Our adventure pauses momentarily, captivated by the Ulysses butterfly in the midst of the lush Atherton Tablelands located south-west to Cairns. Our goal focuses on the discovery of the mystical Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, an inhabitant famous yet often elusive. Regardless, the radiant blue hue of the butterfly, flickering with each flap of its wings, seizes our attention.
The breathtaking butterfly spirals animate on the rim of the rainforest - a vibrant play of cobalt brilliance against the earthy tone of its underwing. Almost as if it's hauled by an unseen thread, the butterfly ascends towards the sky. After a final burst of shimmer, it vanishes into the unknown. Unfazed, we promptly resume our quest for the tree-kangaroo. The exceptionally vast biodiversity of Atherton Tablelands houses over a thousand species, including the rare Victoria's Riflebird. Moreover, did you know that this region also houses the world's first and oldest rainforest? Fascinating, isn't it?
Most beautiful mammal? Tailing tree-kangaroos in Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands
The Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland is home to two species of tree-kangaroo. All kangaroos and wallabies are descended from a climbing possum-like ancestor, but these far northern wonders of evolution have abandoned that ground-level hopping life and returned back to the canopy.
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Bennett’s tree-kangaroo lives in the lowland rainforests of the Daintree area, between Port Douglas and Cooktown. Finding it requires a long slog through dense scrub. Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo lives on the Atherton Tablelands, where sightings are close to coffee and scones.
We start at Curtain Fig national park, near the town of Yungaburra. The centrepiece of this pint-sized national park is a giant strangler fig thought to be about 500 years old. The dramatic curtains of roots are 15 metres tall and prop up a massive trunk, topped with branches draped in ferns and orchids.
A flat boardwalk loops around the fig, protecting the forest from visitors, and the visitors from stinging trees, which grow wherever sunlight breaks through.
Stroll along a level boardwalk that meanders through the renowned Curtain Fig National Park, encircling an ancient fig tree. This image captures the park's lush charm, credited to Auscape International Pty Ltd/Alamy.
In this verdant spectacle thrives a unique ecosystem - the mabi forest, also known as the home of the tree-kangaroo as derived from Ngadjon vernacular. In the history of Atherton Tablelands, these woods once blanketed the landscape but were gradually decimated by early settlers. The settlers sought the towering trees for lumber and repurposed the terrain to establish cattle farms for dairy production. As such, the mabi forest, now identified as a vulnerable biosphere, survives in isolated patches within national parks while a fragment exists under private ownership.
A fascinating fact is that the allure of this enchanting rainforest has been celebrated for over a century, dating back to the 1920s when sightseers travelled by train from the tropical shoreline locales. The visitors journeyed in cabs and buses along serpentine roads ascending from Cairns towards the mystical 'jungles' of the Tablelands.
Fast forward a hundred years, the archaic railway lines have evolved into walking trails, and modern air-conditioned transport with luxurious suspension ferry visitors. Yet, amidst these changes, the patches of the resplendent rainforest stubbornly resist the test of time, remaining a vivid testament to Earth's enduring natural beauty.
Depicted here is the enchanting Curtain Fig tree, positioned within the heart of the Curtain Fig National Park situated in Yungaburra. Image Credit: Ian Beattie/Alamy
This bewitching enclave is teeming with avian life; pied monarchs, distinguished by their faultless monochrome feathers and gentle-blue eye circles, patrol the bark of the trees, hunting for insects. A brush-turkey shuffles through fallen leaves, and deep within the woodlands, the melodic call of the wompoo fruit-dove hums through the air, repeatedly uttering its name as if to make absolutely sure no listener forgets it.
We tilt our gaze skywards, towards the leafy dome. Small flutters of movement catch our attention – perhaps the delicate flap of bird wings, or the ephemeral dance of a butterfly – but, as of now, we see no sight of a tree-kangaroo.
We anxiously watch for familiar signs: the subtle rustle of foliage, a tail drooping from the tree branches similar to a rainforest vine, or the bumpy silhouette that, curiously enough, seems both misplaced and entirely fitting in the environment. Yet none are spotted.
It is well known that this park serves as a prime habitat for these distinctive marsupials, but it appears they have sought shelter elsewhere on this early morning. Slightly disappointed, we decide to return to the vicinity of the town for a breakfast pause, speculating about other potential exploration sites.
Our subsequent halt lies just a brief 15-minute journey from Yungaburra. We navigate the quieter country roads that meander past pastoral landscapes filled with cattle and flourish with avocado plantations, ultimately arriving in the bustling dairying town of Malanda. This charming town, noteworthy for its sprawling double-decker wooden hotel and an exceptional picture theatre with a legacy of screening films dating as far back as 1929, is our next point of interest in this thrilling wildlife expedition.
On the outskirts of the town like a ribbon unfurling amidst the viridian splendor, flows the North Johnstone River, carving a path through the rainforest to tumble down the basaltic staircase into a serene pool. A preserved gem, the Malanda Falls conservation park stands as a testament to saving lush rainforests from deforestation. Just as Curtain Fig is, it serves as a popular hotspot for spotting tree-kangaroos, their sightings meticulously recorded at the visitor's centre.
Our journey takes us down the dirt-laden path that winds through the rainforest. We keep an eye out for the telltale signs of the arboreal kangaroo - claw marks on tree bark and the play of tails and cuddly silhouettes against the treetop canopies. Far below us, the river frolics over stones. The rainforest resonates with the melodic duet of two whipbirds, the male's poignant whipcrack followed by the charming whistle of the female. Suddenly, a red-legged pademelon, a scaled-down version of a rainforest kangaroo, hops away in haste, leaving behind warnings marked by its hind feet.
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In 1882, the Norwegian explorer Carl Lumholtz was entranced by the beauty of a tree-kangaroo during his expedition through Queensland. He praised it as "the most beautiful mammal" he had ever laid eyes upon in Australia, admiring its proportionate form as opposed to the somewhat awkward build of its terrestrial counterparts - the kangaroos and wallabies.
I’d argue the tiny pademelon whose solid backside and long, white-tipped tail just disappeared among the trees still manages to do all right for itself, despite its apparently dodgy dimensions. I do worry that it might be the only marsupial we see today, but that’s the way it is with nature. You see what you see.
There are two more possibilities on my list: Nerada Tea Plantation at Glen Allyn, and Peterson Creek, back at Yungaburra, both are easily accessible by car, with well-made walking tracks.
But as we stand in the carpark considering our next move, I glance across to the wall of trees. And there, just above the start of the rainforest track, is a commotion of shaking leaves.
We get closer and see a long tail that is, indeed, dangling like a rainforest vine. Then a fuzzy face peers down, curious at the gawkers below. The dark eyes are contemplative and there is a calmness about this tree-dweller, even though the branch it sits on dips alarmingly under its weight.
It is big and solid with warm grey fur on its back, and black on face, paws and hind feet. Still watching us, the tree-roo reaches back and scratches its side with massive claws. With its long feet, round ears and short muzzle, it looks like a cross between a wallaby and a sun-bear. It might not be the most beautiful mammal – who’s to judge, anyway? – but it is one of the most remarkable.
Feeling elated, privileged and a little bit emotional, we leave the tree-roo to finish its meal in peace. Sightings are rare. No one knows how many Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos live on the Atherton Tablelands, and even in the locations where they are reported most frequently, luck plays a major part in spotting one.
Malanda Falls conservation park receives about 40,000 visitors a year. In the breeding season, when tree-kangaroos are more active and less wary, one to two sightings a week are reported to the visitors centre. At other times, weeks pass without a notification.
Back at Yungaburra, we set out for a walk along Peterson Creek, where another sighting could be possible, with a good chance of seeing a platypus in the slow-flowing waters too.
But as we pass the rambling, Federation-era Yungaburra hotel, which is almost as big as the pub in Malanda, we have another idea.
Parking on a road lined with hanging baskets of pink and white impatiens, we duck inside. There we raise a glass to the elusive Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo, still hanging on.
Navigating Your Way
The most convenient mode of transport in this district is by car. Cairns Airport, the nearest to Yungaburra, is 70 minutes away via a car ride through Gordonvale on Gillies Range Road, and approximately 90 minutes if you take the route through Kuranda on the Kennedy Highway.
Stay options in and around Yungaburra and Malanda are aplenty, with cafes scattered around for the coffee lovers and bakeries offering delightful scones.
For the animal enthusiasts, there are wildlife tours organized by local guides in Cairns and throughout the Atherton Tablelands, offering intimate experiences with the local fauna such as the tree-kangaroos, known for their extraordinary ability to leap; they can jump 30 feet from one tree to another and are agile climbers.