IS THE Noorla Hotel at Ingham really haunted, or was it just my over-wrought imagination?
At the cosy bar, I had been regaled with stories of the ghost who walks the upstairs verandas. But the knocking that sounded like somebody moving furniture was just outside my bedroom door, in an area far from the veranda, which opened on to an elegant sitting room.
Four times during the night I went to see what was happening. Every time, the knocking promptly ceased as soon as I opened my door, only to begin again when I went back to bed.
I was annoyed rather than frightened, and at 3am called out in frustration to the ghost to shut up and let me get some sleep, which proved so effective that there was no more noise for the rest of the night.
But when I related my story to the other guests over breakfast, nobody had heard anything and the honourable landlord assured me that there were no ghost tales featuring that part of the building.
So I remain puzzled. But it wouldn't stop me returning to the Hotel Noorla Resort, a relic of the glory days of Ingham ? the 1930s, when all things Italian reigned supreme and the hotel hosted visiting royalty, dignitaries from the Vatican and Australian political leaders.
Ingham took a downturn during WWII, as many of the inhabitants were interned.
Things improved after the war, but declined again in the 1970s as the mechanisation of the sugar industry brought about a reduction in the workforce.
It wasn't until 2004 that the hotel was restored to its full glory.
But it's not just for royalty and political heavies any more, although they can be (and people like you and me often are) housed in heritage splendour in some of the original bedrooms, furnished with antiques and collectibles.
From the wide verandas you can look over 0.8ha of sculptured gardens.
And there's a swimming pool for hot days.
Travellers on more limited budgets can stay in the backpacker dorms and entertainment area, also upstairs but well away from the 12 heritage bedrooms. There's room in the spacious grounds for campervans and caravans so that the bar, with its significant collection of memorabilia, antiques and photos, becomes a great democratic meeting place.
Ingham has a distinctive Mediterranean flavour, a legacy of the Italians, Basques and Spaniards who migrated in the 19th century to work in the canefields, and it's worth taking a drive around town. Or hitch a ride with the amiable Tony O'Connor of Ironbark Tours on Tuesdays, who will also take you further afield into the rainforest.
This trip includes a hearty lunch prepared by Mrs Tony, a chance to see the endangered cassowary, and a swim in the gorgeous rock pools in Stony Creek.
First stop was the Tyto Wetlands, where a degraded site has been restored into an area of great beauty. Australia's largest urban wetland rehabilitation project covers 90ha where huge shallow lakes glow with waterlilies of every shade, and the bird hides are a tranquil place to sit and appreciate some of the 100 species of native birds spotted in the area.
It integrates lagoons, walking tracks and native flora, and there are 4km of walkways with interpretive signs, marked lookouts and viewing platforms to show the local wildlife without interfering with habitats.
Then it was on to the west into glorious rainforest, where we didn't see any cassowaries but were enchanted by musky rat-kangaroos peeking at us from a safe distance.
We lunched on top of a hill, from where we saw a vista of heavily forested hills and valleys, and from where we could just hear a thundery noise that forecast the Wallaman Falls, at 340m the largest single-drop waterfall in Australia.
Tony warned us that they might not be visible, as the sky is often heavily clouded, and when we got to the car park and lookout the drizzle blocked any view at all. Too polite to show my deep disappointment, I went for a solo stroll along the bridge over the creek.
But Tony came rushing along the track, gasping that he had a treat in store, and together we back-tracked to the top lookout to see that the drizzle had cleared to show the falls in all their glory, thundering down in a steady stream and holding up a double rainbow.
It was worth every bump on the track and every strand of soggy hair.
This is simply one of nature's best spots.
Ingham may not be the first destination on the list of Places-to-Visit-in-the-Whole-Wide-World-before-You-Die.
But from my experience it's in the top 20 per cent.
And it's certainly a must-do experience in Queensland if you make sure to take in the Wallaman Falls.
Just be sure to call Ghostbusters for your overnight stay at Noorla.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/stor ... 02,00.html
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