Atherton

From its beginnings as a timber-getters' camp and a staging post between the tin mines and the coast, Atherton has blossomed like its trademark Jacaranda trees into a diverse, regional service centre whose well-presented homes and streets are regularly featured in Australia's Tidy Town awards.

Visit quaint shops, enjoy a picnic or visit one of the service clubs and meet some of the locals. Take your time and explore.

The town once hosted a thriving Chinese community. Gold attracted Chinese settlers to North Queensland in the late 1800's and when the gold ran out, many turned to timber cutting and market gardening. The remains of Atherton's Chinatown are now an archaeological site featuring the community's fully restored place of worship, the Hou Wang Temple. Completed in 1903, the temple is the only surviving timber and iron Chinese temple in Queensland and most of its fittings, including the carvings and items used for worship were specially made in China. The Hou Wang Temple is part of a complex, which also includes a Chinese museum featuring interactive displays of Atherton's Chinese heritage, along with a prized collection of original artefacts including musical instruments, a maize husker and crusher, and historic photographs of the once bustling precinct. It is also where you'll discover the Atherton Birds of Prey shows, where the natural behaviour of native birds, a crocodile and a python can be seen during two daily shows on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends.

Right on top of a dormant volcano on the highest point in Atherton, Halloran's Hill Lookout Park offers the most spectacular view over the Atherton Tablelands/Cairns Highlands. Relax over a barbeque or picnic and soak up the panoramic views over the patchwork of farmlands to Lake Tinaroo and the volcanic cinder cones of the Seven Sisters. Colourful artworks by local artists are dotted throughout the park surrounding the lookout, which has an excellent children's playground.

The two-storey Nyleta Wetlands Bird Hide is built on stilts and has views over open swamp water and roosting areas. The elevated hide has wheelchair access (on the lower section only) and can accommodate visitors and school groups. Signage assists with identifying local birds and their respective habitats. The Aboriginal and European use of the swamp is explained, as well as the art of bird watching and some tips for beginners.

At Mt Hypipamee National Park (south of Atherton on the Kennedy Highway) take a stroll through the rainforest to marvel at 'The Crater'. The explosion crater is 70m across with sheer granite sides and the lake is 58m below the rim and about 82m deep.

Hasties Swamp is a seasonal wetland which has an annual cycle of wet and dry, attracting a range of resident and migrant birds.

Atherton has good sporting facilities including a golf course, tennis and squash courts, bowling clubs, a gym and a heated Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Also located in Atherton is Wheelie Easy, is a local tour company specialising in tours and guiding for people with limited mobility, people with a disability and those traveling with them.

Each August, Atherton welcomes visitors and locals to the festivities of the Maize Festival which incorporates the Atherton Turf Club's annual meeting.

There is private luxury accommodation and panoramic views atop Halloran's Hill at the Summit Rainforest Retreat, and the Barron Valley Hotel is a pre-war Art Deco hotel right in the heart of town. Some hosts such as the Atherton Blue Gum B&B offer guided tours to guests. The spacious Atherton Rainforest Motor Inn with Snibbles in the Rainforest restaurant is on the Kennedy Highway, and there are caravan parks such as teh Atherton Caravan Park & Holiday Units, Atherton Woodlands Tourist Park and Atherton Halloran's Leisure Park withh full facilities including swimming pools, camping and van sites, cabins and units.

The counter meals in the hotels are great value, as is the food on offer at the service clubs.

There are sidewalk cafés, restaurants and great roadside food and produce stalls for those who prefer to self-cater, as well as the Atherton supermarket.

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