Atherton was our next stop. It was a last minute decision to detour somewhat inland to see this pretty area, however after growing up on a dairy farm, I had heard rumours of the Atherton Tablelands. I am so glad we decided to see this amazing area in person. I will remember our adventures here with a smile!

On the afternoon we arrived, we decided to check out Gallo Dairy. This is a working dairy farm that produces its own line of dairy products. They have their own little cheese factory, a resident chocolatier and, outside, a viewing platform for the 42 Unit Rotary dairy. There is also a petting area with calves, sheep, chickens and pigs. After they got over the smell, the family was absolutely fascinated by the milking process. We stood at the viewing platform for ages and ages. The farm girl in my blood (it’s there Dad, really) was stunned to hear that this setup milks 280 head of cows in 1 hour and 20 minutes!!

Another place marked by the girls as a “please Mum and Dad, could we visit?” was the Crystal Caves in Atherton. Showcasing some of the most beautiful crystals, gemstones and geodes (including the word’s biggest Amethyst geode),  this place was unbelievable. What can be more thrilling for a kid, than to be given a hemet with a light and told to crawl underground and explore till your heart’s content? Can we touch the pretty rocks? Sure you can touch whatever you like!

Of course a trip to the Atherton tablelands wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the local produce markets. Top on the list for Conrad and I was the 2 local nut markets. Imagine it:  wall to wall of different flavoured nuts, peanut brittle and candied fruit... paradise!

Little did we know that the trip out of Atherton would be so huge! Not only did we face roadwork after roadwork, including some nasty looping detours (you know the kind that bring you back to where you started 40 kilometres later!!), but we also got to travel Queensland’s highest road. Reaching elevations of 1100 metres above sea level, the Beast had its work cut out for it as it hauled the van up some windy hills. But oh my goodness, the views were spectacular.