How to See the Best Atherton Tablelands Waterfalls & Swimming Holes

The Atherton Tablelands waterfalls are among the most spectacular cascades and swimming holes in Tropical North Queensland. If you’re searching for the most beautiful waterfalls around Cairns, you’ll find them on the rainforest-covered plateau, around an hour from the city.

As a seasoned solo traveller in Australia, I love visiting Cairns, and I’ve explored the region on multiple solo trips. My most recent visit was during the rainy season, when the waterfalls were at their most powerful and dramatic.

I wanted to see the best Cairns waterfalls in full flow, but most of the Atherton Tablelands waterfalls are located in the rainforest, and getting there without a car isn’t easy. I also wanted to make the most of my limited time and explore and swim without worrying about safety. Rivers can be dangerous, and there are crocodiles in far north Queensland.

I considered hiring a car, but I decided that booking a guided day trip was the easiest, safest, and most economical way to see the highlights of the Atherton Tablelands with a local guide who knows the area, without the stress of self-driving and swimming alone.

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I paid for all my tours and accommodation in Cairns, and I’m under no obligation to write this review. As usual, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are my own. I hope you find them helpful!

Driving to the Cairns Waterfalls

If you prefer to hire a car, driving to the waterfalls around Cairns is an option. The waterfalls we visited were all easily accessible by road.

The Atherton Tablelands waterfall circuit includes three waterfalls: Millaa Millaa Falls, Zillie Falls, and Ellinjaa Falls. We didn’t have time to visit all of them on our Atherton Tablelands highlights tour, but you can drive the 17-kilometre waterfall loop in a few hours. 

Atherton Tablelands Waterfall Tour from Cairns

I booked my waterfalls day trip with Cairns Adventure Group.

They run daily waterfall tours with convenient pickup points around Cairns. My pickup was at 7:30 am outside the Novotel Hotel, just around the corner from where I was staying, and I was the first on board.

After collecting other guests throughout the Cairns CBD, we headed south towards Gordonvale for a short breakfast stop before continuing into the Atherton Tablelands.

1. Cathedral Fig Tree

After driving through the rolling green farmlands of the Atherton Tablelands, we stopped at the beautiful Cathedral Fig Tree.

A cacophony of insects and birds escorted us through the lush rainforest to the ancient Fig Tree, where our small group was introduced to Indigenous culture by a local Aboriginal guide who explained the history and significance of the Cathedral Fig Tree and other aspects of traditional culture.

The majestic 500-year-old tree is an important landmark in local Indigenous culture and a gathering place for tribal clans, ceremonies and ancestral burials. The Cathedral Fig Tree also sheltered children from authorities during the Stolen Generations era.

2. Lake Eacham

Stunning Lake Eacham was the next stop on the Atherton Tablelands waterfall tour. A glorious freshwater lake surrounded by rainforest and open parklands, Lake Eacham is a peaceful waterhole and swimming spot with picnic and toilet facilities.

The lake is home to a small freshwater crocodile, but unlike their larger saltwater cousins, freshwater crocs are not considered dangerous to humans.

Swimming here was a refreshing and exhilarating experience. The water was cool, clear and deeper than I expected. I swam out to a jetty about 50 metres away and then walked back to the picnic area through the rainforest.

We had morning tea here, consisting of tea, coffee, biscuits and lamingtons – a classic Australian sponge cake dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. I love lamingtons and ate way too many, not realising that our lunch stop at the friendly Malanda pub wasn’t far away.

3. Millaa Millaa Falls

After lunch, we drove to Millaa Millaa Falls, a stunning Atherton Tablelands waterfall, often described as Australia’s most photogenic cascade, and it’s easy to see why. Millaa Millaa is one of the most popular of the Cairns waterfalls.

More than 18 metres (60 feet) high, the water tumbles into a wide plunge pool, perfect for swimming. Lush tropical vegetation surrounds the falls, and there’s a grassy area for relaxing.

Millaa Millaa is an idyllic spot that has featured in several television commercials, most famously for Herbal Essences. XXXX Gold, Qantas and Tourism Australia have also used the falls as a backdrop.

I didn’t swim here, but I still got drenched by the spray. This stunning spot reminded me of the tropical waterfalls in Bali, but Millaa Millaa is far easier to access, just a short stroll from the car park.

4. Josephine Falls

Hidden deep in the rainforest, gorgeous Josephine Falls is an idyllic spot best known for its natural water slide. A series of waterfalls, boulders and pools, the water slide is a 15-minute walk from the car park.

The water level was high when we arrived, and it was bordering on being unsafe for swimming, but there were many people in the water and sliding down the bare rockface anyway.

Our guide explained the dangers and showed us the safest way to enjoy the falls. I decided to try the waterslide and swam across a deep pool. I managed to climb the slippery rockface on the other side and walk across to the top of the slide.

I sat down, thinking I would shuffle into a better position at the top, but the water took me straight down the slippery rockface. At the bottom, the current was very strong as I swam back across the pool.

While Josephine Falls looks idyllic, swimming here can be treacherous. Take notice of the warning signs and be very careful, especially if you have children or weak swimmers with you. The currents here are deceptively strong, and there have been many drownings over the years.

There are basic toilet facilities at the car park.

5. Babinda Boulders

Babinda Boulders is a scenic rainforest swimming spot surrounded by tall trees with a gorgeous grassy picnic area and a sandy river beach. It was our final stop for the day to swim, explore, and eat afternoon tea on our way back to Cairns.

I loved swimming here! The river was calm, shallow and crystal clear, and the swimming area was large with a sandy floor. It was a heavenly place to cool off in the heat and humidity of tropical Cairns.

Around 700 metres from the picnic area, the Devils Pool is a notoriously dangerous part of the Babinda Boulders. Here, fast-flowing water streams over granite rocks. The Devils Pool is a 15-minute walk from the main picnic area, and it’s extremely hazardous.

More than 20 people have drowned here since 1916, so follow the signs and swim only in the designated places near the picnic area.

According to Aboriginal legend, the spirit of Oolana, searching for her lost lover, calls men into the treacherous waters to their deaths.

Babinda Boulders was our last stop on a wonderful day exploring the spectacular Atherton Tablelands waterfalls and swimming spots. We arrived back in Cairns around 4:00 – 4:30 pm.

It’s easy to see why our local guide loves the Atherton Tablelands.  He thinks it has some of the most beautiful scenery in far north Queensland, and I agree. A day trip to the Atherton Tablelands waterfalls should definitely be included on a Cairns itinerary.

I booked my Atherton Tablelands Waterfalls tour with Cairns Adventure Group.

6. Barron Falls

Barron Falls is another stunning Cairns waterfall on the edge of the Atherton Tablelands, and it’s easy to visit on a separate day trip from Cairns. The most scenic way to experience Barron Falls is to take the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda rainforest village. Both include stops with excellent views of the dramatic cascade.

I’ve visited Kuranda twice and loved taking the cable car up and returning on the historic train. In my experience, the very best views of Barron Falls are from the train platform and lookout at the stop just before Kuranda.

On my most recent trip, I caught the bus from Cairns for a fraction of the cost of the train, planning to hike to the top of the falls. However, the walk takes 2–3 hours and is quite strenuous. It was simply too hot to walk there on the day I went, and with only one bus back to Cairns, I didn’t want to risk being stranded in Kuranda.

The historic train is easily the most practical way to see Barron Falls from Cairns without a car. Driving from Cairns is also a good option.

7. Daintree Rainforest & Mossman River Cascades

On a previous solo trip to Cairns, I discovered the lovely cascades and swimming hole on the Mossman River in the ancient Daintree Rainforest with the same tour company. For me, it was the perfect way to explore this stunning wilderness area safely as a solo traveller.

The tour went all the way to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. We visited stunning Mossman Gorge and saw crocodiles in their natural environment on a Daintree River Wildlife cruise.

It was a memorable day out in Cairns, and you can read more about my experience in the Daintree Rainforest here.

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