Explore the Atherton Tablelands from Cairns — mountains, rainforest and historic Yungaburra

Cairns is internationally recognised as a tropical coastal city and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

But turn away from the sea, head towards the mountains and within a relatively short drive you enter an entirely different world.

The Atherton Tablelands sit above Cairns on an elevated plateau of rich agricultural country, rainforest, waterfalls, crater lakes and historic towns.

It is one of the great advantages of staying in Cairns.

You can spend one day on a tropical island or exploring the reef and the next driving through green dairy country, drinking coffee grown in the region, walking through rainforest and having lunch at a historic country pub.

For visitors with a car, the Tablelands deserve at least a full day.

The climb begins almost immediately

There are several ways to reach the Tablelands from Cairns, and the journey is part of the experience.

Travellers can head towards Kuranda and continue inland, travel south and climb through the Gillies Range, or construct a circuit that uses different routes for the outward and return journeys.

Whichever approach is chosen, the transformation is remarkable.

The coastal environment gives way to mountains and forest. Temperatures can become noticeably cooler with elevation, particularly during winter mornings and evenings.

Then the landscape opens.

Welcome to the Atherton Tablelands.

Atherton — the regional centre

Atherton is one of the principal towns of the Tablelands and a logical destination around which to construct a day's exploration.

This is productive country.

Agriculture has shaped the Tablelands for generations, and the region produces an impressive range of crops and food products. Depending on where you travel, the scenery can include grazing country and fields producing everything from tropical fruits and vegetables to coffee, avocados and other crops suited to the area's varied soils and climate.

Atherton itself provides shops, cafes and services, making it a useful stopping point before exploring the smaller communities and natural attractions around it.

But the real pleasure of the Tablelands is often found between the towns.

Yungaburra — a town worth stopping for

Yungaburra should be high on the itinerary.

The historic village has retained a distinctive character that immediately separates it from the modern coastal development around Cairns.

Old buildings, verandahs, cafes, gardens and streetscapes give Yungaburra the atmosphere of a traditional Queensland country town.

It is a place where stopping rather than simply driving through makes sense.

Walk around.

Have a coffee.

Explore the shops.

And allow time for one of the town's best-known institutions.

The Yungaburra Hotel

The historic Yungaburra Hotel — widely known simply as the Yungaburra Pub — is part of the experience.

Its traditional Queensland architecture and prominent position make it one of those buildings that helps define a town.

For visitors from Cairns, stopping at the pub for lunch or a drink can become the centrepiece of a Tablelands drive rather than merely somewhere to eat along the way.

There is something particularly appropriate about sitting at an old country hotel after a morning driving through the mountains and farmland.

It provides something that cannot be recreated in a modern resort precinct: a tangible connection with the history and character of the district.

For the designated driver, of course, lunch and a non-alcoholic drink are the sensible combination.

Lake Eacham

From Yungaburra, one of the Tablelands' most beautiful natural attractions is close at hand.

Lake Eacham is a volcanic crater lake surrounded by rainforest.

Its calm water and forest setting are a dramatic contrast to the beaches and ocean around Cairns.

A walk around the lake provides an opportunity to experience the rainforest at a slower pace, while the recreation area makes it a popular destination for locals as well as visitors.

As with all natural swimming areas, visitors should observe current signs and official advice before entering the water.

Lake Barrine

Nearby Lake Barrine provides another glimpse into the volcanic origins of the Tablelands.

The two lakes are close enough to incorporate into the same drive, but each has its own atmosphere.

Together they help explain why the Tablelands are so different from the coastal plain below.

This landscape has been shaped by ancient volcanic activity, creating fertile soils, crater lakes and the foundations for the agricultural richness visitors see today.

The Curtain Fig Tree

Near Yungaburra stands one of the Tablelands' extraordinary natural landmarks.

The Curtain Fig Tree is exactly the sort of attraction that demonstrates why exploring by road is so rewarding.

The enormous root system appears to cascade towards the forest floor like a curtain.

It is not simply a large tree. It is an example of the complex processes occurring inside tropical rainforest over very long periods.

A short stop here can easily become one of the most memorable parts of a Tablelands day.

Look for a platypus

Yungaburra also has another claim to fame.

The surrounding waterways provide opportunities for patient visitors to look for platypuses.

These animals are wild, so there are no guarantees. That is part of the appeal.

Early morning and later afternoon can provide opportunities for wildlife observation, but visitors should approach quietly and treat the waterways as habitat rather than an attraction that exists on demand.

Spotting a platypus in the wild would be a particularly Australian addition to a Far North Queensland holiday.

The waterfall country

The Tablelands are also waterfall country.

Millaa Millaa Falls is among the best known, while the wider area contains numerous waterfalls and rainforest drives.

The famous Waterfall Circuit around the Millaa Millaa area can turn a Cairns day trip into a substantial exploration of the southern Tablelands.

Waterfalls change with rainfall and seasonal conditions, so the experience varies throughout the year.

That is another reason the Tablelands reward repeat visits.

The landscape is never entirely static.

Malanda and dairy country

Around Malanda, visitors encounter another side of tropical North Queensland.

The cooler elevated environment supports lush agricultural and dairy country, creating scenes that can seem surprisingly removed from the coconut palms and beaches associated with Cairns.

Malanda is another useful stopping point when constructing a Tablelands circuit.

Rather than racing from attraction to attraction, visitors can gain more from the journey by allowing time for the towns themselves.

These communities are not tourism displays.

They are working regional towns serving farms, families and businesses across the Tablelands.

Coffee, produce and roadside discoveries

One of the pleasures of exploring the Atherton Tablelands is discovering what is produced there.

The region's elevation, soils and climate support a broad agricultural economy.

Depending on the route and season, visitors may encounter farm shops, local produce, coffee businesses, markets and roadside stalls.

This gives the Tablelands a different tourism economy from Cairns.

On the coast, much of the visitor experience revolves around the reef, beaches, accommodation and marine activities.

On the Tablelands, food, agriculture, landscape and small towns become central to the journey.

The two experiences complement each other.

Make it a circuit

A particularly satisfying way to explore the Tablelands is to avoid simply driving up and back along the same road.

Subject to road and weather conditions, visitors can construct a circuit incorporating Cairns, the Gillies Range, Yungaburra, Atherton and the northern Tablelands before returning towards Cairns through the Kuranda Range — or travel in the opposite direction.

It turns the drive into a genuine road trip.

There is no need to see everything in one day.

In fact, trying to do so can defeat the purpose.

Choose several major stops, leave room for discoveries along the way and accept that the attractions you miss provide a reason to return.

Stay overnight and the experience changes again

While the Tablelands can easily be visited from Cairns, an overnight stay opens considerably more possibilities.

It allows time for an unhurried dinner, early-morning wildlife watching, longer walks and exploration beyond the principal tourist route.

Yungaburra is particularly well positioned for visitors who want a village atmosphere close to lakes, rainforest and other Tablelands attractions.

A two-day excursion also makes it easier to explore further north or south without spending most of the day watching the clock for the return to Cairns.

Drive to the conditions

The mountain roads between Cairns and the Tablelands demand sensible driving.

Sections can be steep and winding, weather can change rapidly, and fog or rain may reduce visibility.

Allow adequate time, avoid rushing and check road and weather conditions before travelling.

Wildlife can also be encountered on regional roads, particularly around dawn and dusk.

The objective is not to cover the greatest possible distance.

It is to enjoy the journey.

One holiday — two completely different worlds

This is one of Cairns' great strengths as a destination.

The Great Barrier Reef lies offshore.

Beaches stretch north towards Palm Cove and beyond.

The Daintree lies further north.

And immediately behind the city rises another destination altogether.

The Atherton Tablelands provide the mountains to Cairns' sea.

They also demonstrate why a Far North Queensland holiday should not necessarily be confined to the coastline.

The Cairns Times View

Visitors understandably come to Cairns dreaming about coral, islands and tropical beaches.

They should look west as well.

Beyond the mountains is a landscape of crater lakes, rainforest, waterfalls, farms and historic communities that could occupy several days of a Far North Queensland itinerary.

Atherton provides the regional centre. Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine reveal the volcanic landscape. The Curtain Fig demonstrates the extraordinary scale of the rainforest. The waterfall country provides another reason to explore.

And Yungaburra provides something equally important: character.

Have a wander through the village, find the old pub, sit down for lunch and remember that travel does not always need an attraction, a ticket or a timetable.

Sometimes the experience is simply being somewhere different.

The reef shows visitors one extraordinary side of Cairns. The road to the Atherton Tablelands reveals another.