Uncle Brian’s waterfalls and forest tour took us through North Queensland’s spectacular Atherton Tablelands region. Unlike regular tours, Uncle Brian’s is really upbeat and fun from start to finish. With our tour guide cousin Paul, there wasn’t a dull moment, even driving from one place to the next in the bus, we played games and listened to music.
Heading off
We were picked up early in the morning from our hostel, and boarded Gus the Wonder Bus, where Paul introduced us to the other tour participants. We played a game with match sticks and a ring in which we had to pass it around the group using only our mouths; it was a hilarious icebreaker that had us all laughing.
Babinda Boulders
Our first stop on the Atherton Tablelands tour was at Babinda Boulders. It’s a beautiful rainforest where we did a short walk and at the end swam in the crystal clear mountain water. As everyone made their way up from the water, Paul had brought out some cake, biscuits, tea, and coffee. One thing was certain on this tour: we were never left hungry.
Josephine Falls
The next stop on the tour was probably my favorite: Josephine Falls. We did a short little bush walk through the rainforest down to our next swim spot, which had a natural waterslide. We had to swim out to the side and climb up the rock wall along the top, where we could slide down into the water. The water slide was great fun, and I highly recommend it. Now it was time for a quick lunch break, and I was pleasantly surprised by the food we were served for a tour: chicken, couscous, salad, and freshly cooked rolls. I had seconds because it was so good, and we also had sticky date pudding with cream for dessert.
Millaa Millaa Falls and Lake Eacham
Back on the bus, we were on our way to Millaa Millaa Falls. This was the most incredible waterfall I’ve ever seen. The water was a bit cold when we first hopped in. But once we swam under the waterfall and looked up at the water falling off the edge, it made it so worth it. Here we were able to take our famous “hair flick” photos with a beautiful waterfall in the background.
We then went over to Lake Eacham, a volcanic crater lake. Which was created by underground pressure and had erupted. Leaving a massive crater that was then filled with rainwater and is now over 60 meters deep. The water in Lake Eacham was warmer than the water at the other swimming locations. And as I was swimming up very quickly, I couldn’t stand. When I went back up to join the rest of the group, there was more tea, coffee, and cakes for us to have a little snack on before jumping back onto the bus.
A spectacular day comes to an end
On our way to see some platypus before our Atherton Tablelands tour came to an end. We saw a snake slithering across the road. We headed to the last point where we could walk along a small lake looking for platypus. While singing to some Australian classics and learning some choreography from Paul.
All the way through our trip, Paul was cracking jokes and playing tunes. Which made it a lot of fun for everyone on the tour. The energy was always high as we went from one place to the next. Uncle Brian’s is something I would definitely recommend when you are in Cairns. It was a great way to make some friends while we were in Cairns. And we caught up with them a few times while we were there.
Checkout some other awesme trips with Uncle Brian’s such as Cape Tribulation day tour and their Overnight tour
