Our campsite on the lake was very picturesque but we had a nocturnal visitor after we were in bed that took a liking to what we had dropped on our groundsheet and ate a hole right through it.
We headed out of camp and back towards Atherton. On the way we stopped at the bottom of the Dam wall where a huge pipe was letting water out of the dam into the river.
We arrived in Atherton around lunchtime and we needed to get fuel and do some shopping, which we did before finding a spot near the old train station to have a picnic lunch. One of the big attractions in Atherton is the Crystal Caves located in the main street. This was our next stop. At street level it is a fairly large jewellery store where they also have crystal geodes for sale. The caves are man-made and are under the store. In the caves there are lots of displays and to enter them you are given a miners hat complete with light to enable you to explore them. It was quite expensive so Terry gave me a choice – do the caves or buy some really nice amethyst earrings and a matching necklace. The jewellery won out.

Halloran’s Hill Lookout

On the way back to camp we took in Halloran’s Hill Lookout in Atherton. It gives a terrific view of the surrounding countryside and is a great place to have a picnic. There are tables, BBQ’s and a children’s playground as well as a walk trail.
A stop at the lookout at the top of the dam wall on the way back to camp was very informative. Construction commenced in 1953 and the dam was completed in 1958 and it supplies irrigation to much of the tableland country around Atherton.