atherton tableland

from cairns and the gbr at -20m to the tableland at 1300m. lyds and i were pushing our limits. the tableland is the size of the netherlands - a sprawl of rainforest, cleared hills for agriculture, waterfalls, crater lakes and national parks. the road we took from cairns to get there had 237 corners in 17km! note on the tableland: the land was originally owned by the ngadjonji tribe who would climb up to the tableland to escape the heat of the summer months. whites, in their search for gold and later tin, violently ejected them from the land.

lyds and i were pretty narc'd for the first day due to our busy diving schedule. however, we did get enough energy to marvel at the cathedral fig tree with its canopy the size of two olympic swimming pools. we then visited lake eacham, a volcanic crater lake known for its clear waters, violent creation, and resident turtles. we ate lunch and then went for a walk in the surrounding rainforest. one plant, the "wait around vine" has fine fish hook like barbs that ensnare you as you pass by. all you can do is wait around for help. it is also known as the "lawyer" vine, as once it gets its hooks into you it doesn't let go (sorry mark). one of our fellow hikers was a victim. as we passed through the green hills i napped in the sun. the cleared land for agriculture looked fake, almost like a warmer lord of the rings set. clicks of rolling hills and sheep. was i in australia or new zealand? after a bit of a drive we arrived at millaa millaa falls to the theme from 2001: a space odyssey, a perfect sheet of water dropping into a clear pool. lyds and i both swam through the freezing water and climbed behind the falls. from behind the falls, with the sun above us, you could lay back and look up at the falls and see each drop of water clearly defined. mesmerizing. hypnotizing. i jumped through the falls to swim back and dry in the sun. our last stop of the day was mt. hypipamee national park and the 138m crater of the same name. i heisman'd a rock down to the water that fills the crater. it sounded like a shotgun blast hitting the surface. lyds filmed it perfectly so i think i will send it to the ncaa. besides the crater we also got a chance to see dinner falls before going back to the hostel in yungaburra. unfortunately, lyds and i couldn't go night canoeing as the hostel was having vehicle problems so we went platypus spotting along the river instead. it took some patience but we saw the little buggers. when we got back to the hostel their workers brought out their collection of snakes. it was terrifying for me and lyds, but also interesting. we both stroked one as it weaved through a picnic table. ewwww. i am still more indiana jones than steve irwin.

day two started with a trip to another massive fig tree and then we took a 12km bike ride through the rainforest and surrounding countryside. along the way we worked up quite the sweat, and our guide even spotted a brown snake in the long grass (one of australia's deadliest snake). our guide even took us off the beaten track to some hidden waterfalls. we had to abandon the bikes for the hike into the forest and we got some great pictures. we got to see king ferns which are twice my height, and electric ferns which are older than the dinosaurs. we also got to be introduced to the gimpy gimpy - a spade (like the suit) looking plant that has microscopic hollow needles on its leaves. the effects of being stung with the needles last anywhere from 2 months to two years! after we tired of crossing waterfalls and fallen trees we returned to the bikes and made our way back to lake eacham for a needed swim. after lunch lyds and i canoed in lake tinaroo and felt like canadians again. during our canoe we spotted tree kangaroos in the setting sun as we coasted near the shoreline in the breeze. as a final touch on the day we beached our canoes at a rivermouth and found aboriginal ochre stones in the river. we spent the rest of the afternoon painting ourselves with the stones and taking pictures. very tribal experience. for some reason i couldn't stop talking like tarzan.

our trip back to cairns was also eventful. our bus driver, bart, was quite the character. he had the whole trip programmed with music selections such as ymca, the monkees, grease, in the jungle, etc. he got the whole bus singing and dancing, and he would even play with the lights in the bus as the songs progressed. during "in the jungle" he had the rows of the bus swaying in different directions, himself included. remember that this was in the same stretch of road that had the 200+ corners. we might have been goners, but what a party. he even had an elmo doll that he passed around to dance with, when he wasn't miming that elmo was driving. the man has now become a legend.

quick joke an irish chickie told the bus (stop reading now if you get offended): the hospital calls a husband and tells them that they have messed up his wife's test results. when he asks them what happened, he is told that they don't know if she has aids or alzeihmers. when the husband asks what he should do, the doctor replies that if his wife makes her own way home then he shouldn't fu*k her.

fly to alice springs tomorrow.