Atherton Tablelands & Outback Food Tasting Experience - Day Tour from Cairns

This boutique food and wine experience departs from Cairns and will see you tasting and experiencing some of the best food and wine that the Atherton Tableland region has to offer.

You will be carried through a variety of contrasting landscapes from lush tropical rainforests, to sparser but equally as stunning drier, ochre coloured savannah plains.

The rich volcanic soils of the Tablelands allows farmers to grow a wide and diverse variety of crops from bananas, coffee, tea, sugar cane, avocados, mangoes, macadamia nuts, citrus and many more, all of which you will learn about as we taste your way around the region's 'Food Bowl.'

Lake Barrine National Park & Heritage Tea House
A short 1 hour drive from Cairns via the scenic Gillies Highway brings you to the cooler, mountain atmosphere of the Atherton Tablelands! Your fist stop of the day is an enchanting volcanic crater lake hidden within the World Heritage Rainforest. Lake Barrine is something special, as it is actually a water filled crater left by a volcanic eruption approximately 10,000 years ago. Here we enjoy a delicious breakfast of local produce and enjoy a special 'Lake Barrine' coffee or local tea at the charming 80 year old lakeside teahouse amongst beautiful terraced gardens overlooking the Lake.

The original timber teahouse was originally built in the 1930s as a dance hall and has since had many uses including an aquatic centre, guest house, school; and during World War II, it was a convalescent home. Of course now it is a stunning backdrop that allows lucky participants to stop and enjoy views out of the crater lake and rainforest whilst enjoying a delicious selection of locally produced foods!

Nerada Tea Plantation
Nerada Tea Plantation is situated on the scenic outskirts of Malanda. Here you will be tasting several of the Plantation grown single origin teas such as Plantation Fresh Black, Lemon Myrtle and Royal Devonshire which is a lovely black tea with a hint of natural vanilla. The teas will be paired with a selection of local Gallo cheeses.  

Whilst enjoying your tastings you will be overlooking the lush fields of Australia’s largest Tea Plantation. Nerada has earned the Rainforest Alliance certification to uphold this certification, Nerada must keep a watchful eye over how much energy and water is consumed through the production processes. Working avidly to protect the natural ecosystems of the region, they maintain wildlife corridors and aquatic ecosystems and support the protection of endangered species and other fauna in the local area. This includes taking care of the precious tree-kangaroos, Misty, Billy and their extended family who live on the estate. Fingers crossed you might just spot one in their natural environment!

Australian Platypus Park
The Australian Platypus Park is home to a thriving platypus population. These wonderful creatures can be found in a spring fed pond surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. Take a wander down to the pond to see these unique marsupials in this magnificent setting then sit down to enjoy flavoured handcrafted smoked products, combined with a unique blend of local Australian native herbs and spices.

These tasty treats are all produced in-house, using only the freshest quality ingredients including Crocodile, Red Claw Yabby and Kangaroo with fresh local salads topped off with a Tarzali Lakes Boutique Beer, Dragon Fruit Cider, Lemon Myrtle Tea and some tastings of the Murdering Point Winery range (Menu EXCLUSIVE to your tour).

There’s also time to purchase some of the smoked products and sauces.

Gallo Dairyland
Now you will head towards the historic village of Atherton. Driving through this thriving Tableland township as a patchwork of amazing farmland and rolling green hills appears before you. You are on your way to a fully operational dairy farm spread across 1000 acres of rich red volcanic soil with delicious handcrafted chocolate and a gourmet cheese factory. Gallo Dairyland milks up to 350 cows, twice a day, which equates to 20 litres of milk per cow per day! 

Here you may elect to buy some of the delicious cheeses that you have just tasted and sample their irresistible Swiss style filled chocolates whilst gazing out over and soaking up the picturesque landscape. Meet some of the property’s friendly animals before heading back to Mareeba through a variety of diverse croplands. 

The Humpy
After sampling the delights at Gallo Dairyland, head back toward Mareeba through a patchwork of amazing farmland, diverse crops and rolling green hills for a unique tasting and shopping treat. Stop at ‘The Humpy’, universally regarded as the best place to go purchase a wide variety of freshly harvested Atherton Tablelands produce straight from the growers; from vegetables to tropical fruits and hundreds of different varieties of nuts, dried fruits locally produced jams and sauces! 

Here we get to taste some seasonal fruits and many different flavours of hot local peanuts and macadamia nuts. Of course there is time allocated for you to browse this amazing and quirky grocery store so you can purchase goodies for the rest of your stay, or souvenirs to take home.

Mt Uncle Distillery
Heading on further ‘down the road’, you will arrive at Australian Distiller of the year 2017, Mount Uncle Distillery which is North Queensland’s first and only distillery! Here you will get to taste some of their award winning Liqueurs and Spirits. Take a wander round this stunning property nestled in coffee and banana plantations replete with beautiful, lush tropical gardens and friendly farm yard animals. An increased interest and understanding of Australia’s Indigenous heritage has in part helped drive an understanding and interest in native foods and ingredients,  nowhere more so than in the development of the Australian gin industry while supporting ethical and sustainable practices, Mount Uncle Distillery was one of the first distilleries to embrace native botanicals in its gin recipe. Distillery Founder Mark Watkins discovered an early gin recipe used by local settlers and set himself the challenge of replacing the traditional ingredients with native ingredients.

Jaques Family Coffee Plantation
Your last stop of the day is at the Jaques Family Coffee Plantation run by 3rd generation Coffee growers; with 85,000 Arabica Coffee trees growing in the rich soils, the planation produces a smooth and vibrant flavour unique only to the remarkable location. Here you will get an enchanting insight in to the finer details of coffee production ‘from the tree to the cup’. Stroll through the lush tropical gardens and finish your stop with a delicious cup of Jaques coffee made ‘just as you like it’, served with fresh baked scones with locally made jam and Mungalli Cream and coffee liqueur.

A family owned and operated business employing up to 15 staff all year round, having operated in business for 40 years in the area and pioneering the Australian commercial coffee growing industry in the late 1970’s, Jaques Coffee is a proudly sustainable business; adding further to its solar system in 2019, the plantation now has a total of 470 solar panels which now offsetting the entire operation, producing up to 1 Megawatt of power per day.  Another proud achievement of the Jaques family is the design of the world’s first mechanical coffee harvester in the 1980’s which can still be seen in operation, as one of two coffee harvesters in operation on the plantation today.

• Return transfers from Cairns & Cairns Northern Beaches accommodation
• Friendly, professional Driver Guide with informative and interesting commentary on the local area
• Lake Barine Tea House for breakfast and tastings 
• Nerada Tea Plantation for tea plantation tour and tastings 
• The Australian Platypus Centre for Lunch and Platypus spotting 
• Gallo Dairyland for Cheese & Handmade Chocolate tastings
• The Humpy for more tastings and a spot of souvenir shopping
• Mt Uncle Distillery for Liquor & Spirit tastings
• Jaques Coffee Plantation for Coffee Growing Tour and tastings 

• Atherton Tablelands & Outback Tour - From Cairns & Cairns Beaches AU$225.00 per person

Please Note This tour is not suitable for children under the age of 12 years of age

*** This Tour Departs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday each week from Cairns *** 
Rates - Valid 01st of April 2023 to 31st of March 2024 - From Cairns & Cairns Northern Beaches

• Atherton Tablelands & Outback Tour - From Cairns & Cairns Beaches AU$235.00 per person

Please Note This tour is not suitable for children under the age of 12 years of age

*** This Tour Departs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday each week from Cairns *** 

• Casual comfortable clothing, shoes suitable for walking, sunscreen, camera, hat, sunglasses and a bit of spending money for the purchase of souvenirs and produce