day warmed up enough to go for a swim, if you could cope with the icy water!

Dairy Disaster

We visit the dairy which is run on the property where we're staying. It was a bit of a disaster!! As soon as we went down in to see the milking, a cow lifted it's tail and before we knew it.....there was poo splattered everywhere!! Lucy came off worst, with poo all over her. She was extremely upset and started shouting between tears that she hates dairies and is never coming back!! Poor little thing (but it was quite a funny site!!)

This is Dinner Falls in Hypipamee NP. On this same walk, there was also a huge crater. Pretty amazing!

On the weekend we explore around Malanda. We take a drive around the lakes district (which is beautiful) and find "The Cathedral Tree'. It is a MASSIVE fig tree which is great for climbing.

Just out of Milanda is the Nerada Tea Factory. All their black tea is grown here on the Atherton Tablelands. We have a look around and find out how tea is made.

The girls smell all the different types of tea. We decided our favourite was Rooibos with vanilla flavour, so we bought some!

At the caravan park in Milla Milla, the girls found this fantastic place to play. It was like the bamboo had been shaped into a ready made cubby house. They had so much fun we wouldn't see them for hours!!

Milla Milla and Ravenshoe

It was such a gorgeous day in Milla Milla (quite rare we are told), so we whipped through school in just over an hour and went for a drive to Ravenshoe (the highest town in Qld). It was such a beautiful drive with some stunning scenery. I think I'm going to love the Atherton Tablelands (even if it is a bit cold!!)

Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls...

Just a warning that you are about to see many photos of waterfall after waterfall!!! This is Millstream Falls, the widest waterfall in Australia.

Little Millstream Falls. A really nice walk down to the bottom of these!

Lucy shows off the Pepina Falls!

Ahhh...pretty. Souita Falls

We liked this one! Ellinjaa Falls

And this is Zillie Falls

Milla Milla Falls

This is Milla Milla Falls. Apparantly the most photographed of all the waterfalls.

Leaving Innisfail we drive inland and stop at Mungalli Dairy. What a gorgeous view. We sat and enjoyed a coffee on the deck of the cafe and then tasted their yoghurts and cheese they made here. Yummo!!

Babinda

We decide to drive to Babinda for the day. As we get into town we see signs saying it's called 'The Umbrella Town'. I google it and find out it's the wettest town in Australia. As you can see from our rainjackets, it didn't disappoint!! A wet day!

Babinda Boulders on a wet and misty day!!

It was still warm, yet raining, so this is how Lucy decides to wear her rain jacket.

Josephine Falls

Josephine Falls. A lovely place, but wet and slippery on a day like today!

Three cold little girls. They couldn't resist going for a swim, it just looked way too much fun but way too cold for mum and dad!!

Innisfail

In Innisfail, we stay at the Baptist church for the week while Chris replaces all their doors

Paronella Park

After leaving Tully, we drop into Paronella Park on the way to Innisfail. You get a free night in the caravan park with your entry, so we enjoyed an afternoon tour as well as a night tour and went back in the morning for another look (just because we could!!) Paronella Park has a wonderful story behind it. It was built by a Spanish man in the 1930's and the tour guides were very passionate in their retelling of the history of this beautiful place. Listening to the stories made the experience all the more enjoyable!

This was the old ballroom where many grand dances and weddings were held. The girls and I pretend we have big, fancy ball gowns on and 'waltz' around the ballroom!!

It was quite a big park with lots of places to explore and enjoy. It was a gorgeous way to spend the afternoon.

What a sight seeing this walkway lined with huge Kauri trees. They've withstood quite a few major cyclones.

Paronella Park had a night tour as well. It was just magical to walk around and see this beautiful place at night!

Day and night shot of one of the castles.

At night they lit up the castle bit by bit and even

had music playing to add to the atmosphere!!

Tully

From Cardwell we travelled down the road a bit to a farm just out of Tully. The Pastor of Tully Baptist owned it and it had been devastated by the cyclone. It was exciting for us to see God's perfect timing again!! We arrived at just the right time to not only help out in a practical way, but to encourage them and just be there to chat. Such wonderful people doing God's work, it was a privilege to help them out.

What a joy and blessing to be in step with God's plan for our lives as we travel.

During our stay at Zane and Jo's, Chris was busy enclosing a room, tiling, creating walls where there were none and lots of other odd jobs around the farm.

It's so great when we meet and make new friends. This is Erika and we loved getting to know her and her family while in Tully. The girls have exchanged emails and are already busy writing!!

Tully Gorge

After church we take a drive out to Tully Gorge and get there just in time to watch the white water rafters come down.

Ahhh....memories!!! Twleve and a half years ago, Chris and I went white water rafting down Tully Gorge on our honeymoon!!!

We had our own little white water rafting where we we staying! Certainly not scary, but very relaxing and lots of fun!

While on the farm, the girls enjoyed exploring on the 4 wheeler. What gorgeous countryside!!

The girls jump at the chance to ride 'Rex'. Bridget really loves it and had some lessons. She was riding on her own by the end of our time there (and bareback!!)

A Cassowary

Some people from church took us to Etty Bay hoping we'd see a cassowary.....and we did!!!! The cassowary lives up here in Tropical Queensland.

Such a strange looking animal! Really cool to get so close to it though.

Chris and the girls climbed the giant gumboot in Tully. It's a very wet place and this gumboot was built at the height of the highest yearly rainfall - 7.9m! We were extremely surprised that it didn't rain our whole 2 weeks there.