Tour de Tablelands

SHAYLEE STRAWBERRIES

Pick your own strawberries at this family farm between Atherton and Yungaburra before retiring to the café to sample homemade sweets, desserts and ice cream beside gourmet toasties and artisan coffee.

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Tour de Tablelands

THE Atherton Tablelands is a hidden gem in a region famous for star attractions like the Wet Tropics of Queensland rainforest and Great Barrier Reef.

The region “up the hill” from Cairns rises 700m above sea level, with this lofty elevation promising the temperature will always be a few degrees cooler than on the coast, and landscapes seamlessly switch from fertile farmland to parched outback while following the sun across the sky from east to west.

Freshwater Swimming

Six places for freshwater swimming, soaking and floating in Far North Queensland

BABINDA BOULDERS

This swimming spot, which is in the shadows of Mt Bartle Frere, never fails to impress. Avoid the Devil’s Pool and stick to the still waterholes to submerge beside locals cooling down beneath a rainforest canopy of green.

JOSEPHINE FALLS

A natural rock waterslide has made this spot a Far North favourite. Josephine Creek starts high up in nearby Mt Bartle Frere – Queensland’s highest summit – and winds through Wooroonooran National Park near Mirriwinni.

NANDROYA FALLS

Those wanting to soak in the pool below one of Tropical North Queensland’s most wondrous waterfalls will need to pack their hiking boots, with the track from the Henrietta Creek camping ground not suitable for less-than-serious footwear.

CARDWELL SPA POOL

Abundant levels of magnesium and calcium in the water turn the Cardwell Spa Pool various shades of blue – from vibrant cobalt to milky turquoise, depending on the sunshine – to make this location a serious Instagram star.

MALANDA FALLS

This natural Tablelands pool is only steps from the car park, making it suitable for travellers with little legs that don’t want to walk far, and there’s always the chance to see the elusive Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo while floating below the falls.

BEHANA GORGE

This waterhole at the base of the Far North’s famous mountainous Pyramid is one of the district’s prettiest, with the rumbling water flowing through a narrow rocky canyon that’s almost hidden inside a tunnel of trees.