Top Things to do in Atherton Tablelands
Top Hotels in Atherton Tablelands
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What to do and see in Atherton Tablelands, Queensland: The Best Things to do Adventurous
Discover the best top things to do in Atherton Tablelands, Australia including The Bat Hospital Visitor Centre, Nandroya Falls, Emu Ridge Gallery, Kuranda Rainforest Journeys, Cairns Quads & Adventures, Granite Gorge Nature Park, The Crystal Caves, Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park, MakoTrac International Racetrack (Go Kart Action), Mount Baldy.
Restaurants in Atherton Tablelands
1. The Bat Hospital Visitor Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 196 reviews
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL. Enter an upside down world and meet the real stars of the night! Our personalised tours only run during feeding time 3-6pm, when the bats come down to eye level from their 6 metre-high roost. Eclectic collection of bat art , world-class facilities and bat information set among restful gardens. Open all year but bookings essential as tour times vary between 3 and 6pm. Entry $20 adult and $10 children.
Reviewed By manuelac2017 - Melbourne, Australia
We stumbled across this place as it’s not highly advertised, but what a gem of a place it is! The tour was outstanding with all things “bats” carefully explained to us with such passion. So wonderful to see the bats rehabilitating. And it’s so clean!! We were amazed. Keep up the good work
2. Nandroya Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By JilliBn - Gold Coast, Australia
Nice walk, best done early morning. Recommended to take insect repellent as march flies are notorious and do sting. I had terrible reactions and was covered in inflamed, itchy bites for weeks. Other than that I really enjoyed the walk.
3. Emu Ridge Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 22 reviews
Emu Ridge Gallery is the famous Fossil/Gemstone Museum and gift shop in the township of Kuranda, Far North Queensland; well known for displaying a life-size, museum quality Allosaurus skeleton. It all began as a collaboration between two enthusiastic and passionate gemstone fossickers, Chris Maaten and Shane Hebbard. Chris and Shane spent many decades fossicking, cutting and polishing the crystals and gems found and soon turned their hobby into a business, officially commencing in July, 2001. Proudly celebrating 18 years of being open as of the 1st of July 2019, Chris and Shane continue to source natural authentic Gems, Crystals, Minerals and Fossils from likeminded fossickers and collectors from around the world with Australia being the main source. Our gift shop consists of a wide range of Australian gemstone jewellery, locally sourced gems, crystals and fossils. Chris and Shane hope to share their passion with their free Gemstone and Fossil Museum that runs underneath the shop.
Reviewed By Ozzie0504 - Melbourne, Australia
On more than a few occasions I've visited this gallery and i'm always happy with the outcome.Chris and Jasmine are great hosts.The opals are vast and well priced.Clean and neat displays with bright lighting.I was pleasantly surprised with the discounts I received on my opals and they also came with their own cellophane display boxes.All in all a great time I had and thanks again Chris for the information you gave me about the lighting for my own display cabinet at home.See you all next time I'm in Kuranda. Richard from Melbourne.
4. Kuranda Rainforest Journeys
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 282 reviews
Engage all of your senses to explore the oldest tropical rainforest on Earth, exotic fruit orchards and fascinating pioneer history. Your personal tour guide will take you on an ATV journey through a secluded estate nestled atop the majestic Barron Falls, surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest and home to the elusive cassowary. Old timber trails lead the way into the heart of the rainforest where you will discover some of the oldest, tallest and most distinctive flora. Several antique structures will give you an insight into the pioneer history of North Queensland. An orchard with more than 600 exotic fruit trees will remind you of nature’s goodness and richness with tasting available when in season. The chance to encounter a cassowary will make this the most unforgettable journey.
5. Cairns Quads & Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 579 reviews
Let Cairns Quads & Adventures take you on the memorable journey which will leave you breathless. On this tour, you will enjoy beautiful nature and experience an off-road ATV riding experience. We offer you our adventurous and exciting ½ Day ATV quad bike tours where you get to travel through the Rainforest on dirt tracks and creek crossings. Our tours operate everyday at 9am and 2pm, where you will be given a short introductory training briefing and practice before venturing into the Rainforest, where the fun begins. Your actual time on the quad bikes is around 1.5 hours (approx) where you’ll get to experience adrenalin pumping and exciting bumps and creeks crossings and adventures throughout your tour. You’ll get to experience the Rainforest up close and personal with plenty of stops of your adventure through the Rainforest. Our tours are always unique and memorable, and are fun in the sun and awesome in the wet!
6. Granite Gorge Nature Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 428 reviews
At Granite Gorge visitors have a fantastic opportunity to get close with the wild rock wallabies in their natural habitat. You can hand feed them macropod pellets which we have available. The Mareeba unadorned rock wallabies (Petrogale inornata, Mareeba race) are rare and endangered and only seen up close here.The wallabies are unique to this area of Mareeba. They are known to be on the top of a couple of mountain ranges but this is the only place they can be seen up close and fed in the wild. Possums, 5 types of gliders, Frilled necked and other lizards, 2 types of quolls, turtles and echidnas inhabit the gorge and park area. On winter nights dingo howls can be heard way down the gorge.
Reviewed By WorldTravla7 - Cairns, Australia
A group of us came for a 2-night camping adventure in August 2020 and it was a perfect weekend away. It was my first time at Granite Gorge however the others had all camped here before several times and love the place. The facilities are good with a few kitchens (including fridge and electric kettle) and amenities (toilets & showers, 2 blocks that I saw) and the camping area is very large with plenty of room for everyone so that you have space and can have a campfire and drink and chat at night (which we did) without disturbing others too much. It was $16 a night for an unpowered site. The Park has plenty of things to do, with the most famous being the rock wallabies which are endemic to this area. It is a popular place to bring kids – you can buy a bag of feed for $1 and feed the wallabies and this is a must do. Some of the little rock wallabies are shy and run away but the bigger ones are very friendly and will come up to you for food (one wallaby actually jumped onto my friends pram with 6 month old twins and bounded off into the distance, which took us aback a little!). There are also some excellent walks (of varying difficulty) highlighting different aspects of the beautiful Gorge. I did the longer red trail which takes you through a section with dinosaur footprints, though there is a bit of rock hopping involved so good balance and mobility is essential. For those on a multi-night stay you can venture out of the Gorge and check out some other nearby activities (we did the Mareeba Markets & chocolate and liqueur tasting at Coffee Works, but there are a few boutique wineries/distilleries nearby and a heritage museum as well). The Gorge is easy to find and well signed from Mareeba. It was super windy the weekend we came, but it was raining all through Cairns and we got hardly a drop (Mareeba is notoriously dry!). Also watch out for peacocks, ducks, geese and chooks and a variety of snakes and reptiles on show at reception.
7. The Crystal Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 479 reviews
One hour from Cairns on the Atherton Tableland, share one man’s passion for crystals and fossils. On this self-guided tour, you journey through 300m2 of man-made tunnels and grottos with million year old natural crystals and prehistoric fossils. Interactive crystal displays allow you to feel and photograph and even crack your own…
Reviewed By knickerbocker78 - Bendigo, Australia
We added this place to our travel itinerary due to my sons (14) love of fossils and precious stones. This place did not disappoint and both my kids(14 & 12) said it was one of the best days of their holiday. The museum had hundreds of samples throughout the cave system that you could touch and photograph. You are given headlamps to use as well to help highlight the precious stones. The shop had hundreds of items to purchase that are from all over the world, from necklaces and earrings, to bigger geodes, carved figurines in stone, wind chimes from agate slices. The shop is an attraction in itself. We chose to purchase geode each for the kids to help crack open (which was $25 instead of $30). The staff were lovely and informative about the geodes and including the kids to help them crack open their geodes. They provide a card with information about what is in the geode and where it was from. Up the back of the store is a little sand pit with thousands of tiny gemstones in the sand. My kids spent ages picking the stones out from there (free).
8. Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 187 reviews
Reviewed By Dojii - Ocean View, Australia
Eddie was a local indigenous guide and what a privilege to benefit from his knowledge. He blended indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge and patiently answered our questions. He was patient too with those who were a bit slower through the caves and low narrow passages. The caves have a huge range of beautiful kaarst and limestone formations. But my favourite sight was the jagged limestone range that contains the caves complex.
9. MakoTrac International Racetrack (Go Kart Action)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
MakoTrac International Racetrack is situated one hour's drive west from the costal city of Cairns. We catered for all types of groups but generally our main attraction is our hire kart facility that has been operating since 1997. Makotrac consists of an International Standard racetrack, and a 411 m hire kart facility, mini golf course for the general public. Kids as young as four years old can get behind the wheel of a go kart and give it a go. Larger corporate groups or special functions can be arranged at the facility as well. We use the best lap timing, safety systems in the world, making sure your go karting experience is a safe and memorable one.
10. Mount Baldy
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By WorldTravla7 - Cairns, Australia
I’d done Mount Baldy up and back on its own previously & this time tackled the longer 8.5km loop starting at Yabi car park & heading up up to Yabi Mountain and along the ridge to Mount Baldy & back down. It took just under 3 hours including water breaks & stops at each summit. To be honest it’s better than doing Baldy on it’s own as you enjoy a walk through the rainforest from Yabi to Baldy and the walk is more gradual & less strenuous in terms of uphill. You also get to enjoy some great views from both peaks and feel like you’ve really accomplished something. The diversity of landscape is impressive with open bush land, dry savannah & rainforest all on one walk. There is also an abundance of bird life - I saw an amazing black finch like bird with a blood red breast near Yabi Mountain which I’ve never seen anywhere else before. Hint: take lots of water and watch out for the regular signs which direct you where to go. For the Yabi/Baldy circuit make sure to start from the first car park just off Rifle Range Rd (this is the Yabi car park, the Baldy car park is a few hundred metres down the road).
