Atherton Tablelands from Cairns: Waterfalls, Lakes and Farms

The Atherton Tablelands, rising behind Cairns to an elevation of around 700 to 900 metres, offer a noticeably cooler climate and a different kind of landscape to the tropical coast. Key attractions include the twin crater lakes of Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine (part of the Crater Lakes National Park), Millaa Millaa Falls and the Waterfall Circuit, the quaint towns of Atherton and Yungaburra (with a weekly market on the fourth Saturday of the month), and Malanda, known for dairy farming. The Tablelands are also home to diverse wildlife including platypus in quiet streams near Yungaburra. Most of the key sites are accessible via the Gillies Highway from Gordonvale, south of Cairns, or via the Kennedy Highway from the city.