Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands Discovery Tour
I have just returned from Cairns and Far North Queensland to see firsthand the effects of the recent Ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Cairns and the northern beaches seem relatively untouched. With more roads opening daily, it is now possible to travel along the Captain Cook Highway all the way to Port Douglas. There is only one lane open but the usual travel time to Port Douglas from Cairns was just 15 minutes longer. Across the river however the Daintree Rainforest is another story. There are several key lookouts and walk ways still closed or partially opened. Traffic is slow and access to Cape Tribulation remains closed. We have made the decision to review when we re enter the Daintree Rainforest for day touring in another month. I travelled with our head guide Rick, on our Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands Tour, have a read about our day out below.
– Grant Charlesworth, Director
While I was in the region I thought I would check out our brand new Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands tour, designed as an alternative to the Daintree. Even though this destination is south of Cairns, not north like the Daintree, it still features a plethora of experiences. The other bonus of this day is that I had our senior guide Rick Hall on board as my private guide. Rick has been with us for over 15 years, so I know him well. However not having spent allot of time with him recently in the field, I did forget what an incredible and extremely knowledgeable guide he is.
Heading south out of Cairns its not long before the vegetation changes suddenly from Eucalyptus Forest to Rainforest. The air gets thicker and suddenly we arrive at Lake Barrine, an impressive volcanic lake some 1000 meters wide and 65 meters deep. It is beautiful and serine. A quick walk takes us along the a well worn pathway through the rainforest. Next we stop at the charming town of Yungaburra. We enter a local café where Rick treats me to a traditional homemade scone, jam and fresh cream. The coffee is also produced locally and is world class.
From Yungaburra we drive not far out of town to a spot called Allumbah Pocket, a tiny piece of Rainforest where platypus are well known to reside. From here we continue South West and make a stop at the impressive Curtain Fig Tree.
We continue further into yet another amazing National Park, this time the Mount Hypipamee National Park. On arrival here we take an easy walk to the aptly named Crater. It is almost 100 meters deep and 60 meters wide, and as the name suggests, an extinct volcanic crater caused by a massive explosion 20 million years ago.dney Escape.
Lunch today is at the Barron Valley Hotel in the heart of the small town of Atherton. We are greeted on arrival in the impressive main room and quickly ushered to a table set with a white tablecloth and expensive looking antique cutlery. The menu reflects the local produce on offer from the rich farming lands high up on the nearby Atheron Range. The result again was world class.
After lunch we head north towards Cairns passing through Tolga where we see small pademelons in a nearby field. We then make a stop at the majestic Emerald Creek Falls. We walk along the granite tracks to a wonderous swimming hole. The crystal-clear water is a welcome respite in the tropical humidity.
Reboarding the vehicle we continue a short distance before a quick stop at the small town of Mareeba and the local Coffee Works before arriving at Kuranda. We stop and take a look at Barron Falls, which are all encompassing.
We rejoin the vehicle and head down the range into Cairns. The views of the Coral Sea as we travel down the Atherton range are a welcome sight, and complete contrast to what we have just experienced. Rick drops me at my hotel just before 5pm.
It was an amazing day out. The back story of my day however is my guide Rick. Rick has worked for Australian Luxury Escapes for almost 15 years. He is a caring, thoughtful and friendly guide. His range of knowledge is unmatched. As we walk through pockets of Rainforest, Rick is explaining why the Rainforest in the Atherton Region is different to the Daintree Rainforest, he suddenly pauses and points to animals, completely camouflaged to the untrained eye, like mine. A rare Boyd’s Forest Dragon, Pademelons, lizards; we experienced a whole gamut. As I have stated on several occasions, it is hard to put into perspective the value of a great guide. Even for someone like me who regularly visits Far North Queensland, my day would have been void of the great experiences without Rick.
In a nutshell while the region is still recovering north of the Daintree River, south of Cairns offers exceptional touring experiences for guests travelling here. My tour particular featured everything that you would expect and more. In fact one of our recent guests commented on how Authentic the tour was and how great it was seeing a different side of the region.
We look forward to welcoming you on board with us soon. Wherever you are in Australia! For more information, click the Enquire Now button below, we would love to hear from you.
