Best Day Rides from Cairns North: the Gillies Range and Atherton Tablelands Loop
From ReviRide Cairns H-D
Roll out of Cairns North and within half an hour the sugarcane flats around Gordonvale give way to one of Far North Queensland's most talked-about roads. The Gillies Highway corkscrews up the range in a relentless series of tight, shaded bends, threading through World Heritage rainforest as it climbs from the humid coast to the cooler, open country of the Atherton Tablelands.
Up top the riding settles into a rhythm. You'll skirt the still, blue-green crater lakes of Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, roll into the heritage village of Yungaburra, and chase a string of waterfalls around Millaa Millaa before turning north through Atherton and Mareeba. The return drops you back to the coast down the winding Kuranda Range, with the Coral Sea opening up ahead.
It's a ride of contrasts: dripping rainforest and dairy paddocks, tannin-dark swimming holes and big tableland skies, all stitched together by roads that reward a smooth, unhurried pace. Pack a jacket, because the tablelands sit well above the coast and the temperature drops as you climb.
Along the way
- 1
Gordonvale
A tidy old sugar town at the foot of the Gillies and the gateway to the range. Top up fuel and grab a coffee here, as it's the last easy stop before the climb.
- 2
Gillies Range Road (the 263 bends)
The headline act: a tightly coiled, rainforest-lined climb from Gordonvale up to the tablelands. Pull into the Gillies Lookout near the top for a breather and views back down the range.
- 3
Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham
Twin volcanic crater lakes in Crater Lakes National Park, ringed by ancient rainforest. Calm, scenic and a cool spot to stretch your legs and walk a short forest loop.
- 4
Yungaburra and the Curtain Fig Tree
A heritage-listed village full of cafes and character, just minutes from the enormous Curtain Fig Tree, where a curtain of aerial roots drops some 15 metres to the forest floor.
- 5
Millaa Millaa Falls and the waterfall circuit
The photogenic centrepiece of the tablelands waterfall circuit, with neighbouring Zillie and Ellinjaa Falls on a short, easy loop off the main route. Postcard cascades framed by lush greenery.
- 6
Atherton
The tablelands' main town and a natural lunch and fuel stop, with plenty of pubs, bakeries and cafes before you point the bike back towards the coast.
- 7
Kuranda
A rainforest village above Cairns, known for its markets and forest setting. A relaxed final stop before the twisting descent of the Kuranda Range back to the coast.
Before you go
- Fuel up in Gordonvale before the climb, and again at Atherton or Mareeba up top. Services thin out between towns, so don't run the tank low.
- The Gillies and Kuranda ranges are tight, shaded and popular with tourist traffic, caravans and trucks. Ride within your sightlines, watch for oncoming vehicles crossing the centreline, and expect occasional gravel or leaf litter on the bends.
- The tablelands sit at altitude and run noticeably cooler than the coast, with fog or mist possible early and late. Carry a layer even on a warm Cairns morning.
- Avoid the wet season (roughly November to April) where you can. Heavy tropical downpours make rainforest bitumen slick and can flood low crossings without much warning.
- Wildlife is a real hazard at dawn and dusk, including cassowaries near rainforest sections. Slow down in shaded forest stretches and scan the verges. This is a suggested route only, so check current road and weather conditions before you ride.
Ride it on a ReviRide bike
Helmet and 800 km/day included.
Routes are suggestions only. Roads, conditions, and access can change — check current conditions, ride to your ability and the conditions, and obey all road rules.