Plateau Atherton (Atherton Tableland), part of the Great Dividing Range, spread over an area of 650 square kilometers near the north-eastern part of Australia in Queensland. It's a relatively small price to pay - its height varies from 600 to 1100 meters above sea level. The geological history of the plateau is very interesting: many hills are extinct volcanoes, craters which are now in the lap of the lake. There are many common endemic, that is not living anywhere else in the world, species of flora and fauna: shy tree kangaroos, wallabies, possums, petauridae and secretive platypus.
Since ancient times, the main inhabitant of the Atherton Tablelands were indigenous tribes, whose population has decreased dramatically with the advent of Europeans. In 1875, James Mulligan and John Atherton, after whom the area and later got its name, independently researched plateau. Travelers have discovered rich deposits of tin near future settlement Herberton, causing the flow of immigrants to these places. Active settlement of the region prompted the construction of a road from Port Douglas to Herbertona, and in 1886 there was founded the town of Atherton. Today, on a plateau is situated a few cities: Atherton, Cairo, Kuranda, Mareeba, Malanda, Milla Milla, Reyvenskho, Herberton.
Interestingly, one of the first foreigners on the plateau were Chinese: in the beginning of the century in Chinatown in Atherton lived more than a thousand Chinese, most of whom are engaged in agriculture.
In 1925, the highway was built, "Dzhilliz", which allowed to reach a plateau from the coast of the Coral Sea in just a day. In 1955, Barron River dam was built.
Today, the Atherton Tablelands - is one of the largest agricultural centers of the country, there are grown sugar cane, avocados, corn, strawberries, citrus and mango. Most actively developing tourism.
It provides a plateau - many opportunities for recreation: it walks on hiking trails, bird watching and animals in the limestone cave tours, ballooning, fishing, rafting, water-skiing.
In the 15-minute drive from the town of Atherton is a lake of the same Tinara village on the shore. The lake - an artificial origin, it was formed after the construction of a dam on the river Barron. Today Tinara - a very popular tourist spot where you can practice a variety of water sports, or you can simply relax on the sandy beach. Here begins the 28-kilometer road Danbulla drive, passing by plantations of pineapples and eucalyptus trees, protected by the state through the rain forest and the area humid tropics.
Two famous "blue" icon evergreen plateau - crater lakes Berrin (Barrine) and Icham (Eacham), a UNESCO World Natural Heritage. Along the banks of both lakes paved circular hiking trails, while walking on which you can find musky rat kangaroo. In the vicinity of Lake Berrin grow two amazing tree twin "kauri" - is well established that their age is 1100 years old!
It should also visit the 90-meter waterfall Mungalli Falls 13 km from the town of Milla Milla - the highest waterfalls on the Atherton Tableland.