Population

Kuranda 750
Atherton 6 000
Yungaburra 1 000
Malanda 1 500
Millaa Millaa 295
Ravenshoe 900

Kuranda, can be reached by train, cable car or by road, in fact the journey is as much a part of Kuranda’s charm as the village itself. It features an abundance of exciting and unusual wildlife parks which the kids will absolutely adore and unique arts and crafts found nowhere else. The spectacular Barron Falls can be seen at Kuranda, the train stops here or you can drive around to the Barron Falls boardwalk which takes you through rainforest to the falls. The falls intensity changes with the seasons, sometimes a raging torrent and at other times just a trickle.

Atherton is the largest township in the region and is a great place to pick up your supplies, it's also an interesting town to explore with lots of family friendly attractions, make sure you check out Halloran's Hill while you're in town.

Yungaburra comes alive on the fourth Saturday of the month for market day. This charming village is a lovely place for a holiday and not far from the beautiful volcanic crater lakes, Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine.

Lake Tinaroo is also a great place for families to visit. The Tinaroo Dam was built in 1959 to provide irrigation for agriculture and is a popular place for camping, fishing, canoeing, skiing and other water sports. There are great pathways, picnic areas and playgrounds for families here as well as a great range of places to stay.

Malanda is a quiet town with one of the world’s largest dairy factories. It's also a great base to explore some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area.

Millaa Millaa is a small dairy town south-east of Malanda, it has a lovely park for picnics with a playground and public facilities as well as a monument to Christie Palmerston and his Aboriginal guide Pompo who first explored the lush rainforest of the Cairns Highlands region in search of a suitable track from the coast to the goldfields. Sweeping views of the surrounding area can be scene from the nearby lookout.

Ravenshoe is located 920 metres above sea level, surrounded by World Heritage listed rainforest and is the highest point of the Misty Mountains Trails. Ravenshoe is a friendly little town originally established for its high quality timbers. The Millstream Falls are located not far from Ravenshoe and in the wet season become Australia's widest falls. Koombooloomba Dam is also only a short drive from Ravenshoe and is a great place for swimming, fishing and camping.

History

Before European settlers arrived, there were about sixteen different Aboriginal groups, including the Ngadjoni tribe, who lived in this beautiful region.

A railway was built through the region in the early 1900’s and with that came more people, predominantly gold miners and farmers seeking new opportunities. Logging was a major industry as well and tracks were made from the highlands to the coast, the 3 major tracks are now known as the Kuranda Range, The Gillies Highway and the Palmerston Highway.

Farming began shortly after with a variety of crops grown successfully in this region. Beef and dairy cattle soon followed and generations of farming families make this region the charming and friendly place that it is.

Economy

The Cairns Highlands region has been a commercial farming region for more than 100 years. Crops commonly grown here include macadamias, peanuts, potatoes, mangoes, coffee, maize, avocado and strawberries, you’ll also find both beef and dairy cattle here as well. Kuranda village has always been a less conventional kind of a place, a haven in the rainforest for alternative lifestyles. The Kuranda markets originally started here in the 1970's and were held every Sunday attracting hundreds of people from the nearby regions every week.