Atherton Tableland Mountain

Address: Atherton Tableland, near Atherton and Mareeba, Far North Queensland, Australia

Admission: No admission fee to the region; costs vary for guided tours or paid attractions

Atherton Tableland is a highland plateau in Far North Queensland, Australia, inland from the city of Cairns and forming part of the Great Dividing Range region. It is known for fertile agricultural land, rainforest, waterfalls and volcanic crater lakes.

The area offers a wide range of natural attractions including volcanic crater lakes such as Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine, numerous waterfalls including Millaa Millaa Falls, and extensive rainforest walks; many sites have short, well-maintained trails and picnic facilities. The combination of upland climate and fertile soils supports farms, orchards and dairy operations that are visible across the landscape.

Formed through volcanic activity and long-term weathering, the plateau has been shaped by pastoral and agricultural development since European settlement, while remaining important for Indigenous peoples for millennia. Parts of the region are included in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area for their ecological values.

Sitting inland from the coastal city of Cairns, the tableland occupies elevated countryside west and southwest of Cairns and is reached by road from the coastal plain.

• Natural heritage: Contains volcanic crater lakes and rainforests that are part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area, with many short walking tracks and lookouts.
• Proximity to Cairns: Approximately 60-90 kilometres inland from Cairns, accessible by road and serving as a cooler upland farming and tourism region compared with the coastal plain.

What to See#

• Crater lakes: Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine - Two volcanic crater lakes formed by maar eruptions; each is used for swimming, short walks and ecological study.
• Waterfalls: Millaa Millaa Falls and other waterfalls - Scenic waterfalls on the plateau popular for short walks and photography, often grouped along a waterfall circuit.
• Towns and gateways: Atherton township and Mareeba - Principal towns on the plateau providing visitor services, access points to rural landscapes and gateways to nearby national parks.

From Cairns drive southwest on the Gillies Range Road (State Route 52) to Yungaburra and the central Tableland towns (about 1-1.5 hours). Alternatively, take the Kennedy Highway west from Cairns toward Mareeba and Atherton.

• Drive the Gillies Range Road early (if coming from Cairns) before buses and caravans build up; the switchbacks reward with sudden rainforest glimpses.
• Visit waterfalls like Millaa Millaa before midday when light filters through the fern gullies and the pools are less crowded.
• Stop at a local fruit stall - the Tableland grows exotic tropical fruit: mangos, lychees and macadamias - and ask about the season; freshness is a local obsession.