Queesland » Atherton Tableland

Atherton Tableland stretches from Innisfail in North Queensland to Cairns in Far North Queensland. Both the Bruce Highway and the Palmerston Highway pass the wonderful range and its many attractions along the way.

From Innisfail you can head west along the Palmerston Highway to the Palmerston National Park. Around the park are various waterfalls, all worth seeing. These include Ellinjaa Falls, Millaa Millaa Falls, Mungalli Falls and Zillie Falls. Millaa Millaa is the main town in this area, and the starting point for the wonderful 'Waterfall Circuit'.

From Millaa Millaa you can either head south west to Ravenshoe, north west to Herberton and the Mt Hypipamee National Park or north to Malanda. Ravenshoe is an old timber town, with a pretty historic steam train called Millstream Express which you can ride on at weekends. You can also visit the Little Millstream Falls and the Millstream Falls, which is the widest waterfall in the whole of Australia.

Continuing west you will come to Mt Garnet, the Forty Mile Scrub National Park and the fantastic Undara Lava Tubes. The National Park will give you an idea of what Australia was like about 300 million years ago.

Heading towards Atherton you can either pass the small tin mining town of Herberton or the Mt Hypipamee National Park. Herberton is home to the Tin Festival each September, and also hosts the Herberton Historical Village which is made up of a number of historical buildings from the Atherton Tablelands.

Mt Hypipamee National Park is home to the Mt Hypipamee Crater, which you can walk to from the picnic area, passing the Dinner Falls on the way. It is definitely worth seeing. Once you get to Atherton, a definite must are the great Crystal Caves, which are a geological museum.

North from Millaa Millaa you will come to Malanda, which is a dairy town. Nearby are the beautiful Malanda Falls and the interesting Malanda Environmental Centre. From Malanda you can head west to Atherton, north west to Curtain Fig and Yungaburra which makes a great base from which to explore the Atherton Tableland, or north east towards the Crater Lakes National Park.

Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham are within the park and offer great walking tracks around the lakes and through the spectacular rainforest which surrounds the lakes.

North again is Lake Tinaroo, which is a great place for fisherman, as it offers Barramundi fishing. There is a drive from the Gilles Highway across to Tolga and Atherton. There are some great walks at various points along the track. Several places worth stopping at include Cathedral Fig and the volcanic craters Lake Euramoo and Mobo Creek.

The road continues through the Danbulla State Forest until you reach the small town of Tinaroo Falls, which offers a good camping ground and cabins.


Green Island
Green Island is a tiny coral cay lying about 30km from Cairns, and only 12 hectares in area. The island features spectacular rainforest, as well as beautiful coral beaches. It also lies upon 710 hectares of reef, making it a fantastic diving spot. Green Island started to develop around 6000 years ago, as the waves swept the loose debris from the reef into a large pile. This eventually emerged from the water, at which time vegetation began to grow as seeds were blown or carried by birds onto the island. Green Island was originally an initiation ground for the males of the Gungandji people. In Aboriginal, Green Island is actually called Wunyami which means 'place of haunted spirits'. Green Island was given it's current name by James Cook in 1770, after Mr Charles Green who was an astronomer onboard the Endeavour.

Many ships were wrecked on the Green Island reef and so along with the Aboriginal people, fishermen removed the vegetation and planted coconuts as well as building small huts for survivors to live. The island was declared a National Park in 1937, with the waters around it declared a Marine Park in 1974. Everything about the island is beautiful, from the land to the waters. Today, Green Island offers fabulous rainforest scenery which stretches upto 25 metres high. The rainforest is made up of around 130 different plant species, including grasses, palms, scramblers, trees and vines.

The best way to see the island is to follow the circuit track which leads around the island. The walk is 2km and takes about 50 minutes, however, you can also join a guided walk by one of the resorts naturalists. If you don't have time, then a walk along the beach is still rewarding. Along with the fantastic scenery, Green island is also home to over 60 different species of bird. These include Egrets, Doves, Ospreys, Sea Eagles, Silvereyes and Woodswallows, which can be found all around the island. The beautiful clear waters surrounding Green Island offer fabulous snorkeling and scuba diving. The reef around Green Island is truly amazing, with various different corals and sea creatures found within the waters. You should definitely join one of the reef snorkeling or scuba diving tours, as you will be taken to some magnificent spots. Different corals can be found on the Eastern and Western side, so it is well worth exploring. (You should however, check for the safest diving spots at the Dive Centre on the Green Island, before venturing out into the water.)

If you don't want to get wet, but want to see the beauty of the reef another excellent way is to go out on a glass bottom boat. You can also wander to the Underwater Observatory, which is located at the end of the jetty. There are a number attractions on Green Island as well as several trips out to the island. A nice way to make the journey is by luxury sail boat then enjoy snorkeling, lunch, and a glass bottom boat trip. Although a day trip is well worth it, there is also accommodation on the island. The exclusive Green Island Reef Resort really makes you feel like you are on a desert island, as it merges so perfectly with the setting.