Yungaburra: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Yungaburra sits on the Atherton Tablelands, a high plateau of red volcanic soil about 700 metres above the hot coast, and the volcanoes that made it are still easy to read in the land. Within ten minutes of the village are two crater lakes, a volcanic cone and the most photographed strangler fig in Queensland, and in the creek behind the main street live wild platypus. This is a gentle full day, or two half days: the platypus at dawn, the lakes in the heat of the day, and the creek again at dusk.
The ten best sights in Yungaburra
1Hou Wang TempleIn Atherton's old Chinatown, twenty minutes west; small entry fee
2Herberton Historic VillageA whole village of old buildings moved here; give it half a day
3Platypus Viewing PlatformTwo minutes from the main street; stand still at dawn or dusk and watch for ripples
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4Peterson's Creek Walking Track
The creek path through town; tree kangaroos are sometimes seen in the canopy
5Curtain Fig TreeBoardwalk around the tree, five minutes from town; free
6Lake EachamSwim from the day-use area; the walk around the lake takes about an hour
7Lake BarrineShort lake cruises leave below the teahouse
8Twin Kauri TreesA short walk from the Lake Barrine car park
9Malanda FallsA swimming hole under the falls; the visitor centre has rainforest walks
10Millaa Millaa FallsThe start of the waterfall circuit; cold water, and slippery rocks
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Yungaburra →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Yungaburra:
Free walking tours in Yungaburra
Crater lakes and the curtain
Yungaburra sits on the Atherton Tablelands, a high plateau of red volcanic soil about 700 metres above the hot coast, and the volcanoes that made it are still easy to read in the land. Within ten minutes of the village are two crater lakes, a volcanic cone and the most photographed strangler fig in Queensland, and in the creek behind the main street live wild platypus. This is a gentle full day, or two half days: the platypus at dawn, the lakes in the heat of the day, and the creek again at dusk.
- Platypus Viewing Platform · Underwater a platypus shuts its eyes, ears and nostrils and hunts by sensing the faint electric signals of its prey through its bill. That is why it dives in short bursts and surfaces every minute or two — watch for the rings spreading on the water.
- Curtain Fig Tree · A strangler fig grew down around a host tree, and when the host tilted and fell against a neighbour, the fig dropped a wall of aerial roots some 15 metres to the ground. The tree is usually said to be around 500 years old.
- Mount Quincan Crater · The Atherton Tablelands are covered with the remains of dozens of small volcanoes, and Mount Quincan, just south of the village, is one of the cones. The rich red soil that feeds the dairy farms around here is weathered basalt from eruptions like these.
- Lake Eacham · Lake Eacham is a maar, a crater blown out when rising magma met groundwater and exploded, and it has no stream flowing in or out: rain alone keeps it full. The Ngadjon-Jii people's story of the earth shaking and the sky turning red is thought by many to remember the eruption itself.
- Lake Barrine · Lake Barrine is the larger of the two crater lakes and was formed the same way, in a volcanic blast thousands of years ago. A teahouse stands on its shore, and the cruise boat from below it looks for turtles and birds along the rainforest edge.
- Twin Kauri Trees · The two kauri pines stand side by side near the lake and are said to be more than a thousand years old. Kauri belong to an ancient family of conifers that grew across Gondwana, and they were heavily logged on the Tablelands for their straight, clean timber.
The waterfall circuit
South of Yungaburra the Tablelands roll through green dairy country, and the rivers fall off the edges of old lava flows in a string of waterfalls. A 15 km loop near Millaa Millaa links three of them, with Malanda's falls and pub on the way down and a dairy at the far end. This is a full day by car with short walks; bring swimmers and a towel, and expect the water to be cold even in summer — it is fed by rain on the high Tablelands.
- Malanda Hotel · Malanda grew as the dairy town of the Tablelands, and its big timber pub, opened in 1911, is often said to be the largest wooden hotel in Australia.
- Malanda Falls · The North Johnstone River drops into a natural pool here that the town has used as its swimming place for generations. The rainforest walks across the road are a good place to look for Lumholtz's tree kangaroos, which live only in this part of Queensland.
- Millaa Millaa Falls · The water falls about 18 metres in a single clean drop over a ledge of basalt, the classic shape of a Tablelands waterfall. It appeared in a well-known shampoo commercial and is one of the most photographed falls in Australia.
- Zillie Falls · At Zillie the viewing point is at the top, looking down as the creek pours over the lip of the lava flow. A rougher path leads to the bottom for the view looking up.
- Ellinjaa Falls · Ellinjaa drops in a series of steps over basalt columns, the hexagonal pillars that form when thick lava cools slowly. A steep path of about five minutes leads down to the pool at the base.
- Mungalli Creek Dairy · Mungalli Creek is a family dairy that farms biodynamically and makes its own yoghurt and cheese, a reminder that dairy is what the cleared rainforest of these Tablelands was turned to in the early 20th century.
Tin, temples and a volcano
The Tablelands were opened up by mining: gold on the Palmer River to the north, then tin at Herberton from 1880, and with the miners came a large Chinese community that later farmed the land. This route goes west through Atherton to that history and to the strangest of the local volcanoes, then swings north to the big lake behind Tinaroo Dam. A full day by car on good roads; the temple and the historic village both close by late afternoon.
- Hou Wang Temple · The temple was built in 1903 of timber and corrugated iron by the Chinese of Atherton, who had come for the goldfields and stayed to clear and farm the Tablelands. It is all that is left of a Chinatown that was once home to hundreds of people.
- Hallorans Hill · The hill above Atherton is an extinct volcano, one of the many on the Tablelands. From the lookout the patchwork of farms below shows how thoroughly the rainforest was cleared for maize and dairy.
- Herberton Historic Village · Tin was found at Herberton in 1879 and the town became the first big mining centre of the Tablelands. The historic village brings together dozens of old buildings — a school, a bank, shops and miners' huts — moved here from around the district.
- Mount Hypipamee Crater · Unlike the crater lakes, this is a diatreme: a narrow, sheer-sided pipe punched through granite by a blast of volcanic gas. From the platform you look straight down the cliffs to dark water covered in green weed far below.
- Tinaroo Dam · The dam on the Barron River was finished in 1958 to irrigate the dry country around Mareeba, where tobacco and later sugar cane, mangoes and coffee were grown. The lake behind it is now the Tablelands' playground for boating and camping.
- Cathedral Fig Tree · This strangler fig has completely hollowed out the tree it grew on, leaving a lattice of roots tall enough to walk into. It stands on the Danbulla forest drive, a gravel road along the shore of Lake Tinaroo.
Getting to Yungaburra and getting around
- Cairns Airport · About an hour and a quarter up the Gillies Range, a road of endless tight bends
- Kuranda Station · The scenic railway from Cairns ends here; a day trip on the way up
Cheap eats in Yungaburra
The Tablelands are dairy and farm country, and lunch here means cheese, milk, coffee and fruit grown a few kilometres away. Yungaburra itself has a handful of cafés and one big pub along a short main street, enough for a few days without driving. Teahouses at the lakes and falls do scones and light lunches, and most close by four, so plan the main meal of the day around them.
- Silver Ash Cafe · Breakfast and lunch on the main street, about A$12-25
- Lake Barrine Tea House · Scones and lunch on the lake, about A$12-28
- Lake Eacham Hotel · Counter meals in the village pub, mains about A$25-38
- Malanda Falls Cafe · Coffee and light lunch at the falls visitor centre, about A$10-20
- The Falls Teahouse · Near Millaa Millaa on the waterfall day, about A$12-25
- Gallo Dairyland · Cheese tasting and chocolate on a working dairy farm, about A$10-20
- Coffee Works · Coffee and chocolate tastings in Mareeba, about A$20-30 with tastings
Museums in Yungaburra
- Hou Wang Temple · The temple and a small museum of Atherton's Chinese families
- Herberton Historic Village · Dozens of buildings full of old tools, cars and shops
- Malanda Falls Visitor Centre · Displays on the rainforest and its animals, by the falls
- Coffee Works · Includes a museum of coffee-making gear
Nature and day trips near Yungaburra
- Lake Eacham · A clear, deep crater lake ringed by rainforest; swim and walk
- Mount Hypipamee Crater · A sheer volcanic pipe and a waterfall on the same short walk
- Curtain Fig Tree · Five minutes from town; go early or late for the light
- Cathedral Fig Tree · A giant strangler fig you can step inside
- Bromfield Swamp · A crater swamp where cranes roost at dusk
- Hallorans Hill · An easy volcano to climb, with a view
Things to do in Yungaburra with kids
- Platypus Viewing Platform · Quiet voices and patience; dawn is best
- Granite Gorge Nature Park · Feeding wallabies from your hand among the boulders
- Lake Eacham · Calm, clear water for a swim from the day-use area
- Malanda Falls · A swimming hole under the falls
- Australian Platypus Park · Another chance to see platypus, near Millaa Millaa
Where to eat in Yungaburra
- Nick's Restaurant and Yodellers Bar · Swiss and Italian cooking in the village; book on weekends
- Lake Eacham Hotel · The big old pub on the corner; steaks and pub classics
- Peeramon Hotel · A country pub in a tiny settlement ten minutes south
- Malanda Hotel · Dinner in the giant timber pub, twenty minutes south
Frequently asked questions about Yungaburra
What is there to see in Yungaburra?
The top sights in Yungaburra are Hou Wang Temple, Herberton Historic Village and Platypus Viewing Platform. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Yungaburra?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Yungaburra without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Yungaburra?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Yungaburra, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Crater lakes and the curtain.
How do you get to Yungaburra and get around?
The main ways are Cairns Airport and Kuranda Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Yungaburra, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Yungaburra that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Yungaburra for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.