Things to do in

Mareeba

Meet your experienced ballooning team at Atherton Tablelands at 6.00 AM, just in time to witness the inflation of the hot air balloons. Experience the fun and unique sensation of a hot air balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands, Australia. Enjoy the picturesque landscape at sunrise with 60-minutes of flying time. At 6.30 AM the patchwork panorama below brings new sights every day, watch out for the variety of Australian birdlife and take in the peace and serenity that is hot air ballooning.

Start with an early morning pickup and transfer from your accommodation in Cairns. Travel to the Atherton Tablelands and arrive at the launch site to see the amazing display of the balloons being inflated.  Take off from Mareeba and soar into the air. Enjoy the picturesque landscape at dawn as you float in a hot air balloon. Admire the scenic views of vast open spaces on all sides. Keep watch for local wildlife, including native birds or even kangaroos roaming free. Cruise through the air with a professionally-trained crew, who will maximize enjoyment and ensure your safety. After you land, help out with fun pack-up games and receive a commemorative certificate. Then, then head back to your accommodation in Cairns.

Journey to the Atherton Tablelands which is located 1 hour’s drive from the city via the scenic Gillies Highway. Discover a cool highlands where you will sample some tropical fruit skewers and enjoy a special coffee or local tea at an 80-year old lakeside teahouse. Arrive in the historic village of Atherton for a tasting and shopping treat at “The Humpy,” the best place to go for freshly harvested produce straight from the growers. Marvel at the array of vegetables, tropical fruits and hundreds of varieties of nuts, dried fruits and locally produced jams and sauces. Enjoy some seasonal fruits and different hot peanuts and macadamia nuts, and get some time to browse to make any purchases. Continue to the Mount Uncle distillery to taste some of their award-winning liqueurs and spirits, and sample their new boutique beer before a delicious lunch of local produce with more beer or a glass of wine. Wander around the stunning property nestled in coffee and banana plantations and meet the friendly animals. Venture down a secret bush track to De Bruey's Boutique Wines on a mango orchard between the peaks of the Great Dividing Range. Learn how they make high quality wines from tropical fruits and sample 15 different tropical fruit wines, liqueurs, cream liqueurs and ports! Move on to the Jacques Family coffee plantation and get an insight into the finer details of coffee, from the tree to the cup, in the air-conditioned theater. Stroll through the coffee bushes and gardens, and end with a cup of Jacques coffee made just as you like it and served with homemade scones with jam and cream. Head to The Rainforest Retreat to watch the sun go down as you sip some Queensland wines and beers or dip your toes in a beautiful mountain stream before heading back to Cairns.