Granite Gorge is a private campground west of Mareeba with a granite gorge cut by a creek that in places disappears under the massive granite tors.

It is unusual to those accustomed to Girraween landscapes to see pandanus and tall cycads growing amongst the boulders.

Split Rock from the lookout.

A walk with coloured dots on the rocks leads across large granite slabs and past the rushing waters.

Some modifications have been made to ease the travel in places. Mareeba Rock Wallabies are numerous and inquisitive.

Our new best friends.

The Mareeba rock-wallaby is found in the highlands west of Cairns from Mount Garnet to Mount Carbine at the start of the Peninsula Development Road.

We watched their agility and antics on the terrain for a few hours.

Peaceful doves and squatter pigeons were common.

Flashes of colours from bee-eaters brightened up the heavily clouded day.

Brolgas flew overhead heading north.

Mareeba is the home of Australian coffee with large plantations in the district. We visited Coffee Works to try the local product then proceeded to Jacques farm to see the coffee bushes.

A few plants were still fruiting and flowering had started.

The hope of seeing more brolgas sent us south to Atherton back to Hasties Swamp. On the way, hundreds of red tailed cockatoos massed around some trees on the side of the highway.

No brolgas but worth the visit to see the thousands of magpie geese and whistling ducks again.

A lonely egret was shunned by the whistling ducks.

A keelback went about its way – surprising to see as it was 15 degrees at the time with a bracing wind – our coldest day in far north Queensland. A late drive back to Cairns down the Gillies Highway – including 40 minutes of steep winding road.