The picturesque village of Yungaburra lies in the heart of the Atherton Tablelands, one hour up from Cairns in tropical North Queensland. It is nestled in countryside that has been shaped by volcanic activity, the legacy is stunning surrounds with rainforest, waterfalls, crater lakes and green pastures. Yungaburra remains largely unchanged since 1910, wide verandahs and historical shopfronts line the tranquil streets. With 18 heritage listed buildings, it is the largest National Trust village in Queensland.
Yungaburra is a major meeting point for Atherton Tablelands artists and musicians, and as such it has several art and craft galleries and displays. There are also numerous restaurants, cafes and a variety of accommodation such as the historic Lake Eacham Hotel, which is in the centre of the town.
Yungaburra boasts a platypus viewing area on the Gillies Highway, located on the Atherton side of the village. It provides you with a convenient viewing platform from which to watch the resident platypus swim and dive. You can drive and park at the viewing area or take a pleasant stroll from town. Don't forget to bring your camera. Although the best viewing times are morning and dusk, it's worthwhile stopping for a look at any time of day. The Yungaburra Visitor Centre receives regular reports of mid-day sightings.
This most amazing tree is from the strangler fig species Fichus virens. The curtain effect results from one tree leaning against another tree on a 45-degree angle. The strangler vine then grew along the oblique angle of the leaning tree, dangling 15 metres to the ground to create the curtain affect. A wooden boardwalk surrounds the tree so you can see it from any angle. The tree is located just outside Yungaburra.
Yungaburra takes its name from the language of the Yidinyji Aboriginal people who occupied the area prior to European settlement, meaning a place of enquiring or questioning. Yungaburra was originally called Allumbah Pocket. The district was developed in the early 1880's as an overnight stop for miners and settlers who came from the coast on their way to the tin and gold fields farther west. Shanties grew up along the pack tracks at Boar Pocket (near Lake Barrine) and Ball Pocket (later the township of Kulara which was flooded with the construction of Tinaroo Dam).
A period of rapid development then began in the early 1900s with the construction of a sawmill, a hotel and a number of shops and houses near the railway station. Three churches and the Bank of NSW were built, the school was moved to the present site and a Police Station was established. Yungaburra remains largely unchanged since those early days.
