Our trip to Queensland seems so long ago but I do want to tell you about the other places we visited, including the rest of our day out with Louise in the super comfortable black Mercedes.
We felt so small in comparison with the giant curtain fig.
After the quaint town of Yungaburra, (see my posting by scrolling down the page if you missed it earlier) we made a quick stop at the famous curtain fig tree. I have purposefully left us looking like midgets in front of this monster.
Lake Eacham.
Our next stop was Lake Eacham. Formed from an extinct volcano, it looks very peaceful now. An ideal spot for picknickers and swimmers (if they are prepared to tackle the very cold water), we found families spread around on the grass that leads down to the water. I’m sure it’s very popular in the hotter months as we were miles away from any beaches. With lots of reeds and grasses growing around the edge of the water I was afraid of stepping on a snake. I didn’t see any, but it looked like snake territory to me.
Malanda Falls
Malanda Falls, another short drive away, was well worth the visit. A steep walk and numerous steps down from the carpark meant that David couldn’t get to the water which tumbles over rocks, and forms a dam. It looks like another great place to cool off in summer, but swimming is not permitted. I presume it must be part of the local water supply for domestic use.
We were supposed to have our car and driver until about four pm, as she had another two bookings from Cairns – a wedding and a school dance – from 6pm. However, Louise was so keen to show us all the best places in the area that it was well after four when she dropped us at Palm Cove, with a half hour drive down the coast and the need to clean the car (a black Mercedes did collect some dust which spoiled its shine) ready for her next passengers. We had been careful to not leave a speck of dirt, food etc inside the car for her.
It was a fabulous day, well worth the cost. If you’re traveling to Cairns or further north and want the pleasure of seeing this part of Queensland without the hassle of difficult driving, we recommend Elliott’s Limousines, owned and run by Louise – a lovely lady and an excellent driver. And the best, most comfortable car.
The pool and its surrounds did look very inviting, so we ventured in on day two. Freezing. We thawed out in the spa and enjoyed the greenery.
to meet in the huge foyer, knowing that the children would go immediately to that enormous skeleton model. All we had to do was keep an eye out for them.
With tickets in hand we soon joined the merry group of Wordsworth admirers for the tour of Dove Cottage where he lived with his sister Dorothy (who seems to have done much of the work around the place while His Nibs swanned about, creating his poems.)
When Susanne and I received our tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show we were also given a year’s membership of the Royal Horticultural Society which included information about, and free or reduced entry into, amazing gardens all over the UK.
Stone walls surround the first, enclosed section of the garden which is managed by a group of enthusiastic volunteers. The day was warm but with rain forecast, we included umbrellas in our back packs. I love the way they have used the stone as a feature in the plantings.
small rowing boats or just playing around in the water. The bird life was having fun too.
On that first evening, we partly unpacked to find clean clothes, then ventured into town, walking beside the river that flows under and around some of the original buildings. Italian was the best choice for dinner, but they had no empty tables so we took a stroll, after asking them to save us a table in about an hour.
