Mareeba Mareeba has a rich multicultural heritage
which has given the region its distinctive flavour. The fertile
district around Mareeba has a reputation as a food lovers paradise. The
Mareeba Heritage Museum and Information Centre offers expert
information on the area, its history and people, and a stop at the
museum is a must. Take the time to stock up on some locally grown
produce offered for sale. The Mareeba Shire has
premier coffee, exotic fruits and nuts, including mangoes, avocados, lychees, macadamias, as well as sugarcane and beef cattle with
water obtained from Lake Tinaroo through hundreds of kilometres of
channels built for irrigation in the late 1950's. Migrants, mostly from
Europe, have made the area flourish in subsequent years. Visit a coffee farm to see how coffee is produced, and makes its way from the farm to the cup, or drop into a boutique winery. What
better way to see the splendour that is the Atherton Tablelands than
from the air? And to travel in style, nothing beats flying in a hot air
balloon. Each morning a range of colourful balloons take flight at
sunrise, gently taking off and floating over the ever-changing scenery
- rainforest, bush, farmlands and townships, then it's onto a tropical
champagne breakfast, Mareeba coffee, local bakery specials and lots of
tropical fruits. The Mareeba Airport is home to
Warbirds Adventures who operate a fleet of ex-military aircraft. As well
as visiting the museum, you can take a flight. The Warbirds Airshow
come to Mareeba every year and has an international following. The
Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetland reserve is a sanctuary for outback
wildlife. Over 204 species of birds have been recorded, plus several
species of mammals and other wildlife. Enjoy guided boat tours, or self
guided walking trails or canoes. From Mareeba you may wish to return to the coast via the northern route through Mt Molloy, Julatten and down the Rex Range to Port Douglas. This is quite a scenic drive. Heading east from Mareeba, you can return to Cairns via Kuranda, with the opportunity to explore Emerald Falls and Davies Creek National Park. Take a swim in the crystal clear waters, or camp overnight after obtaining a permit from Parks And Wildlife.
Chillagoe From
Mareeba continue west for 140 kilometres to Chillagoe, and the world
famous Mungana limestone caves and its surrounding National Park.
Chillagoe also has a Heritage Museum and Information Centre displaying
the history of marble mining in the region. On the way
to Chillagoe is Dimbulah, once famous for tobacco growing and now for
teatree oil and mangoes. 34 kilometres north of Dimbulah is the
historic mining settlement of Tyrconnel, part of the Hodgkinson
goldfield that was responsible for the establishment of Cairns and Port
Douglas as service centres for the mining field. For a
real outback experience, spend the night in Chillagoe, and then return
the next day through Almaden where the cattle roam the main street. You
could be back in pioneer days.
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