Days 9 to 11: Atherton Tablelands

[smacdonald]

After Tully, we headed to the Atherton Tablelands. We spend three nights there, during which time we saw a ton of stuff. We went to:
Millaa Millaa Falls, Malanda Falls, the Curtain Fig, Lake Barrine, Wooranooran National Park, Mobo Creek Crater, Chambers Eco-Lodge, Yungaburra.

Here are pictures in random order. You can click on the pic to go to a page that should tell you where the photo was taken (look in the Tags section to the right of the photo).

Eulamprus tigrinus




Eulamprus tigrinus




Carlia rubrigularis




Eastern water skink (Eulamprus quoyii)




Saproscincus basiliscus asleep on vegetation




Saproscincus basiliscus asleep on vegetation




Prickly forest skink (Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae)




Prickly forest skink (Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus)




Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis)




Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis)




Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis)




Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis)




Spotted tree monitor (Varanus scalaris) (AKA Varanus similis)




Eastern water dragon (Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii)




Eastern water dragon (Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii) asleep on streamside vegetation




Boyd's forest dragon (Hypsilurus boydii)




Boyd's forest dragon (Hypsilurus boydii)




Boyd's forest dragon (Hypsilurus boydii)




Boyd's forest dragon (Hypsilurus boydii)




Keelback (Tropidonophis mairi)




Slaty-grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus)




Scrub python (Morelia kinghorni)




Scrub python (Morelia kinghorni)




Jungle carpet python (Morelia spilota cheynei)




Litoria nannotis




Litoria jungguy




Litoria jungguy




Orange-thighed frog (Litoria xanthomera)




Common mist frog (Litoria rheocola)




Orange-thighed frog (Litoria xanthomera)
​

I really, really, really, REALLY, REALLY wanted to see a tree kangaroo. While I was out at night looking for them, I came close. On two occassions I heard a great big crash in the bushes just next to me, and then the rhythmic thump, thump, thump of a large arboreal macropod hopping away, but I didn't get to see one. On our last night we went back to the Curtain Fig. After about 30 minutes of seeing nothing but possums and a feral cat, I shone my torch on the source of a loud rustle, only to be confronted with a tree roo bum!

Lumholtz tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzii)
​

I tried to position myself to get a better look, but I only managed to get a dodgy look at and photo of his face. I need to go back up there to find another one.

Lumholtz tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzii)




Giant white-tailed rat (Uromys cadimaculatus)




Musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus)




Red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmaticus)




Long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta)




Long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta)




Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)




A feral cat




The Whistle Stop Cafe at Yungaburra. Quite possible the best grilled focacia in the world (and no, spending the previous week eating nothing but instant noodles didn't influence my opinion).
​

Next stop: Chillagoe

 

[ShnakeyGirl]

Great pics. Love the Keelback

 

[Vincey]

AMAZING photos. I would love to do something like what you're doing at some point in my life. That leaf-tailed geck is unbelievable. Glad to see you got lots of pics of the little fella!

 

[Pythonking]

very nice indeed

 

[JasonL]

I'm sorry, eat instant noodles for a week solid could make almost anything taste like the "Worlds Best ...", nice pics by the way, even the carpet snake looks great

 

[Pythonking]

I'm sorry, eat instant noodles for a week solid could make almost anything taste like the "Worlds Best ...", nice pics by the way, even the carpet snake looks great

lol i just read that bit, had a mate who decided to just eat noodles, nicky noodles was his nick name for a while there he lost a hell of a lot of weight then had some major health problems. Bit of a tangent but just can't help get a weird smile everytime I hear instant noodles probably cause i haven't seen him for a long time.

 

[melgalea]

love the feral cat. lol.
but in all seriousnesss... great photos and i envy you. hope u r having fun hey.
mel.

 

[krusty]

great pics looks like you had a great time,love the scrubby and the boyd's.

 

[borntobnude]

i know its a reptile site but the tree roo's bum and head is the most exiting thing i've seen on this site .i have spent a lot of time looking and never seen one . i know a few fnq residents who wont believe they exist because they have not seen one in there 60 odd years living in the area . doing a quick survey of the people working at the info centres over the years none of them had ever seen one .so,GREAT EFFORT A

 

[moloch05]

A great series of photos, Stewart. I am very envious of the Chameleon Geckos ... what an excellent find! Someday ...


Regards,
David