On Thursday morning Robin joined a group to
go snorkelling in a river north of Mossman.
Back in Port Douglas I went shopping
and then went for a short walk taking some more photos.
After lunch at a delicatessen we went for a walk to the lookout.
After lunch at a delicatessen we went for a walk to the lookout.
Friday was the opportunity to explore part
of the Atherton Tablelands as we set out for Kuranda via Mareeba.
We stopped
off at the Mareeba Wetlands, a slow seven kilometer drive along a gravel road.
We arrived in time to go on a boat trip on the lake to view some of the bird
life.
There were many swans on the lake and when
the boat approached them they took to the air.
Other water birds visiting the wetlands
included this snake head darter, water hens, ibis and cormorants. Jabiru and
pelicans can also sometimes be seen but not the day we visited.
Part of the lake was covered with water
lilies that had recently been in flower. Many of the leaves had droplets of
water pooling on them. Some still had small white flowers.
In the information centre small birds could be viewed in the aviary.
The area round the lake was similar to much
of the land we had driven through on the tablelands with termite mounds
distributed among trees and scrub.
In Mareeba we visited Coffee Works and
tasted some of their chocolate before having a quick lunch.
We had first encountered Coffee Works at their stall at the Sunday Market.
There are a number of markets in the town
largely catering for visitors who have travelled aboard the Sky Rail or the
train or tourist bus from Cairns. Many of the stalls were closing as we arrived
but we were still able to explore a number of the shops and galleries.
This is
very much a tourist town providing a chance for locals to sell their wares. One
of the markets has a hippie atmosphere with small stalls groups together
selling a variety of goods and services.
Continuing on to
Kuranda, we arrived about 2.30.
We then returned to Port Douglas via the coastal road.
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