The Atherton Tablelands are one of Cairns’ best kept secrets. Perched high in the rainforest-clad mountains, this lush region offers a cool retreat from the heat and humidity of the coast. Home to deep crater lakes, rich reserves of ancient rainforest, acres of agricultural lands and a plethora of native fauna, including platypus, tree kangaroos and possums, the Tablelands is the ideal destination to relax and rejuvenate.
A winding drive from Cairns, the Tablelands can be accessed on one of three range roads, the Kuranda Range, Gilles Highway and Palmerston Highway. Each of these makes their way up the mountains, cutting through rich rainforest and delivering you onto the Tablelands plateau. The Tablelands is comprised of several townships, spread across the mountaintops, separated by farms, hills and national parks. Ravenshoe is the highest and at 930m above sea level, it is also the highest town in Queensland.
The Tablelands provide the divide between the coastal rainforest mountains and Australia’s vast outback. It is a diverse transition zone incorporating lush rainforest, silvery eucalypts and dry savannah grasslands. It is also home to the greatest concentration of waterfalls, streams and freshwater reserves in Tropical North Queensland including the Barron Falls, Davies Creek Falls, Malanda Falls, Granite Gorge, Mungali Falls and Tarzali Lakes, to name just a few.
Home to farmers, scientists, artisans and environmentalists, the Tablelands is culturally diverse and a favoured playground for the people of Cairns. Accommodation ranges from luxury rainforest tree houses, to camp sites, bed and breakfasts, tropical resorts and country hotels. Restaurants serve honest country fare and home-made scones and pastries. Cafes serve delicious, locally grown coffee and leafy tea from the nearby Nerada Tea Plantation. Dairies produce creamy yoghurts, flavoured with rainforest fruits, soft cheeses and biting cheddars. Chocolate is another speciality of the Tablelands, best enjoyed with a refreshing glass of fruit wine, developed at one of the Tableland’s boutique wineries.
Agriculture is an important industry on the Tablelands and its fresh produce is readily available for you to sample. At the Shaylee Strawberry farm you can pick strawberries and enjoy fresh and frozen mango, depending on the time of year. If savoury is more to your liking, drop into the Big Peanut and enjoy locally grown peanuts and cashews: they are available raw or roasted, in a range of delicious flavours.
The Tablelands is great for water sports too. Swimming in the crystal clear waters of one of the crater lakes, surrounded by rich rainforest, is a magical and refreshing experience. Meantime, Tinaroo Dam is a major drawcard for anyone wanting to water ski, wind surf, fish, crab and camp.
Townships on the Tablelands have their own individual character and charm and include: Kuranda, Mareeba, Tolga, Atherton, Yungaburra, Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine, Chillagoe, Irvinebank, Malanda, Milla Milla, Tarzali, Herberton and Ravenshoe.
Driving around is half the fun:
Self drive is definitely the best way to explore the Tablelands and other than the windy range roads to get there, it is easy and scenic driving. There is a Misty Mountains Drive and Waterfall Drive, or you can just track your own way across the Tablelands, stopping to enjoy things that interest you specifically, like the Curtain Tree Fig and Lake Barrine.
Note: The Tablelands are a part of ‘The Savannah Way’, a 3,501km drive that takes you from Cairns, over the mountains and through Australia’s big, red centre, ending in Broome on the northern coast of Western Australia.
