Cairns, Port Douglas and Far North Qld
Cairns, Port Douglas and Far North Qld
The Atherton Tablelands
The Atherton Tablelands are a blend of the best attractions of the tropics; a combination of nature and lifestyle at its finest. Among the World Heritage rainforests, national parks, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls of this region are some of Australia's richest agricultural lands and its most charming small towns. Here, settlers from all over the world share their arts, crafts, music and festivals and join together to preserve the history and nature of their adopted home. Everything, including people, thrives on this benign plateau some 600-1,000 metres above sea level where temperatures and humidity are lower than on the coastal plain.
Biologists have described the spectacular rainforests of the Wet Tropics as the greatest celebrations of life on earth. The farm and grazing lands that comprise the three plateaux of the Tablelands are the food bowl of the northern tropics, yielding a constant supply to local and export markets. For casual visitors, the Tablelands present opportunities for bushwalking, bird watching, enjoying a wildlife rivercruise with perhaps the chance to see tree climbing kangaroos and platypus, horse riding, ballooning, watersports, fishing, white water rafting and miles of scenic drives. Winding roads lead to spectacular lookouts, and highlights include Australia's widest waterfall - Millstream Falls - and many smaller ones, the extinct volcanic crater lakes of Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, the ancient Bromfield Swamp and the Hypipamee Crater.
Classic old hotels, motels, guest houses, home and farm stays, caravan and camping parks provide a basis for exploring and for visiting excellent restaurants, weekend markets and even a World War II training campsite. The special attractions of the Tablelands postcard-like towns and villages will captivate you; Atherton has a restored Chinese joss house, a steam train, crystal caves and art gallery; Malanda, a museum and a swimming pool fed by a waterfall; Yungaburra, a heritage walk and a clock museum; Herberton, a historic village; Millaa Millaa, a waterfall circuit; Ravenshoe, a steam train and timber crafts; Lake Tinaroo, year round barramundi fishing and water sport; Tolga, a homestead park and woodcraft gallery. Mareeba's July rodeo attracts Australia's top competitors and Chillagoe, 140km to the west, has extensive limestone caves.
The Tablelands are about an hour's drive from Cairns via the Palmerston and Gillies highways in the south, and the Rex and Kennedy highways in the North.
