Atherton Tablelands Tours

Walk amongst boulders, slide into cool pools, soak in the spray of waterfalls and dive into crater lakes, and that’s just the ‘wet’ stuff! On this full day tour you'll also visit and learn about culturally important places, visit the biggest tree you’ll ever see (the Curtain Fig Tree which is believed to be 500 years old!), and have the chance to spy a diverse array of rainforest creatures - if you're lucky you'll even spot an elusive platypus!

Travel south and discover the majesty and beauty of north Queensland’s most iconic waterfalls, a MUST-see for anyone wanting to experience pristine rainforest, cascading waterfalls, stunning panoramas of Queensland’s highest peaks and maybe a glimpse of rare and unique native wildlife. This fun tour is ideal for the young and the young at heart, looking to see the best of the Atherton Tablelands.

Waterfall Wanderers will provide morning and afternoon tea, lunch, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits and fruit throughout the day, as well as heaps of games and puzzles to keep you entertained as we explore the Atherton Tablelands by luxury air-conditioned coach.

Pack your swimmers. Australia’s most famous rainforest waterfalls await. Our Cairns waterfalls and rainforest tour is an epic road trip, which will have you in and out of the water all day. It takes you from Cairns, up, over and through the beautiful rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands.

Babinda Boulders – Stunning scenery and refreshing swimming. Culturally significant to the Yidinji Traditional Owners, learn the tragic love story that still ‘haunts’ this beautiful place.

Josephine Falls – Ready to slide and take a wild ride down the rocks, into a cool rainforest pool? This is it, and it doesn’t get any better, bring the Go Pros.

Millaa Millaa Waterfall – World famous hair flick waterfall which tumbles 18m down into a natural amphitheatre. Strike a pose, swim and explore.

Volcanic Crater Lake – Dive right into Lake Eacham, a 65m former volcanic crater, now filled with crystal clear rainwater.

Departing Cairns at approx 11.15am , we journey south to the Cassowary Coast our first stop at the township of Babinda and to explore the beautiful Babinda Boulders with time for a swim or nature walk.

We then travel further south through the Art Deco township of Innisfail and onto the Cassowary Coast featuring an interpretive overview of the rich history of agriculture in the Banana and Sugar Cane Industries. Taking the scenic coastal road over the Moresby Range, we stop at Etty Bay. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe and photograph a Southern Cassowary on a rainforest beach. At Etty Bay, we enjoy afternoon tea, with time to walk along the beach to experience this unique environment where the rainforest meets the reef.

Upon arrival to Paronella Park, begin your experience with a fully guided tour including Queensland’s first privately owned hydroelectricity plant. Or, if you prefer, explore the grounds at your leisure & discover why the park was voted the number 1 must-do attraction in Queensland. Meet your guide at the museum and take a look at the many interesting pieces of history, before taking a leisurely stroll across the suspension bridge and over the beautiful Mena Creek Falls to capture an amazing photo opportunity.

After the epic photos, we’ll make our way to Mena Creek Hotel, voted the best country pub in Queensland, where an authentic "Pub Style" dinner will be served.

Taste some of the local beers or challenge your skills on the game tables. After dinner, we return to Paronella Park for the ‘Darkness Falls Tour’ allowing for more spectacular photo opportunities of the waterfalls and structures of the castles by night.

Sitting under the stars surrounded by the dense rainforest, the grand finale and highlight of the tour set the scene of a captivating, extraordinary, magical moment, witnessing the Spanish Castle come to life through the orchestral light show, elevating your senses for an experience you will never forget.

Depart Paronella Park for one last stop – to gaze at the beautiful stars in the clear, picturesque North Queensland sky before being dropped off at your chosen accommodation at around 9pm.

Our first stop is Rainforestation in Kuranda. Set on the balcony of their Tree House restaurant we enjoy a delicious breakfast of Tropical fruits (seasonal) and Wattle seed damper, a selection of tropical jams and local tea and coffee.

After breakfast taste some unique liqueurs made on site at their Mountain Groves Distillery
Mango and Chilli, Pineapple and Cinnamon
Lemon Myrtle Cello & Passionfruit and Pepperberry.

Our next stop is Emerald Creek Ice creamery a family-owned business Positioned on 2.15ha on the Kennedy Highway between Mareeba and Kuranda.
Their Ice-cream is made on-site in their factory using pure cream and full cream milk. Sorbets (dairy free, full fruit) also made on-site using local Tablelands fruit

We will traverse through a patchwork of amazing farmland, diverse crops and rolling green hills for a tasting and shopping treat.

We stop at ‘The Humpy’, the best place to go for freshly harvested Atherton Tablelands products straight from the growers. From vegetables to tropical fruits and hundreds of varieties of nuts, dried fruits, locally produced jams and sauces.

Here we get to taste some seasonal fruits and different flavours of hot local peanuts and macadamia nuts.
We now head towards the historic village of Atherton

Australian Platypus Park Gourmet Lunch. The Australian Platypus Park is home to a thriving platypus population. These wonderful creatures can be found in a spring fed pond surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

We take a wander down to see them in this magnificent setting then sit down to enjoy flavoured handcrafted smoked products, combined with a unique blend of local Australian native herbs and spices. These tasty treats are all produced in-house using only the freshest quality ingredients and include Crocodile, Red Claw (Yabby) and Kangaroo with fresh local salads topped off with a ‘Tarzali Lakes’ boutique beer, Dragon Fruit cider, Lemon Myrtle tea. (Menu EXCLUSIVE to our tour.) Time to purchase some of the smoked products and sauces.

Driving through this thriving hub, a patchwork of amazing farmland and rolling green hills appear. We are on our way to Gallo Dairyland - a fully operational dairy farm spread across 1000 acres of rich red volcanic soil with delicious handcrafted chocolates and a gourmet cheese factory.

Here we can buy the delicious cheeses we have just tasted and sample irresistible Swiss-style filled chocolates that are a work of art whilst gazing out over the picturesque landscape. Meet some friendly animals before heading back to Mareeba through various diverse crops.

Billy Cart Brewery Afternoon drinks. We visit this locally owned and independent brewery in Atherton, their taproom caters for the adventurous craft beer drinker as well as those who just love a cold beer at the end of the day

Then just down the road, we arrive at Australian Distiller of the year 2017, Mount Uncle Distillery, North Queensland’s first and only distillery. Here we taste some of their Award-winning liqueurs and spirits.

Then wander around this stunning property nestled in coffee and banana plantations, with beautiful gardens and friendly animals.

And if that is not enough, we head across the savannah 'Outback', past giant termite mounds & classic red dirt, to a unique 160-acre Private Property. Here you can soak up the stunning rainforest and pristine environment, a sanctuary for bird & animal species. Watch out for a passing Kangaroo and head down to 'The Platypus Hut' where you can sit in a tranquil setting as the sun goes down, watch for dive bombing Kingfishers & the elusive Platypus (or dip your toes into the most beautiful mountain stream) whilst tasting some Queensland wines & beer, Macadamia nut butter and local bread.

Explore the Chillagoe Caves, Granite Gorge and other highlights of Tropical North Queensland on this full-day tour from Cairns.

Stop 1: Skybury Coffee Plantation for Morning Tea - enjoy a coffee or tea and a morning snack (such as scones, jam and cream, and tropical fruit) while enjoying the balcony views.

Stop 2: Private local ranger-guided Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park Tour - take a step back in time and be inspired by the knowledge of your guide as he explains about the fossilized remains of the ancient coral reefs some 400 - 420 million years old, with hidden limestone labyrinths give a portal to a lost world just like our own Great Barrier Reef. This was once the inland sea. Millions of years in the making, the limestone formations and Chillagoe-Munagana Caves are nothing short of spectacular.

Stop 3: Chillagoe Smelter Ruins - here we delve into the history of the Chillagoe copper smelters, whose old chimneys dominate the western horizon. We visit the remains of the once-mighty smelters to ponder what it was like working there.

Stop 4: Aussie lunch at Chillagoe's 100-year-old pub - a true Australian Outback Pub built at the turn of the century! There is time to visit the unique gift shop in Chillagoe, which specialises in Chillagoe marble and local Aboriginal art.

Stop 5: Visit Balancing Rock for an iconic photo opportunity!

Stop 6: See Aboriginal Rock Art and learn about some Dreamtime stories.

Stop 7: Visit Granite Gorge to see the wallabies - get up close and personal with these local rock wallabies at Granite Gorge National Park and have time to explore this National Park before making your way home.

There are also stairs to climb to get into the caves. A reasonable level of fitness is required for this tour. It is not suitable for people with mobility issues or wheelchairs
Please advise of any dietary requirements at the time of booking. Itinerary may be subject to change due to weather conditions in the wet season. Tour is only available from Cairns. Tour Operator will provide Baby Seats or Booster Seats. Please advise upon booking; all children up to 7 years.

Please note: Itineraries may be changed or operated in a different order, or some destinations may not be reached at the discretion of Billy Tea Safaris' guide during the day due to weather and possible road closures, and for the safety of all passengers.

Discover the natural beauty and history of the Atherton Tablelands on this full-day tour, covering over 300km packed with pristine rainforest waterfalls, ancient tropical rainforests and the intriguing history of heritage-listed Paronella Park. Amongst a small group in our air-conditioned bus, our expert guides reveal the secrets of the rolling landscapes and charming townships of the Tablelands, taking time to pause for unforgettable scenic views, rainforest encounters and of course, a dip in the cool rainforest waters of Milla Milla Falls and Babinda Boulders.

Seven delicious stops !! Enjoy the best that The Tablelands has to offer with this Foodie tour that takes you into the amazing hinterland in the hills above Cairns and learn why this area is called the Cairns Food Bowl.  Indulge in tastings of Liqueurs, Wines, Beers, Spirits, Cheeses, Coffee, Chocolates,Tropical Fruits, Nuts, Crocodile, Kangaroo, Red Claw (fresh water Yabby)
Includes breakfast, morning tea, Gourmet lunch, afternoon tea and all tastings