 About the area: to the locals, along with holidaymakers who regularly visit here, Far North Queensland is the perfect picture of a tropical paradise - palm trees wafting in a balmy breeze above endless clean white beaches. Why go overseas when paradise is right here on your doorstep, they say, and after spending some time exploring the region, you can't help agreeing with them. After all, Cairns & The Great Barrier Reef Region is the only place on earth where rainforests meet the reef.
Providing an inspiring visual backdrop to this magical tropical coastline are majestic mountains and tablelands containing tropical rainforests, waterfalls, crater lakes and ancient lava tubes, the remnants of long extinct volcanoes. For visitors, the Tablelands and the Outback beyond present opportunities for bush walking, bird watching, limestone cave tours, a wildlife cruise, wildlife spotting, hot air ballooning and water sports as diverse as fishing, water skiing and white water rafting.
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Undara lava tubes |
Kuranda Scenic Railway |
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Natural Wonders
Natural Attractions
Waterfalls
Caves
- Chillagoe: Chillagoe-Mungana Caves - over 600 caves, including Royal Arch, Donna, Bauhinia and Pompeii Caves. Royal Arch, Donna and Trezkinn caves can be visited by guided tour only.
- Mt. Surprise: Undara Lava Tubes
Historic Places
- Chillagoe: Chillagoe Museum; Old State Smelters; Mungana (once the site of the famous Lady Jane and Girofla copper mines)
- Irvinebank: Loudon Mill (1884); former Queensland National Bank (1905); John Moffat's residence); School of Arts Town Hall (1900); Old Police Station and Courtroom (1886); State Treatment Works
- Millaa Millaa: Eacham Historical Museum
- Yungaburra: Danbulla Homestead ruins; Historic Precinct containing 23 heritage listed buildings. These include St Marks Anglican Church (1913); St Patricks Catholic Church; Lake Eacham Hotel
- Malanda: Majestic Theatre (the world's oldest operating cinema); Malanda Hotel (1911) Peeramon Hotel (6 km east, once a siding for the Tolga-Millaa Millaa railway)
- Atherton: Old Post Office Gallery; Chinese Temple (Joss House) to the Emperor Ho Wong (c.1900)
- Tinaroo: Tinaroo Falls Dam (1953-58); Lake Tinaroo Orchard Gardens and Nursery
- Mareeba: Mareeba Heritage Museum
- Herberton: old Great Northern Mining Concentrator; Jack and Newell General Store (1882); Herberton Historical Village and Museum; Bishop Theeton's Cottage (1926); Great Northern Freehold Mine, including Eastern Shaft and New Main Shaft; Gunnawarra Homestead (1878)
- Port Douglas: Court House (1879); Low Isles lighthouse (1878)
- Ingham: Macknade Mill (1870s)
- Etta Bay: Natural History Museum
- Cairns: Consolidated Fertilisers Building; Burns Philp Building; Criterion Hotel; Australian Hotel; Joseph Pease Building; old Adelaide Steamship Company Building (1909-10); former Harbour Board Building (1907); old Cairns Cemetery (established 1876); former Mining Exchange Hotel; Jack & Newell's Store; Royal Hotel; Median Street Planting; Hides Hotel (1920s); Barrier Reef Hotel; Oceanic Hotel; Cairns Historical Museum (School of Arts building, 1907)
- Townsville: The National Hotel (1903); The Exchange Hotel (1882); The Great Northern Hotel (1901); former Union Bank (1885); Post Office (1886); Australian Bank of Commerce building (1888); Tattersalls Hotel (1865); Queens Hotel (1900-1920); former Burns Philp Building (1895); Magnetic House (1887-88); National Bank (1878); Cluden Racecourse Grandstand; Victoria Swing Bridge (1889); St Brigid's Roman Catholic Church (1904); Queens Hotel (c.1900-20); Anzac Park Bandstand (1913); former Magistrate's Court (1877); Customs House (1900-02); Rosebank (1885, a classic Queenslander timber house); Tattersall's Hotel (1865); North Queensland Insurance Building (1892); Bishop's Lodge (1890s); North Queensland Military Museum, Jezzine Barracks; 'Currajong' (1888); Townsville Museum; Maritime Museum; RAAF Museum; The Forts, Magnetic Island; Cape Cleveland Lightstation (1879)
- Built features: Boer War Memorial Rotunda (1910); Ghosts of Gold Heritage Trail; Zara Clark Museum; Stock Exchange Building; City Hall (1891); former Australian Bank of Commerce; Australian Joint Stock Bank (1891, it now houses the Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre; The Royal Arcade (1887-8); Exchange Hotel; Post Office (1892); former Bank of New South Wales (1880); Ay-Ot Lookout (1896); old Court House (1886); St Columbia's Bell Tower (1887); The Venus Gold Battery
Misc. Attractions
Journeys
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