Cairns Hire Car

If you like butterflies, then this is definitely the attraction for you! Located in Kuranda ‘The Village in the Rainforest’, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia. Home to over 1,500 stunning, hand reared butterflies, this magical attraction has welcomed over one million visitors since it first opened in 1987. What’s the attraction? You are literally surrounded by the graceful majesty of hundreds of free-flying butterflies that come in every colour of the rainbow. Favourites would have to be the amazing Ulysses Butterfly, with its electric blue wings dancing across the green foliage, and the Cairns Birdwing. The Birdwing males are metallic green and while the females are a ‘duller’ black, they are the largest butterfly Australia.

Kuranda, ‘The Village in the Rainforest’, is also home to Birdworld Kuranda, a must-visit for bird lovers. Home to approximately 75 different bird species, including the endangered Southern Cassowary of the Wet Tropics Rainforests, Birdworld Kuranda allows you to walk through a free flying exhibit and feed some colourful birds of the world. This tropically landscaped enclosure has two lakes, connected by a tumbling waterfall and surrounded by lush plants. Some of the birds you will see on your visit include: herons, black swans, stilts, rainbow lorikeets, macaws, cockatoos, ducks, finches, pigeons, doves and the rare King Parrot of the Wet Tropics.

If you want to get off the road and really explore the countryside, then Blazing Saddles is the place for you. Located on a working cattle station outside of Kuranda, Blazing Saddles offers horse riding and ATV (All Terrain Vehicles) adventures. There are over 60 horses, individually selected for their gentle nature. Half day horse riding tours take you through beautiful bushland and tropical rainforest. For the more adventurous, there are the ATV tours held on 4-wheel motorbikes, also called Quad bikes. The minimum age for this one is 12 years, but you do not need any prior experience or license. ATV tours are fun and you can get pretty dirty, but they are a great way to experience the Tablelands. Both options include morning or afternoon tea and a BBQ lunch or home-style meal (depending on if you book the AM or PM tour).

The Atherton Tablelands region has a rich, pioneering history and no where is it better displayed and explained than at the magnificent Herberton Historic Village. This gem on the Tablelands is located just outside the township of Herberton, which is approximately a 90 minute drive from Cairns. Open daily from 9am (except Christmas Day and during February) the Herberton Historic Village is a collection of over 40 original buildings, restored with their original interiors, machinery and vehicles. You can sit in the old schoolhouse, stand at the bar and relive the ‘good old days’ of Tropical North Queensland’s pioneering history. You can even spend the night in the 100 year old Julatten House farmhouse. An interesting place to visit: a museum brought to life.

Want to cuddle a koala? Kuranda Koala Gardens is the place to do it. Located in the heart of Kuranda ‘The Village in the Rainforest’, Kuranda Koala Gardens is home to a menagerie of animals that you can pet, feed and admire including kangaroos, wallabies and cute wombats. While you are here, stroll through Australia’s first ‘Walk Through Snake House’, try to spot the very well camouflaged lizards, monitors and sea dragons and marvel at the freshwater crocodiles, who can be seen sunning themselves on the banks of their enclosure. This great little attraction can be enjoyed on its own, or packaged with some of Kuranda’s other wildlife experiences in a ‘multi-park pass’ called the ‘Kuranda Wildlife Experience’.

Lake Barrine is one of the Atherton Tableland’s stunning crater lakes, a reminder of the volcanic eruptions that used to rock this landscape 10,000 years ago. Now filled with crystal clean water, the crater lakes are a place of relaxation, enjoyment and discovery, for locals and visitors alike. Lake Barrine is the best place to visit for self-drivers, with a teahouse for refreshments and light meals and lake cruises operating throughout the day. The drive there is spectacular (and best taken slowly) up the Gilles Range, south of Cairns: it should take about one hour to complete. Once you arrive, step into the clean mountain air and wander down the landscaped pathways to the teahouse, where you can enjoy excellent Devonshire tea or a light lunch. The 45-minute cruises begin at 9.30am and operate throughout the day.

Ma:Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway is another attraction that is not on the Atherton Tablelands, but is best placed in this section of the site for the purposes of a self drive itinerary. Located in the Wooroonooran National Park, on the Palmerston Highway outside of Innisfail, Ma:Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway is the ‘newest’ rainforest attraction in Tropical North Queensland. Owned and operated by the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Resource Management, Ma:Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway includes a 350m long elevated walkway through the rainforest canopy, a cantilever, a 37m observation tower and more than 1,200m of walking tracks along the forest floor. Open daily from 9.30am until 5.30pm, Ma:Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway may be a little ‘off the beaten track’, but it is a great family experience.

Paronella Park is not on the Atherton Tablelands, but for the purpose of self drivers, this is the best geographic location to ‘put’ this attraction on the itinerary list. Winner of the RACQ ‘Must Do Attraction’ public voter polls in 2009, Paronella Park is located outside of Innisfail, which is approximately one hour south of Cairns. How to include this in an Atherton Tablelands itinerary? Drive south from Cairns, visit Paronella Park and then take the Palmerston Highway up the mountains. What is Paronella Park? In short, it is a State and National Heritage listed site, a National Trust listed property and testament to one man’s dream. Set on five acres, wrapped up in more than 7,500 tropical plants and trees, it is the standing legacy to Jose Paronella’s dream to build a Spanish-style castle in the tropical rainforests. There is a lot to do here, including exploring the ‘castle’ and buildings, wandering through the rainforest, feeding the fish, picnic by the lake and immersing yourself in the magic and history of this interesting site.

The Tarzali Lakes Aquaculture Centre is an accredited environmental reserve, located at Tarzali on the Atherton Tablelands.  This sprawling 40 acre property provides habitat for over 50,000 fish in its 16 ponds, including Barramundi, Golden Perch, Jade Perch, Red Claw and Eels, numerous freshwater turtles, platypus, possums, tree kangaroos and over 130 bird species.  Open to the public from 10am to 5pm daily, some of the activities available at Tarzali Lakes include, but are not limited to:  fishing and fresh fish sales; meals and refreshments in the Smokehouse Café; smoked meat and deli goods; commercial aquaculture; aqua golf; bird watching; platypus and nocturnal tours (pre booking is essential for the tours please).  Limited camping facilities are available at non powered camp sites. more

Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve offers an African-style wildlife experience, including lions and tigers, on the Atherton Tablelands. Located a scenic 35-minute drive from Cairns, 9kms west of Kuranda, this amazing reserve is home to lions, tigers, cheetahs, bears, monkeys, hippos, rhinos and otters (amongst others). The reserve opens early and they suggest you arrive at 9am, in time for the first feed and talk at 9.30am. Why is this? It gets pretty hot on the Atherton Tablelands (as it does in Africa) and the animals are most active in the morning, usually sleeping in the afternoon. There are ‘feed & talk’ shows throughout the day and you can expand your experience by booking a ‘Breakfast & Beasts’ or ‘Dine on the Edge’ package.