Atherton Tablelands Rain Forest by Night from Cairns
Description
See Australia's unique animals and birds in their natural environment on a rainforest wildlife-spotting tour in the Atherton Tablelands. Led by an expert nature guide, your small-group nocturnal tour visits a number of locations including lush tropical rainforest and a volcanic crater lake. See tree kangaroos, lizards and musky rat kangaroo by day, and search for platypus at dusk. Enjoy afternoon tea at Lake Barrine and dinner at a country restaurant, then go spotlighting for possum, bandicoots, owls, bats and tree kangaroos by starlight on this fascinating nocturnal wildlife tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After our drive from Cairns up the scenic but very twisty Gillies Range Road we arrive at Lake Barrine. A beautiful volcanic crater lake surrounded by the Rainforest. Firstly we take a break for afternoon tea and there is no better setting than Lake Barrine to enjoy it. Afterwards we take a slow walk through the surrounding forest searching for Forest Dragons and Musky Rat Kangaroos!
There is no better place close to Cairns to see some of the rarest animals in Australia in the wild. We spend the majority of our tour exploring the region searching for wildlife. Walking through the oldest tropical rainforest in the world is an amazing experience by itself. You will be immersed with all the sights and sounds within it. In the late afternoon coming up to sunset we then go searching for the Platypus. The thrill of catching sight of this amazing creature will always stay with you. We do not stop looking until we run out of time to make sure you get the best possible chance of success. That is why we really do see them 90% of the time :)
When it’s time for dinner we go to the beautiful heritage village of Yungaburra. Started in the 1890’s. Many of the original buildings are still in use giving the reel feeling of stepping back in time. The centre piece of the village is our dinner location, the Yungaburra Hotel. Built in 1910 from the timbers extracted from the rainforest. And of an impressive size! It creates a great atmosphere as you mingle with the locals at the bar giving you a glimpse of the rural life in the pioneer days. The food is good and the meals are hearty so you will not be hungry. And you can wash it down with a local beer or wine if you choose. After dinner we relax and get ready for sundown so we can start the nocturnal search.
Once the sun goes down we start our search for the nocturnal creatures. This is the time when most animals are active in the Rainforest. The sensation of being surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of the Rainforest by night is also an amazing experience that will stay with you. The places we go to are all specially chosen to make sure they are safe and easy to navigate by dim light as well. The range of animals includes mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. By the way, mosquitoes are low in numbers where we go. So unless you are a mosquito magnet you do not get eaten alive. The conclusion to the tour is our visit to the incredible Curtain Fig. An amazing natural wonder of the plant world. Reputed to be the largest strangler fig known in the world. We then make our way back down the Great Dividing Range to your accommodation in Cairns. But the sites and sound of the rainforest at night is an experience you will not forget.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from any location and type of accommodation in and around the city of Cairns. Each location needs its own pick up time. So it is important to call in advance to get your pick up time. You must be ready at the given time or you will miss your tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please wear closed toe shoes and a jacket for night time.
- A moderate amount of walking is involve. Low fitness level required
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please bring insect spray as this is not provided
Reviews(441)
Our guide Clayton is passionate! We were so lucky to have met many possums, bandicoot, echidna, and CASSOWARY!
Thanks for coming on tour. I am glad You enjoyed it!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Paul is a very informative guide. We joined the Atherton Tablelands Rain Forest by night tour, he took us to different places and spotted a lots of creatures that I had never seen before. Beside, he is very informative to explain the ecosystem and the history of the rainforest to us. Can’t miss this tour when you travel to Cairns
Thanks for the review! I am glad you enjoyed it n
Our guide was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable on Australian history, animal, and plant life, skilled in finding animals, and very fun and personable. We saw more than we had hoped to see including the wild platypus. The food for tea and dinner was great and was a fantastic local place away from tourist centers to get a real feel for the area. We could not have hoped for anything more than what this tour provided.
I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.
Paul (or Hey, You!) is exceptionally well versed in his skills of knowing where and when to see the animals. We spotted a kangaroo tree mommy with a joey in her pouch, just at eye-level! I can see Paul was sharing with everyone in the forest who were not in his tour - that's shouts passion. My turning 10-year old daughter who never disturbs wildlife chose to let the wallabies enjoy their day — Paul's energy taught her that. This is an invaluable 10th birthday memory. Definitely was not disappointed joining his Daintree Rainforest tour as I saw the platypus in its true-est form going back to its burrow, with Paul's live documentary narration. Better than Sir Attenborough's doco anytime! He buys us dinner for a budget of $37 and we were well-fed before our night tour. And don't stress about capturing every moment — put your phone away and be present. Paul documents the entire tour himself and delivers a beautiful montage of photos taken throughout the night. We were fully there, and still came home with memories we could keep. Kept us safe and sound all the way back in time for bed before 10pm. We will do it all again without hesitation!
I am glad you enjoyed it. You can even see the Joey on some of the photos!
This was such a wonderful experience. Our guide Clayton went above and beyond to share background and facts about what you saw during your walks. Such a pleasant and knowledgeable guide!! I can’t recommend this excursion enough-we saw so many local animals that we would have otherwise missed including the platypus!! The tea was lovely and the dinner was a great meal (I recommend the garlic prawns!)
Thanks for the review. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent and very fun tour with lots of information about the area and the animals. Much more personal than most other tours.
Thanks for the review. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Mid May, slightly chilly after sunset. Read the notes clearly; long pants, tennis shoes maybe long sleeves. The road up is very curvy; potential for car sickness. Fast paced. Not many opportunities for photos as it was recommended not to even use your camera b/c the guide would take all the photos for you. Difficult to see where you're going as no lights shown on the foot paths. Unable to get a photo of the giant "curtain tree" due to the rapid movement of the torch/flashlight. Guide was knowledgeable.
It’s always best to speak up at the time so we can adjust things there and then. We do move at a pace so that we get to see as much as possible and time for photos can be made if requested. Same for the night part but we do use safe flat ground in the dark.
Paul is a font of knowledge and we had a great day and night and saw platypus and other creatures of the rainforest. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Thanks for the recommendation. I am Glad you enjoyed it.
I was really excited to come across this tour when planning animal experiences for my teenager. Paul was amazing from start to finish and took care of every detail. We travel quite a lot and this tour was such a good balance of activity, education, adventure and good food ;)! The platypus sightings in the wild were definitely the highlight but we also loved learning about the plants as we walked as well. I was nervous about the night hike portion because I have walked in rainforests at night before and seen creatures I did not want to see haha, but we were on a paved path which was nice. We felt safe while also being able to see more of Australia’s animals in their natural habitats. Paul has an amazing eye for spotting them! As a bonus he also provides you his photos and videos from the day which were WAY better than my own. Highly recommend!!
Thanks for the recommendation. I am glad you enjoyed it.
The tour is wonderful if you want to see some wildlife. It requires a bit of fitness because some of the animals move quickly but, it is well worth the effort to see them in their natural habitats.
Thanks for coming. I am glad you enjoyed it !
