Queensland Towns on the Savannah Way
Cairns: Gateway to the Savannah Way and a tropical wonderland with lots
to see and do. Cairns is Australia’s premier nature based destination
with attractions such as The Great Barrier Reef, World Heritage Rainforests,
the Atherton Tablelands, The Gulf savannah, Cape York Peninsula and long
stretches of white sandy beaches.
Kuranda: A scenic drive, train ride or via cable way, Kuranda is 25 minutes from Cairns set in world heritage rainforest. Kuranda is the home of various arts and crafts with some of the world’s best artists residing in the area. There are several attractions such as Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld, the Heritage Markets, Kuranda nature Park and Rainforestation Nature Park just to name a few.
Mareeba: The largest town on the Atherton Tableland and tableland’s largest shire and premier producer of coffee, exotic fruit, sugar cane and tobacco. Mareeba offers a variety of attractions; from nature based to high-flying adventures in the form of hot air ballooning, gliding or go-karting. Visit the Heritage Museum, Mareeba Wetlands and the coffee farm.
The Atherton Tablelands: The Atherton Tablelands is one of the regions best kept secrets. It has some of the best attractions in the tropics with world heritage rainforests, national parks, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. It also has some of Australia’s richest agricultural land and lots of small townships full of character.
Atherton: A busy town that has everything that you are looking for including modern shopping facilities, galleries, licensed clubs and restaurants. There are a number of hotels, motels, caravan parks and parks and gardens. There are numerous attractions and towns just a short drive from Atherton – Tolga, Tinaroo Dam, Kairi, Malanda or take the steam train to Herberton.
Herberton: Historic tin mining town from the late 1880s and continuing until 1978. Being about 1000 metres above sea level it has cold winters and cooler summer temperatures. Near Herberton lies Mt. Hypipamee Crate (a hole in the ground thought to be a volcanic vent) and Dinner Falls The living museum township of Irvinebank lies to the west.
Ravenshoe: Being the highest town in Queensland at 930 metres it is a lush region of mountain pastures and unspoiled World Heritage Rainforest. The Ravenshoe Visitor Information Centre houses a display of the timber cutting days and also a unique exhibit of the area's nocturnal animals that include 12 species of native possum. Tully and Millstream Falls are close by as is Koombooloomba Dam.
Innot Hot Springs: Innot Hot Springs is situated on the Kennedy Highway between Ravenshoe and Mt. Garnet and is famous for their relaxing hot pools. There are outdoor and indoor pools as well as abundant bird life and Mt. Gibson fossicking field to the north west.
40 Mile Scrub: Located west of Mt Garnet this is a dry vine scrub, which contains rainforest species of plants and animals. It is also a great stop to have a picnic while travelling the Gulf roads.
Mt. Surprise: Mount Surprise, set on the banks of Elizabeth Creek is a centre for gem fossicking to O'Briens Creek with quantities of topaz, quartz, spinel, garnet, cairngorm and aquamarine to be found. The Savannahlander also passes through Mount Surprise. Bedrock Village is a Savannah Guides site.
Einasleigh: Einasleigh is a small quiet country town. The historic Einasleigh Hotel boasts a truly magnificent miniature collection of skilfully handcrafted antique furniture. It is located on the banks of the magnificent Copperfield Gorge which is well worth viewing, as the river has dissected a lava flow, giving the explorer a different aspect of the Undara Lava field.
Forsayth: Forsayth is at the end of the old Chillagoe to Forsayth railway which was originally built to transport gold-bearing ore from the Etheridge Goldfields to the crushing batteries of Chillagoe. The Savannahlander Train now travels from Cairns to Forsayth.
Georgetown: Georgetown is the home of TerrEstrial - The Ted Elliot Mineral
Collection - a world-class mineral collection of over 3000 specimens from
the region and throughout the world displayed in the TerrEstrial building
on Low Street. An excellent base for exploring the region, it was once
the centre for the Etheridge Goldfield. Remains of these old sites are
scattered and it is possible to find the odd nugget. A fossicking permit
is required. The district boasts a wide variety of bird-life; call in at
the information centre to find out the best places to spot them.
Croydon: The Croydon Historic Village contains what is left of a much larger gold mining city of the late 1800s. It had its own aerated water factories, gas lamps lighting the streets, two foundries, coachbuilders and town criers. The town is the eastern terminus of the Gulflander train. Lake Belmore is the largest body of fresh water in the central Gulf Savannah and a great place for a refreshing dip.
Normanton: The major business centre in the Gulf is Normanton. The area has a number of good fishing spots and a wide array of bird life. The historic 'Gulflander' train runs from the original railway station to Croydon every Wednesday, returning to Normanton on Thursday. Have your photo taken next to the 'Big Barramundi' and 'Krys the Savannah King', a life size replica of the largest crocodile ever caught.
Karumba: Karumba is the centre of the Gulf's lucrative fishing industry. Karumba is a birdwatcher's delight and is a major access point to the Gulf of Carpentaria. See the barramundi feeding at the Karumba Barramundi Restocking Ponds. Sunsets at the nearby Karumba Point are awe-inspiring. Karumba is serviced by a bitumen road so access is possible all year round.
Burketown: Burketown sits on the Albert River and was established in the 1860s as a supply town for cattle farmers it is the oldest town in the Gulf area. The town is a major service centre for the region's cattle industry and is the entrance to the Gulf of Carpentaria, 25 km away by boat. Burketown is the best location to view the unique Morning Glory cloud formation during the months of September to October.
Doomadgee: Doomadgee, situated on the Nicholson River, between Burketown and Hell's Gate, is an Aboriginal community engaged in the cattle industry with a population of 1200 of whom 1100 are Aborigines. The main area of the community is accessible to visitors, however access to the village is at the discretion of the Community Council. Visitors travelling on the Savannah Way are excluded from the restriction on carriage of alcohol laws on Doomadgee land, however alcohol is not to be taken into the Doomadgee community.
Hells Gate Roadhouse: Rich in flora and fauna this region boasts one of the world's oldest landscapes. The roadhouse is the gateway to the Macassan coast and Savannah Guides conduct full day, half day & 2 hour tours, giving the opportunity to see the station at work, enjoy the bird life and the natural wonders around Hell's Gate, the aboriginal art and Afghan Camp. Take a tour of historic Westmoreland Station or experience the beauty of Hell's Gate by air, enjoy a scenic flight to Kingfisher camp.
