Atherton Tablelands Area Guide
At over four thousand meters above sea level and across a great plateau are the Atherton Tablelands. This unique geography means this special community is the 'Food Bowl' of the north, providing a near constant supply of produce and speciality products year round. Dotted with small towns and villages, the Atherton Tablelands has a unique community spirt, in part fostered by its, until recently, isolated state.
To see just how much food is grown here, hop on board the Highlander Food Trails. With an air-conditioned mini-bus to get you across the plateau, you'll spend a full day meeting farmers and tasting their finest produce at the farm gate. From tropical fruit wine, local handmade cheeses, coffee and tea plantations, not to mention the tropical and non-tropical fruit and veg on offer, this tour will get you off the well beaten tourist track and into the heart of local communities.
There is more to the Tablelands than just the amazing food. Its also well known for its rain-forests, crater lakes, and wildlife, but in the township of Chillagoe are some incredible cave systems, just waiting to be explored. You can only explore the caves with a tour guide, for safety, tickets are available from the Chillagoe Tourist Information Office and depart the caves daily at 9am, 11am and 1.30pm.
There are three tours to chose from, the Royal Arch cave system will take you on an hour and half ramble through passageways and into 13 stunning chambers, it is the largest cave system on the tablelands. The Donna Cave is the smallest, but one of the prettiest, and finally the Trezkinn Cave is home to a stunning limestone formation known as The Chandelier.
Above ground, take the Scenic Steam Railway into the village of Kuranda, or for a far more spectacular entrance, journey via Skyrail above the rainforest. Completely surrounded by Rainforest this small village community is home to some of the best artists in Australia.
Market stalls line the main street, selling a wide selection of art and hand-made crafts, stalls in the park sell opals and handmade jewelry, you can even get your fortune told. Musicians and performers entertain market visitors, and when youÕre not shopping head to the Pamagirri Corroboree and witness the local indigenous community perform traditional dances. They'll also educate you on the indigenous way of life, and how it changed dramatically with the arrival of white settlement. During the songs and dances, audience members are encouraged to participate, but please be respectful of this ancient culture.
Emerge from the rainforest at the village of Yungaburra. Largely unchanged since it was established in 1910, this community is famous for its Devonshire Teas taken on the shores of Lake Barrine - a deep and ancient crater of a long gone volcano that is now filled with crisp and clear water. Take a lake cruise, or wander into the rainforest and see the fifty meter tall Curtain Fig Tree, at over eight-hundred years old, this magnificent tree is thirty nine meters wide and it is still going. You can visit the base, or head into the treetops on a rainforest boardwalk. Yungaburra is also home to monthly markets, the village fills with produce stalls and arts and crafts, featuring local farmers and artists from across the tablelands, it is a great place to meet people who live in this magnificent place all year round.