From your cottage you can spot a surprisingly large variety of wildlife that call the rainforest home.

Bird watching

Victoria's Riflebird Displaying

If you are early risers, enjoy the morning chorus or bird song. Listen for the whip-crack call of the Eastern Whip Bird or the eerie cry of the Spotted Catbird or the morning melody of the Chowchillas. During the night you can listen for the unusual “bomb falling whistle” call of the Lesser Sooty Owl or the call of the Boobook Owl.

Even if you are not dedicated bird watchers, you will be impressed by the Victoria’s Riflebird (bird of paradise), which can be seen displaying for his mate at the cottages, or charmed by the personalities of the family of Kookaburras that fly in for a visit.

Some of the endemic birds to our area that can be seen at the cottages are the Macleays Honeyeaters, Grey-headed Robin, Tooth-billed bowerbird, Bridled Honeyeater, Bowers Shrike-thrush, Pied Monarch.

Other beautiful birds seen at the cottages are the Wompoo Fruit Dove, Australian King Parrot, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Pale-yellow Robin, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Grey Fantail, Brown Gerygone, Rainbow Lorikeet, Emerald Dove, Peaceful Dove, plus many, many more.

Animal Viewing

Pademelon and joey

Native animals can be seen in the rainforest surrounding your cottage

The adorable Red-legged Pademelon (small rainforest kangaroo) venture out from the rainforest to graze on the grass in the mornings and evenings and are a common sight from the deck of your cottage. Breeding is continuous, so it is usual to see a baby joey peeking from a pouch.

Musky-rat Kangaroos are the smallest and most primitive of the macropods and tend to bound rather than hop. They are very shy, but you can see them by day, quickly darting out to enjoy some fruit on the forest floor.

If you are lucky you may spot a Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo. There is more information on this rare animal here. Other animals you may see are the Long-nosed Bandicoot and Atherton antechinus.

Frogs inhabit the pond such as the Green-eyed Tree Frog, and if you are lucky you may see the the beautiful and shy Amethystine Python glide through the forest.

In spring the electric blue Ulysses butterfly and the bright colours of the male Cairns Birdwing butterfly flicker in the canopy.

Platypus can be spotted in many creeks around the area, such as Peterson creek in Yungaburra, or the Malanda Falls walk.

The Atherton Tablelands 

Walk to Lake Eacham

The Atherton Tableland, also know as the Cairns Highlands, is a wonderful blend of nature’s and man’s best attractions. There are pristine World Heritage rainforests, waterfalls, crater lakes and rich agricultural lands with charming heritage-listed townships. Here are only a small selection of things to do..

Walking Trails & National Parks

The many National Parks on the Tablelands offer short or long walking tracks. For example, Lake Eacham ( a short walk away from the cottages ) and Lake Barrine have 3-4 km rainforest circuit tracks. See our Resources page for more detailed information on the walks in the area.

Townships

Visit nearby Yungaburra Heritage Village. Stroll through the craft shops or eat at award winning restaurants. There you can do a heritage walk or spot platypus at Peterson Creek. They have a large market every 4th Saturday morning.

Waterfalls

Millaa Millaa Falls

View the many spectacular waterfalls. Drive the famous Waterfall Circuit, just out from the township of Millaa Millaa, and you will visit 3 waterfalls, including the beautiful Millaa Millaa Falls. Other falls include Malanda Falls, Dinner Falls, Mungalli Falls, Millstream Falls.

Food Trails

• Visit Mungali Falls Organic Dairy for a meal or purchase
• great local cheese or do a tour.
• Visit coffee plantations at Mareeba.
• Visit mango wineries and liquor distilleries.
• Visit Nerada Tea Plantation and do the factory tour.

See our Resources page for more detailed information on the walks and National Parks of the Atherton Tablelands.