Tablelands, Waterfalls & Paronella Park

• Naturalist guide
• Wet Tropics Rainforest of Wooroonooran National Park
• Atherton Tablelands
• Millaa Millaa Falls (one of the most photographed waterfalls in Australia)
• Lake Barrine
• Curtain Fig TreeExplore
• Tropical North Queensland
• Paronella Park Entrance
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned coach

Your full-day discovery tour of the Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park starts with a coach pickup from your Cairns accommodation or alternative meeting point, between 7.15am – 7.45am.

Travelling south from Cairns in our air-conditioned coach, your first photo opportunity is at the towering Walsh’s Pyramid, a Cairns icon and one of the largest naturally formed pyramids in the world at over 900 metres in height.

Our first stop in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area comes at Lake Barrine, in Crater Lakes National Park, where a short guided walk with our expert guide reveals the area’s ancient natural history

After your walk it’s time for Devonshire tea: enjoy freshly-baked scones with jam and cream, washed down with locally-grown, fresh brewed tea and coffee in the historical town of Yungaburra, where your guide will share the township’s logging past, taking you on a driving tour around this quaint town and showcasing the many heritage-listed buildings. From Yungaburra it is a short drive to the Curtain Fig Tree, which towers more than 45 metres into the rare Mabi forest of its namesake, Curtain Fig Tree National Park. Enjoy a fascinating boardwalk tour, with your guide who shares the unlikely story behind the formation of this 600-800 year-old epiphyte, while also looking out for unique wildlife in the rainforest canopy, like green ring-tailed possums, eastern whip birds, Victoria’s rifle birds the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo.

Drive tour through the historical dairy town of Malanda, enjoy an a la carte lunch before arriving at the spectacular Millaa Millaa Falls. Seem familiar? It’s one of Australia’s most-photographed waterfalls!

We descend from the Atherton Tablelands via the Palmerston Highway and through the traditional lands of the Mamu people, passing expansive sugar cane and banana fields to the coastal town of Innisfail arriving at the Mena Creek hotel for lunch.

The extensive National Trust-listed gardens at Paronella Park are our next stop, where a 45-minute guided tour in English, Chinese or Japanese tells the story of the park’s memorable architecture, set amongst sprawling tropical gardens and inspired by founder José Paronella’s dream of a Spanish castle.

Photo opportunities abound here, from Kauri Avenue to Teresa Falls, the Grand Staircase and suspension bridge over Mena Creek Falls. With 2.5 hours here, you’ll have ample time to explore the grounds, appreciate its history and capture some memorable moments.

Time to head north towards Cairns, stopping at a local banana farm where you can buy your very own taste of the tropics with local bananas, papaya and seasonal, home-grown fruit.

it is approximately a 50-60 minute drive back to the city of Cairns and onwards to your accommodation, arriving between 6.00 – 6.30pm.

• Swimmers
• Towel
• Change of clothes
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Camera
• Sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Extra cash or credit card for additional purchases