 The Herberton Historical Village gives you a feel of what Herberton was like in the early days through its Tin mining era. Being founded in the 1880s, it is the Tableland’s oldest town. The village takes you back in time with everything a town offered in those times, a pub, bank, school, chemist, butcher, car garage and many more. We had a pioneer camp oven lunch which was beef stew, damper and a pannikin of billy tea done over the fire, bloody delicious! Gumby was in her element with antique sewing machines and furniture while I discovered what being a teacher and a radio technician was like back in the day. We also came across a whole collection of Mount Isa Mining Magazines from the 1950s to the 1970s, which we could’ve spent hours looking through. After 2 days there we could’ve stayed another day discovering the village.
Just east of the Atherton Tablelands is a Lake that was formed by volcanic activity over 17,000 years ago. Lake Barrine started off as a crater, then after several wet seasons it’s now a 65 meter deep and 1.23 kilometre wide natural water feature surrounded by rainforest, a walking track and a teahouse, where we indulged in some scones. We walked round the 5.2 km track then realised it was great for running, so also ran a second lap 🌋🌋🌋🏃🏃🏃
 We ventured along two walking tracks, first the Nandroya Falls circuit track, about 6 kilometres return, which winds along the Douglas Creek to the Nandroya Falls. The other about the same distance was called, the Wallicher Falls and Gooligans picnic area track that took us past other spectacular falls and incredible rainforest scenery.  
Situated about 35 kilometres out of Innisfail on the Palmerston highway, these falls located in the Wooroonooran National Park, the traditional land of the Ma:Mu Indigenous people, were discovered in the late 1800’s whilst making a path from Innisfail to the Atherton Tablelands to facilitate the gold rush. The falls pass through crystal clear water with spectacular sightings of different species of moths and butterflies. We even came across a 1.5 metre water python, slithering past us on the track, our first snake sighting since we have lived up here 🐛🐍
 This unique castle was built by José Paronella, he arrived in Australia on 1913 and started cutting cane for a living, over the next 12 years he bought 15 properties and made his fortune through developing farms and planting cane. After 12 years he went to get his bride Matilda, Matilda wasn’t available when he arrived so he married her younger sister, Margherita instead. Jose and Margherita had their honeymoon in Europe and made their way back to Australia, with the fortune José made out of farming, he purchased 13 acres of land in 1929 on Mena Creek with the ambition of building a castle for the people. After years of labour, building the various castles using sand from the river and donated railway tracks, the park was opened in 1935. It had a grand hall, which was used for the theatre on Saturday nights and for other parties and dances and a smaller castle in the lower grounds used for refreshments. José’s hard work has taken a battering over the years with cyclones and floods, but still stands graciously between the Mena falls and surrounding rainforest. Shovel’s dad came for a visit, so it gave us a good reason to show him some sights and come out to Paronella Park for a look, its history is rich, you could visit time and time again and still discover something new.
Gumby’s Parents visit Cairns, Undara Lava Tubes and Mission Beach. Really enjoyable weekend and a wonderful adventure further inland.
 
 Gumby’s parents come up for a visit and planned a wicked trip out to Undara Caves. This place is a nice surprise when you arrive here, on the 4 hour drive from Cairns, the country changes dramatically, from lush green rainforest, to dry bushland with bits of basalt. The Undara Caves is also a caravan park and motel, a very unusual motel made of restored railway carriages that are turned into rooms. Undara is home to some of the largest networks of lava tubes formed around 190,000 years ago by volcanic activity through the Atherton Tablelands. Gumby's Mum made some epic sandwiches for the roadtrip.
Found in the Atherton Tablelands between Cairns and Innisfail, the circuit is worth a drive with a good view of 3 waterfalls: Milla Milla, Zillie and Ellinjaa falls. These falls were made through the water erosion of solidified lava hundreds and thousands of years ago. We also had a look at Mena Falls located at Paronella Park, Mena Creek, built over 70 years ago by a Spanish pastry chef José Paronella.
  A large freshwater lake hanging off the outskirts of Yungaburra in the high lands between Cairns and Innisfail, Lake Tinaroo is not only home to fishing events and watersports, but a beautiful war memorial in remembrance of soldiers and canines serving the war in Afghanistan.
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