Our last day in Australia we drove our rental car up from the coast north of Cairns into the Atherton Tablelands -- a distinctly different climate and feeling than on the coast. Our route up there was a "lovely" little road known as Gillies Highway. The above photo is looking back down from whence we've come but is only a very little way along the way.
Here's the same picture but in color and with the track of the roadway highlighted. It continued just like that and worse for another thirty to forty kilometers -- and very steeply upward. It would be a fabulous road to do on a motorcycle and was really quite fun in a car. That's from the driver's perspective, maybe not so much as a passenger. You'd have to ask Fran about that.
Then we got to the top and the end of the curves and there was a scenic overlook so we could enjoy the fruits of our twisty climb. This was what we saw from there.
And looking back down the road, we saw this...
Aw well.... Shortly after getting back on straight roads, and out of the clouds, we followed signs that led us to the "Cathedral Fig Tree". There is nothing special about these photos. This is certainly a case of pictures being about the subject and not the photo. But the subjects are remarkable.
It's one of those living beings that you just can't help but stand and marvel at. Supposed to be around five hundred years old, it is a magnificent sight. Following are some shots that attempt, unsuccessfully I'm afraid, to adequately capture the glorious presence of this marvelous life.
It is aptly named the Cathedral Fig because there is a very strong spiritual feeling within it's aura.
Just another sample of the life that abounds in the shadow of the Fig Tree.
We visited another example of these wonders of the rain forest called the Curtain Fig, for fairly obvious reasons.
We followed a path through the rain forest near the Curtain Fig and encountered this somewhat familiar looking bird.
I have no idea what it's actual name is, but the locals call it the Bush Turkey. I do believe this one is likely to survive the holiday.
Still on the Tablelands we stopped by a waterfall, of which there are many but we only got to this one, and enjoyed watching these two young ladies cavorting in the pool below the falls.
And so ends our sojourn Down Under. Early the next morning, very, very early, we lifted up and away from Australia en route to Bali. I hope to get Bali sorted and reported during our travels toward Paris. We will be up in the air, literally, during much of Thanksgiving. So a Happy Thanksgiving to you all and to all a good morning.
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