The Atherton Tablelands plateau is about an hour inland from Cairns. It offers a cooler climate and very different scenery to what you would find on the coast and features waterfalls, some great hiking trails and the opportunity to see wildlife including platypus and tree kangaroos.
The major towns on the tablelands include Mareeba, Atherton and Yungaburra.
Coming & going
Trans North Bus & Coach operate a regular bus service from Cairns to Atherton.
There are also several tours that operate from Cairns that are a good option for travellers without a car; these include On the Wallaby and Uncle Brian’s.
On the Wallaby run excellent tours including a one-day canoe tour ($99), one-day waterfalls tour ($99) or an overnight tour ($169) with accommodation at their hostel in Yungaburra. Uncle Brian’s have fun day tours for $119. All these tours get you to the waterfalls and give you the opportunity to see wildlife.
