The Original Day Tour to Paronella Park, Lake Barrine and Millaa Millaa Falls
The Original Day Tour to Paronella Park, Lake Barrine and Millaa Millaa Falls
Northern Experience Eco Tours was established in 1997 and is the original Tablelands-Paronella Park tour.
Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned mini coach with local naturalist guides and experience the uniqueness of the tropics and the diversity of our beautiful tropical rainforests. Tour south of Cairns for a full day out traveling through the magnificent World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforests of Wooroonooran National Park, swimming in waterfalls, traveling through the Atherton Tablelands, viewing Volcano’s and visiting local must see attractions such as Milla Milla Falls, Lake Barrine, Curtain Fig Tree, extended touring time at Paronella Park and much more.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Barrine, Yungaburra, Queensland Australia
Enjoy a relaxing quiet stop in the cool of the morning at beautiful Lake Barrine filled with pristine rain water and surrounded by World Heritage listed rainforest teeming with abundant wildlife. (This is a large Maar Volcano crater – a low subcircular volcanic crater lake derived from the latin “mare” for sea.)
This is the first stop of the day and includes a delicious morning tea (Option A only). Lake Barrine are famous for their award winning ‘Devonshire Morning Tea’ of freshly baked scones and jam/cream and locally brewed tea or coffee.
Participate in the first wildlife cruise of the day and view the undisturbed wildlife in its natural habitat. This cruise is highly recommended as it’s the best place to view the abundant wildlife. On most days the banks of the lake will reveal a variety of birds including pelicans and ducks and other animals such as tortoises, eels, water monitors and various species of snakes including pythons, carpet snakes & red bellied black snakes sunning themselves on the shoreline. (The Cruise is only included in our Option A tour)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Atherton Tablelands, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Departure from Cairns, we head south travelling past Walsh’s Pyramid, one of the largest naturally formed pyramids in the world. Here your guide will stop so you can grab a photo of this unique North Queensland landmark.
Now it’s time to travel up the World Heritage listed Gillies Highway climbing 730 metres above sea level whilst enjoying the breathtaking views over the Goldsbourgh Valley.
Just before the top of the amazing Gillies Range is a short photo opportunity at the Heales Lookout before heading into the gorgeous Atherton Tablelands.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Millaa Millaa Falls, Millaa Millaa, Queensland Australia
Visit The World famous Millaa Millaa Falls, one of the most renowned and photographed waterfalls in Australia surrounded by Mabi rainforest. This waterfall has been used as a feature in both television advertisements and movies.
The waterfall flows over solid volcanic basalt rock formed over many thousands of years ago giving the perfect drop for Millaa Millaa creek to fall for approx 20 metres into a pool surrounded by rainforest.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Curtain Fig National Park, Yungaburra, Queensland Australia
After leaving Lake Barrine, we take a short journey through quaint country towns and farming areas to visit an unusual quirk of nature – the 600 year old Curtain Fig Tree nestled in World Heritage Mabi rainforest. This is the worlds most visited tree and easily accessible via elevated boardwalks.
The surrounding rainforest is home to the shy Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo – only found in Queensland. We spot them seasonally high up in the trees.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Innisfail, Innisfail, Queensland
Enjoy a short drive through this interesting country town, with many buildings of the Art Deco Era
Stop At: Roscoes Piazza, 3 Ernest St, Innisfail QLD 4860, Australia
Enjoy a delicious Lunch at Roscoe’s all you can eat Hot buffet for Option A & B pax.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Paronella Park, 1671 Japoonvale Rd, Mena Creek, Queensland 4871 Australia
In the cool of the afternoon we visit amazing Paronella Park’s Spanish style castles in the rainforest. This includes a 45 minute tour expertly conducted by Paronella Park’s own knowledgeable English, Chinese & Japanese speaking guides.
Paronella Park is a multi award winning tourist attraction with National Trust listed Heritage gardens and castle ruins, also boasting North Queensland’s first hydro-electric power plant all built by Jose Paronella at Mena Creek Falls. Originally created in the 1930’s by Jose Paronella, a man with a dream.
Duration: 2 hours
Included
- National Park fees
- Live commentary on board
- Professional guide
- As per option chosen in itinerary
- Entry/Admission - Lake Barrine
- Entry/Admission - Atherton Tablelands
- Entry/Admission - Millaa Millaa Falls
- Entry/Admission - Curtain Fig National Park
- Entry/Admission - Roscoes Piazza
- Entry/Admission - Paronella Park
Excluded
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Available from Port Douglas - AUD$70 per person Cairns Northern Beaches - AUD$22 per person
Departure Point
We pick up from all hotels in Cairns, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Clifton Beach, Holloways Beach.
Please note for Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Clifton Beach, Holloways Beach - Return Transfers from Northern Beaches is an additional $22 per person and is payable on the day of travel. Alternatively you can make your own way to either Skyrail Terminal in Smithfield or Cairns Central Railway and return transfers are free of charge.
Return Transfers from Port Douglas are also available to meet the bus in Cairns. The cost of return transfers are AUD$70 per person and is payable direct to the driver on the day.
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Chinese & Japanese language guides are ONLY available on the Paronella Park guided tour. All commentary throughout the day is in English ONLY.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 2 travelers
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
4.4
14 Reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
My wife and I had a great day. There were a number of highlights of the day but I won't share as I don't want to spoil the surprises that you get throughout the day. Our driver/guide Steve was a fantastic source of information and made sure we were looked after.
The trip to Paronella Park was an experience worthy of a day trip almost on its own. To combine that with a stop at Milla Milla Falls, a beautiful lunch at Innisfail and scones at Lake Barrine was a magical way to spend a day sightseeing around the Cairns hinterland.
Our tour guide Darryl was first class He was extremely knowledgeable, passionate about his country and local environment. He was enjoyable company The staff at Paronella Park were welcoming and knowledgeable It is a must place to visit
The morning tea stop lovely
Lunch good
All in all a first class day out
We will recommend it
Thank you
This was a great tour! The driver was very knowledgeable and very friendly! My husband would have been happy just with the waterfall, but everything else was a bonus! The place we stopped at for tea was a quaint building and the tea and biscuits were yummy! It was very relaxing to stop there first in the morning. The waterfall was beautiful! My husband as always wanted to swim under and behind one and he was able to at this stop! The water was freezing for me but I still swam out to experience the falls and was glad I did. Luckily it was a warm day so I didn't take too long to warm up after. The park was also great, the history behind it was extremely interesting. We also did a few other stops on the way back that made this trip fun and unique! Would definitely recommend it!
This was a nice tour with beautiful sights.
Steve was a great guide giving us information all the way
We enjoyed our first day and first tour
We were collected on time from our hotel not an easy job in peak hour thankyou
Enjoyable trip.
A great shame that Paronella Park has decayed to such an extent but the guide and period photographs provide evidence of what a unique and sophisticated resort it was and the imagination and hard work that went into creating it.
Goog guide and well planned itineary.
Very scenic tour. Millaa Millaa falls alone are worth the trip but the Gillies Hwy, Lake Barrine, Curtain Fig Tree and Paronella Park all worthwile. Good morning tea and lunch. Carsten was a skilful, friendy guide-driver.
I loved this tour. The driver was courteous and quite funny. We stopped at the Millaa Falls and we even got to some of the locals swim. It was amazing and I loved The Paronella Park.That one is a place to remember. My family and i enjoyed the ride as well as we stopped at a place called Frog on The Banana. We saw lots of locally sold fruits and vegetables. The trip was amazing .
Paronella park truly amazing, it was a shame we did not have lunch here. great day would recommend.
Really interesting tour. Our guide Steve was very knowledgeable on the tablelands, the villages, their economy and industry, and the history. It was a startling change from the beached of Cairns, and incredibly beautiful. Paronella Park was the highlight for me from this trip. An amazing place with a fascinating history. As beautiful in it's run down condition, lending a magical air, as i imagine it was in it's heyday. Highly recommend this tour.
Too much things to do in one day and we have missed a lot !!! Paronella Park is not so Amazing when you come from Europe...
Tour was very good but the lunch provided was not the best. Would have been better going to a bakery for sandwiches and coffee.
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