A day in Mareeba; exploring Granite Gorge then a film under the stars.

Emily

It’s crazy to me that I have lived in Australia for two years now. It really doesn’t feel like that long ago I was sat at my desk in work, staring out the window and thinking “get me away from here!” I’ve had a fantastic time travelling around this beautiful country and I have experienced things I never thought I would. For example, right now I am sat in my truck, eating lunch before we load more hay into a shed. Pretty random when at home I used to work in Business Development for one of the country’s top ten law firms. I’ll have to write a separate blog post about the harvest we have had here because it’s has been unlike anything I have ever done before. It’s also a real eye opener for city folk such as myself.  

I have lived in quite a few places whilst traveling around Aus and without a doubt, my favourite place has got to be Atherton. It is incredibly beautiful and there is so much to see in the Tablelands. There’s also a big backpacker community so it’s a great way to meet people, get some regional work and the locals actually like backpackers. Something we have found a bit of a struggle with in some areas. 

This is the view from our back garden.

Forty minutes drive from Atherton is a town called Mareeba. It very, very rarely rains there. They boast 300 sunny days a year and because of the altitude, it’s not actually humid. They have a drive in cinema and it’s the perfect place for it. We went here at least every fortnight. $14 for two films and free camping is amazing. At home I would pay almost $25 for one film, hence why Netflix is so popular in the UK.

Mareeba’s very own Brahman cow
Our awesome car/cinema seats

It’s perfect because you can load up on all your favourite foods from the supermarket, stop at a ‘bottle-o” and even bring your dog a long if you wanted to. I love the outdoor cinema. I wish we could have one at home but with England being notoriously rainy, it probably wouldn’t be as great. 

12km west of Mareeba, you’ll find Granite Gorge. There are multiple walks you can go on, a swimming hole, wallabies you can feed and a few pets you can hold, including a snake and a lizard.

If you plan on visiting Granite Gorge, do not wear flip flops! You won’t be able to walk the trials, even bare foot it’s too hot. I wore my converse and I’m glad I did. My balance isn’t fantastic and in flip flops and slippery rocks, its even worse.

The swimming hole was definitely my favourite part of the gorge. If you’re brave enough, there’s a swing rope. I don’t think any of us managed to do it without a small scream at the end. There are a few turtles swimming about here which you can see if you quietly walk around the edge of the water. I tried to get some photos but they are good at blending in.

There are cabins and camping at the Granite Gorge so if you’re reading this and thinking about going, I would really recommend it!

Published by Emily

A strong love and passion for travel, dogs, coffee, dogs and motorbikes. Yes, I did say dogs twice.

30 Comments

  8. Hi Emily,

    This sounds very cool. I am trying to get my backpacking grove back. I hope Australia is on the map. I hope you have many more great adventures.

    Thank you,

    Gary

    On Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 9:41 PM The Blog of Travel wrote:

    > Emily posted: “It’s crazy to me that I have lived in Australia for two > years now. It really doesn’t feel like that long ago I was sat at my desk > in work, staring out the window and thinking “get me away from here!” I’ve > had a fantastic time travelling around this beauti” >

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    1. My visa finishes in a couple of weeks but I plan to travel for a few years so I won’t be home permanently for a while yet 🙂
      You will have a great time! It’s a bit chilly here at the moment if you’re not in the tropics, just to warn you! 😀

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        1. I had a Toyota Camry which was rebadged as a Holden Apollo and it was the best thing I have ever bought. I have more love for that car than my first ever car. If you’re getting a car over here DO NOT buy a Ford Falcon. A know a few people who have had one and I swear they are cursed, problems on problems.

          At the moment I am working on a cattle station near Meandarra, Queensland but in one week will be leaving for Vietnam 🙂

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  16. We were in Atherton with friends in 2015. Definitely a relief after the heat and humidity of January in Cairns. A nice experience driving through the Tablelands, but the waterfalls had all been “turned off”, awaiting the rain of the Wet.

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