{"id":161,"date":"2012-12-27T18:04:24","date_gmt":"2012-12-27T10:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.joel.net.au\/?p=161"},"modified":"2026-06-21T14:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T06:55:59","slug":"head-for-the-hills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/day.lat\/lon\/2012\/12\/27\/head-for-the-hills\/","title":{"rendered":"Head for the Hills!"},"content":{"rendered":"

After spending a nice day taking dips at Tully Gorge, I decided I was dipped out and in need of a bit more variety – even though I had booked two nights there. Once again, I found myself to be the sole camper in the national park, even though it would be considered the busiest week if it were back in Perth. I decided to take a bit of a gamble and cruise up the coast to find somewhere in between Tully and where I needed to be on the 28th. I checked out a few campsites on the way up the coast and then decided to head for the hills\/mountains outside of Cairns. After a potentially car-sick drive up some extensive and impressive switchbacks, I found myself in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia I’ve come across. In fact, it reminded me more of Wyoming than Australia due to its completely different look and feel of lush green vegetation, mountains, and abundant freshwater streams and lakes. Being at a higher elevation, it was also much less humid than the tropical coast. It reminded me a lot of Margaret River with all its things to see and do. There was even evidence of some good mountain bike tracks in the area, with all the impressive cycling gear piled on the back of cars. <\/p>\n

\"Atherton
Atherton Tablelands outside Cairns, Queensland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Atherton
Atherton Tablelands outside Cairns, Queensland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Campsite
Campsite in Atherton Tablelands outside Cairns, Queensland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I ended up finding a place near a crater lake named Lake Eacham and got lots of advice on things to see and do in the area on my way up to Daintree National Park tomorrow. Had a nice Austrian dinner in a local village, took a nice little hike through rainforest jungle around Lake Eacham, saw an absolutely amazingly huge fig tree canopy (in fact, several in different places), and had a nice cooling swim in Lake Eacham in the evening before bed.<\/p>\n

\"500-year-old
500-year-old Curtain Fig Tree in Atherton Tablelands outside Cairns, Queensland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"500-year-old
500-year-old Curtain Fig Tree in Atherton Tablelands outside Cairns, Queensland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Funny how I was just saying to someone how you often find yourself in a state of panic about certain logistical things to do with these trips (like finding last-minute accommodation in the middle of the Christmas-New Year’s holiday period when most Australians are on vacations), but everything always seems to fall perfectly in place at the last minute.<\/p>\n

Lake Eacham Walk Circuit<\/strong>
\n\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t
© OpenStreetMap<\/a> contributors<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/canvas>\r\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t