At 6.00 p.m. on a particularly crisp evening in Ravenshoe, there was nothing for it but to snuggle down beside a crackling fire in the glorious Tully Falls Hotel, sip on a couple of Coronas, and patiently await what would be the most tender and succulent roast beef we've had the pleasure to meet. Let me tell you: Ravenshoe rocks! Actually, so does the whole darn Atherton Tablelands. The landscape is so magically pastoral: rolling, emerald green hills dotted with fat, handsome cows. And the waterfalls! Arriving, as we did, via the stark, minimalist savannah of Croydon, the sudden immersion into lush rainforest becomes something of a sensory overload.
But back to the pub. I love staying in country pubs. I'm happy to put up with wandering through a maze of creaky, ghost-ridden corridors at 3 a.m. to visit the loo. Why anyone would want to pay twice as much to stay in the joyless sterility of a motel room is beyond me. That said, you need to be a tad discerning. My criteria are as follows (yep, here comes a list):
1: Clean sheets on a bed that doesn't sag (Tip: inspect room first - they really won't mind).
2: A decent blast of scalding hot water from the shower.
3. A room that opens out to the verandah (usually par for the course - 100 years ago, pubs were designed intelligently).
4. Authenticity and charm.
Point 4 is, of course, highly subjective. There's a fine line between charm and, say, the hot water tap coming off in your hand just as you're about to rinse off the shampoo.
The Tully Falls Hotel, however, has undeniable charm - in bucket loads - and fabulous food. (Not only that, it's Queensland's Highest pub, apparently.) In fact, the only reason we didn't breakfast in its film-set-worthy, silky-oak lined dining room, is that we wanted to hot-foot it down to the Popular Cafe, with its: too-cute-for-words, original Art Deco interior, charming owners, scrumptious home-cooked brekkie and great coffee (how could it not be, coming from that stunning vintage espresso machine). Chrome-domed, eagle-adorned coffee machinery aside, the magnificent polished counter also boast its original soda siphons. Phil dreams up a new Tardis design whilst awaiting his bacon and eggs. Bye bye Ravenshoe. Thanks for a wonderful stay - we'll definitely be back! Stay tuned tomorrow for more Atherton Tablelands goodness.