What are the best things to do in the Atherton Tableland, Queensland?

The best things to do in the Atherton Tableland include the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Coffeeworks in Mareeba and the Palmerston Highway waterfalls.

The Atherton Tableland in far north Queensland is the third string to Cairns’ bow. Once you’ve done the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest, a day out in the mountains is a nice change of pace.

The Atherton Tableland’s boundaries are somewhat hazily defined, but essentially it’s the area in the Great Dividing Range west of the far north Queensland coast.

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

There are plenty of things to do in the Atherton Tableland, but most visitors only get as far as Kuranda. This is where the Kuranda Scenic Railway arrives from Cairns, and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway descends towards the coast. The lower Skyrail station is at Smithfield, about 15 minutes north of Cairns, and this cable car stops off at Barron Falls in Barron Gorge National Park on the way to Kuranda.

It’s possible to buy combo tickets that allow you to take the Kuranda Scenic Railway one way, the Skyrail the other, and a shuttle bus between the base station for $119.

Things to do in the Atherton Tableland: Kuranda

There are lots and lots of things to do in Kuranda itself, but all are slightly unsatisfying. It’s a village that basically exists for mass market tourism, and everything shuts down was the Skyrail has finished for the day. The Kuranda Markets are very heavy on tat, and the wildlife attractions are all somewhat perfunctory and overpriced. Try doing Birdworld Kuranda, the Kuranda Koala Gardens and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in one day, and it’s going to get very expensive.

Atherton Tableland self-drive day trip

A much better way of seeing the Atherton Tableland is hiring a car from Cairns, then self driving. It’s very easy to link several Atherton Tableland attractions in a looping circuit.

But arguably the best route involves going south from Cairns, and branching off the Bruce Highway from Gordonvale. From here, the Gillies Range Road snakes up the mountainside into Little Mulgrave National Park. The Gillies Lookout here is a top spot for panoramic photos, but you need to get there via Danbulla. The same detour can be used to check out the enormous Cathedral Fig, an ancient tree with sprawling root systems.

You’ll then pass Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham in the Crater Lakes National Park. These water-filled volcanic craters are good for walking trails and spotting native wildlife. The Mount Quincan Crater is another option nearby.

Things to do in the Atherton Tableland: Yungaburra and Atherton

The Gillies Range Road continues to Yungaburra, perhaps the most charming town in the Tableland. Expect art galleries, cute cafés and platypus viewing from the bridge over Peterson Creek. Turn up on the fourth Saturday of every month, and you can enjoy the Yungaburra Markets.

The Gillies Range Road ends in Atherton, the largest town in the Tableland. From here, you can go north or turn south and loop back round to Cairns via Innisfail.

Take the north route towards Kuranda, and there are lots of food and drink producers open for sampling.

Atherton Tableland food and drink

On the simplest level, this means places like the Humpy in Tolga on National Highway 1. The Humpy looks like a roadside shack, but sells all manner of nuts and tropical fruits. Why not grab a bag of hot chilli and lime peanuts, or taste a rambutan? Inside, you’ll also find chocolates, honeycombs and liquorices, as well as locally-grown teas and coffees.

Atherton Tableland attractions: Coffeeworks and Jaques Coffee Plantation

If coffee’s your thing, Coffeeworks in Mareeba is a better choice. Here, with personal audioguides and a series of mini theatres, you get to learn about the coffee bean, how it is grown and how it is processed. There are several old school coffee machines on display. These include the grand copper 1920s Argentinian espresso machine near the entrance.

Sign up for the tours at Coffeeworks in Mareeba, and you get an awful lot of tastings. This includes the chocolate made on site too. The little pseudo-factory is to the side – you can watch the chocolatiers craft their wares before delving through a selection that includes ginger, cranberry and pistachio, lemon myrtle, and black pepper flavours. The Jaques Coffee Plantation to the north of Mareeba is another option, and it’s near the Golden Drop Winery in Biboohra, where you can taste mango wines.

If diverting north to Mareeba, you can also check out Davies Creek Falls and Emerald Creek Falls. The Granite Gorge Nature Park, where a special species of wallabies hangs out on giant granite boulders, is also nearby.

Things to do in the Atherton Tableland, Queensland: Gallo Dairyland

Gallo Dairyland, meanwhile, is just to the south-east of Atherton. You can take a short detour from Yungaburra via the Curtain Fig Tree to incorporate Gallo Dairyland in your Atherton Tableland loop.

Take the southern loop via Innisfail, and the Atherton Tableland adventure will take you more than a day. But many of the best things to do in the Atherton Tableland are close to the route. This is particularly the case if you’re interested in national parks and waterfalls.

Atherton Tableland waterfalls and national parks

Go south down National Highway 1, and only short detours are required to reach Carrington Falls, Halls Falls, Dinner Falls, McKenzie Falls and Millstream Falls. Veer slightly west and you can also enjoy the Innot Hot Springs near Ravenshoe.

Cut inland slightly along the more twisty Route 25, and you’ve got Malanda Falls and Millaa Millaa Falls. If the latter seems familiar, it’s either from Peter Andre’s Mysterious Girl video or the Herbal Essences shampoo ad. Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls are a short detour from Millaa Millaa.

Windin Falls, famous for its infinity pool at the top, requires some serious walking to reach. The trailhead is east of Malanda, as is the trailhead for Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain.

Things to do in the Atherton Tableland, Queensland: Palmerston Highway

Both are in the wild Wooroonooran National Park, but easier to access stretches of the Wooroonooran National Park can be tackled along the Palmerston Highway.

You join the Palmerston Highway at Millaa Millaa and it descends through the Great Dividing Range towards the Bruce Highway just outside Innisfail. On the way, short detours take you to Nandroya Falls, Tchupala Falls and the Mamu Tropical Skywalk. This elevated walking trail takes you through the rainforest trees, often at canopy height.