Cairns, Atherton Tablelands & Volcano Craters Private Tour | FNQ

Cairns, Atherton Tablelands & Volcano Craters Private Tour | FNQ

You will be absolutely delighted with this Private Charter Atherton Tablelands and Volcanic Crater Lakes tour!

The below itinerary can be altered to suit your needs so don't hesitate to speak to our Cairns private charter tour co-ordinators.

Sample Atherton Tablelands and Volcano Crater Tour Itinerary

7:30am - Pickup in Cairns
Travel up the panoramic Gillies highway while witnessing the dramatic change in habitat as we gain altitude.
Enjoy beautiful views of Goldsborough Valley from Heales Lookout.

8:45am - Arrive at Lake Barrine
Lake Barrine is an outstanding location for nature activities.
Several walks are available offering great wildlife and bird watching opportunities.
From 30 minutes to two hours, tailored to your desires.
Let’s toast our wildlife spotting achievements over some local tea/coffee and the famous Tea House scones with jam and cream. 
The lake cruise takes approximately 1 hour and is a big highlight to spot reptiles such as water dragons, birds, eels, fish, other reptiles and several Wet Tropics endemic species but you will also learn about the European history of the area.

11:30am - Arrive in Yungaburra
One of our major focus points of the day, spotting WILD Platypus!
Learn about their elusive Platypus behavior and take as much time as you need to get that perfect photo!
We often witness a resident Tree Kangaroo family at this location also.

1:00pm - Arrive Lake Eacham
A chance to cool down during the hottest part of the day; swim in an extinct volcanic crater with pristine clear water surrounded by Rainforest.
For our guests who would prefer not to swim, other nature sites are available close by!

2:00pm - Arrive at Malanda Conservation Park
This conservation park is invaluable to the elusive Mapee (Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo).
They are seen on a regular basis in this small patch of protected forest. Malanda falls is a beautiful photo opportunity on the walk and several other wildlife opportunities are available here, such as the Freshwater Snapping Turtle and the Grey-headed Robin.

3:00pm - Arrive at Cathedral Fig Tree
One of the most incredible trees you will see in your life.
This ancient Curtain Fig Tree is an epic rainforest survivor (800 years) with a very complex ecosystem surrounding its lifecycle. 
Over 120 birds can be found and heard in the area.

4:00pm - Depart Tablelands for Cairns
Time permitting, we may stop at the Mountain View hotel for a beverage and lovely views of the Little Mulgrave River and possibly a drive through Gordonvale to view the Sugar Refinery. 

5:00-5:30pm - Arrive Cairns
We’ll drop you back to your accomodation in Cairns between 5:00-5:30pm

We visit the ancient Cathedral Fig Tree. An 800 year old relic of the flora kingdom. Learn about the intricate life story of the Giant Fig while enjoying the morning chorus. Over 120 birds can be found and heard in the area.

Travelling on further to Lake Barrine we delight in an interpretive journey through the lakeside rainforest. Enjoy a one hour lake cruise for more wildlife opportunities and learn about the European history of the area.

Listen out for the infamous Victoria’s Riflebird and many other elusive creatures.

We continue on our way for a delicious lakeside lunch and some WILD Platypus spotting! We’re grateful that our continual interaction in the region has afforded us some great locations to sight these rare and unusual animals.

During the heat of the day enjoy a pleasant swim or simply go exploring at Lake Eacham, often a highlight and a nice cool off.

Visit Malanda Conservation Park. The park is invaluable to the elusive Mapee (Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo) They are seen on a regular basis in this small patch of protected forest. Malanda falls is a beautiful photo opportunity on the walk and several other wildlife opportunities are available here, such as the Freshwater Snapping Turtle and the Grey-headed Robin

To finish off our wonderful day, a wonderful panoramic photo opportunity from Heales lookout  overlooking Goldsborough Valley

What's Unique About This Tour?

• More time in Nature: we have access to multiple nature walks to ensure the greatest outcome for nature observations.
• Platypus: we have a 100% success rate, viewing wild Platypus at our viewing location. Often a Tree Kangaroo also!

Good To Know

We have Wet Tropics Certification and Savannah Guide Certification

We are monthly supporters of Bush Heritage Australia and Volunteers for Tropical North Queensland Wildlife Rescue

See more Native Australian Private Charter Wildlife tours in Cairns