Cairns – anevolvingscientist.org

Take any road inland from the main highway through Cairns and you’ll soon be climbing the great Dividing Range towards the Atherton Tableland. Heading north from Cairns, the main road inland is the Kennedy Highway. It leaves the highway at Smithfield and heads for the Barron Gorge, Kuranda and Mareeba. An earlier post about the train journey to Kuranda appeared here.

Instead, heading south from Cairns to Gordonvale, a less busy road, the Gillies Highway, climbs the range, with 38 km of very winding road towards the town of Yungaburra. There is no stopping for photos on the narrow road, as the driver is focussed on navigation and steering! After passing Lake Barrie and the Crater Lakes National Park, Yungaburra is reached in time for lunch! While not strictly ‘landscapes’, the town is quite photogenic.

Cafe with a Sense of Humour, Yungaburra

Whistle Stop Cafe, Yungaburra

The Yungaburra Pub

The highlight of this visit to the hinterland is the nearby Curtain Fig National Park. As seems to be the case in Queensland, there is excellent signage to explain the nature of the park and the unique tree that provides the basis for its name.

National Park Signage, Curtain Fig National Park

Curtain Fig National Park

Tall timber, Curtain Fig National Park – note the elk-horn high up

Elk-horn high up on tall timber, Curtain Fig National Park

Curtain Fig signage

Curtain Fig

On the main highway north from Cairns, there are regular exits towards the coastal beach communities and resorts. One exit between Cairns and Palm Cove leads to the delightfully named Yorkeys Knob. After passing through the village, at the end of the road is a rather smart marina protected by a breakwater.

However, it was not the expensive pleasure craft that piqued my interest, but something else. Part way between the highway and the coast, we came across the Cattana Wetlands.

A relatively recent project (2009), funded by the State and Local Governments, the whole wetlands have been created on the site of former sand mining operations. The site is well marked with appropriate signage, including recognition of the original land owners.