The Atherton Tablelands is Tropical North Queensland’s highland getaway. This mountainous plain is nestled between the Bellenden Ker Range and the Great Dividing Range, at an altitude ranging from 600m to 1100m. The air is cool and fresh. The flora is perpetually green and lush. Despite being only 1 – 2 hours drive from the coastal town of Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands offer an escape from the modern hustle of city life. This is Australian countryside at its very best.
The Atherton Tablelands is home to World Heritage listed rainforests, national parks, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. It is also rated as one of the richest agricultural plains in Australia. If you enjoy bush walking, bird watching, wildlife tours, hot air ballooning, water skiing, fishing, or just lazing around and enjoying the scenery, the Atherton Tablelands has something to offer you.
You can visit the Atherton Tablelands not only for its scenic attractions, but also for some very relaxing drives.
You will find towns like:
Yungaburra, which has a huge monthly market where unique arts and crafts are sold;
Mareeba with its annual rodeo;
Tolga, which has a very interesting woodcraft gallery;
The historic village of Herberton;
Visit Ravenshoe to see the amazing wind generators;
Chillagoe which has ancient limestone caves.
From Cairns, drive up to Kuranda, a pulsating township that exudes a bohemian character.
Continue your drive to Mareeba. Mareeba Shire is one of Queensland's largest. Mareeba claims to have 300 sunny days a year, clean arid air, low humidity and cooler evenings to the coastal towns. Prove it for yourself, come and see, the locals are all welcoming and the outback sunsets are awe-inspiring.
Head towards Atherton. Atherton is a historical town with an easy pace. It was the first town settled in the area, hence the reason the tablelands are named after it.
From Atherton drive through to Yungaburra, you may just be in time to catch the popular markets. There is lots of fruit and salad veggies to buy at very reasonable prices. Markets are always fun to visit. Move on to Lake Eachem for a nice lunch.
There is a very nice walking track around Lake Eacham, you will enjoy the exercise. The Lake Eacham perimeter walk extends for 4km around the crater lake. It features a bitumen surface, making it suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Along the way, hikers will see elk and staghorn ferns, strangler fig trees, wait-a-while palms and hundreds of tree ferns. The walk begins near the grassy picnic area on the banks of the lake, and ends at the turtle-viewing platform
On the way back you can admire the massive Curtain Fig tree before retracing your route through Atherton to head towards Mareeba.
Rocky Creek War Memorial Park is about 12km north of Atherton. This park commemorates the Tableland’s vital role in World War II. The park features granite rocks which hold plaques honouring Australian and Allied military units and community groups that contributed to the war effort.In a separate section, 72 hour camping is allowed in return for a gold coin donation per night towards park maintenance. BBQ, toilets and rubbish bins are provided.
About 12km south of town, Mareeba airport accommodates the ‘War Birds’ collection of vintage military aircraft. These old planes are fascinating to view, you can also get on some of them for memorable scenic flights.
Closer to Mareeba, the Beck War Museum displays jeeps, tanks, planes and other equipment from the time when Australian and American troops were stationed in the area. It seems that between 1943 and 1945 about 250,000 troops were stationed on the Tablelands at various times, making it Australia’s largest military base.
From Mareeba, head back towards Kuranda, stopping after about 20km to tour Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve. The Reserve is home for hippopotamus, cheetahs, rhinos and other interesting animals.
Of course once again, nobody visits Kuranda without walking through the markets. The two markets – the Heritage and the New – are packed with traditional and novelty wares. A large selection of goods makes it easy to choose gifts for family and friends.
Kuranda Rainforest Accommodation Park is tucked away on the opposite side of the highway. It is a lovely place to stay a few nights. The lushly landscaped park provides cooking facilities – gas cook-top, microwave and electrical appliances, bathroom with toilet, basin and shower, comfortable beds, simple to convert into a lounge.
After a relaxing few nights, you can descend the Kuranda Range heading towards Cairns.
On the other hand, should you prefer to drive from Atherton to Ravenshoe, you could, after enjoying this lovely town, head South on the Kennedy Highway towards Charters Towers, or turn off just before Ravenshoe to drive to Innisfail.
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