The Tour Specialists Blog

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Atherton Tablelands

For all the food lovers we are showcasing a food and wine tour mixed in with sightseeing around the wonderful Atherton Tablelands.

On this day tour you will be sampling exotic fruits and sampling cheeses, wines and aperitifs, visiting coffee plantations and enjoying a nice meal.

The Wet Tropics of Tropical North Queensland are well known for its abundance of unique wildlife, lush flora and fauna and the rich red volcanic soil provides the nutrients to grow food all year round under the sunshine of Port Douglas which is then exported daily around the world.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Great Barrier Reef Drive

Once guests are collected from their Port Douglas accommodation we then head down towards Cairns along the Great Barrier Reef Drive a road that is Instagram worthy all the way.

Our first stop is at Tjapukai (Jab-u-ky) an Aboriginal Cultural Park where we are treated to a breakfast of exotic tropical fruits and other favourites in our exclusive rainforest setting.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Tropical Fruits

The Aboriginal peoples are the oldest known living culture on the planet and they are proud of their heritage.

They have lived off the land for thousands of years and learnt how to produce food and medicines from the rainforests.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park

After breakfast we head up the mountain ranges behind Cairns towards the lush green Atherton Tablelands which are also nicknamed as the “food bowl of the region.

Keep the camera handy as you will see some really beautiful and sometimes quirky sites along the way as your local coach drivers tells you all about the region.

We call into the Jaques Coffee Plantation which is a family owned coffee plantation and with the world's first mechanical coffee harvester.  Their Arabica roasted coffee boasted a smooth and vibrant unique flavour was served just the way we all individually liked it.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Green Tree Frog on Coffee Beans

As it gets later in the day it is time to begin our first taste testing of local liqueurs and spirits at the Mount Uncle Distillery where the finest local Australian Craft Spirits are produced.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Mt Uncle Distillery

Here you can sample Gin, Vodka and liqueurs before heading into Bridges restaurant for some wood fired pizza that are decorated with slow cooked meats, salads and another beverage tasting of beer this time, brewed in their new family owned brewery.

After lunch you may wander gardens to see the rescued wildlife that are nursed back to health.

Feeling well satisfied we then drive through more beautiful rolling countryside to now sample some wonderful cheeses at the Gallo Dairyland, a dairy farm which is famous for their locally crafted cheeses and their fine blended and tempered chocolates.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Dairy Farm

There are 16 flavours of cheese available and you may taste up to 6 different varieties with crackers. You may even see the very fat and healthy looking Gallo cows walking up from the paddocks toward the milking sheds one after the other for their second milking of the day.

You may also watch the cheese making process on the screens and you can buy some cheeses and chocolates to take back to your accommodation in Cairns or Port Douglas to enjoy with a sundowner drink on your balcony or beside the swimming pool.

The next stop will have your mouth watering and your purse ready to shop as your eyes gloat over the fantastic array of creatively grown and produced foods.

You will find products made of bush foods, the pride of Queensland hot macadamia nuts, fresh wood oven breads, locally grown organic foods, delicious juices and much more. At The Humpy we had tastings of their very own delicious gluten free ice cream and gelato, the very sweet tropical fruits and hot nuts all grown locally.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Macadamia Trees

Once we had our tastebuds satisfied and our shopping basket full we were off again on a wonderful drive through outback countryside with spectacular views on our way to taste some lovely wines and spirits.

The Golden Drop Winery was the first commercial Mango Winery in Queensland and here we have the opportunity to sample deliciously different award winning wines and liqueurs of their range and make some purchases for ourselves and as gifts for families and friends.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Mango Trees

To cleanse our palates before our next adventure we try some Daintree ice creams and Mango sorbet and then head off to our last stop for the day.

Next and last stop is Platypus Hut  a 160 acre rainforest retreat hidden away in paradise surrounded by Dinden National Park and the World Heritage Wet Tropics, an ecological wonder, and home to many species of birds, wallabies, platypus, possums, lizards, pademelons and more.

Photo Courtesy of Tourism & Events Queensland - Platypus

This property is the perfect place for bird watching and peaceful walks where you can just relax and listen to the sounds of nature and its inhabitants. Here we taste Queensland wines and beer with the famous Macadamia nut butter on fresh artisan bread. Guests can then take a walk down to the cool  mountain streams and pools to enjoy the sun setting over the landscape.

After an informative day out tasting and shopping to buy all the locally grown and blended food & wine we the head back down the Kuranda Range to your Port Douglas accommodation where you can sit back on your resorts balcony and taste all your produce and reflect on your food and wine day tour over the Atherton Tablelands.

For more information or to book, call 1300 761 6112 or click here.

Author: Christina James - Tour Specialists