Halloran’s Hill in Atherton overlooks the tablelands with its small volcanic vents prominent across the landscape. Today’s main objective was to find a Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo in the wild – these elusive arboreal marsupials live in various national park and remnant forest reserves across the tableland.

After a quick look at the Atherton Mountain Bike Park, we saw some sulphur-crested cockatoos on the way back to Hastie’s Swamp for a second look at the busy wetland.

The cacophony of the thousands of magpie geese and whistling ducks is a stirring start to the day. You can feel the energy and life force of the multitude.

Herberton is a family history interest – this is the old Methodist Church that has been sold and is now a private dwelling.

The Curtain tree fig is a popular attraction and known tree kangaroo habitat. Two friendly tourists said they had spotted a pair in trees in a forest reserve at the entrance to the Nerada Tea Plantation east of Malanda. Despite this encouraging news, we first looked at a supposedly reliable place to see them in a forest reserve near Yungaburra but with no success.

After an incredibly scenic drive across the tableland, we arrived at the Nerada Tea Plantation with Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland’s tallest peak, as a backdrop to the neatly trimmed camellias.

For tea enthusiasts, here is the Nerada processing plant. Most of the tea sold here was grown locally.

A quick search of the forest and our youngest expedition member (in form again) spotted two Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroos at the top of a tall palm tree near the canopy. After 15 minutes of excitement watching them clean their fur and have a scratch or two, we were treated to the most amazing event I have witnessed with wildlife – one of the tree kangaroos clambered down the tree (bottom first) then hopped across the forest floor, quickly climbed to a vantage point and posed for a minute before rapidly ascending back into the canopy. We were awe-struck and felt very privileged to see this event.

A bush curlew did its best to avoid being noticed.

Lake Eacham is a crater lake surrounded by tropical forest with pandanus prominent around the lake edge.

Turtles and several species of fish, including the archer fish above, live in the lake along with one freshwater crocodile (according to the signs). Undeterred, many people were swimming in the lake.

Rainbow lorikeets in an umbrella tree – these trees are common and native to the bush in North Queensland.

We gleefully appreciated seeing Herbie the Herbert River ringtailed possum in his original colours.

Lake Barrine is home to two of the biggest kauri pines on the tablelands.

We travelled back through Atherton to Mareeba late in the day, passing more forested volcanic vents content with our sighting of our latest favourite animal – Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo.