“The Wheelbarrow Way is named for the method by which early European settlers moved their possessions into this remote highland country. Driving it now, you begin to understand what they were thinking — and what they found when they arrived.”
The Wheelbarrow Way: A Heritage Drive Through the Southern Tablelands
The Wheelbarrow Way is a heritage tourist drive that follows the route used by early settlers to access the remote southern Atherton Tablelands — a road named for the literal wheelbarrows used by some of the first European families to carry their worldly possessions into the remote highland country between Ravenshoe and the Gulf Savannah.
Innot Hot Springs
Waterfall Circuit
Atherton Tablelands Markets
ChillagoeThe drive connects the Atherton Tablelands with the town of Greenvale and the broader Gulf Savannah country to the west, passing through a landscape that transitions dramatically from tropical highland to dry savannah as the elevation drops and the rainfall decreases. The scenery is genuinely spectacular in its scale and openness — a world away from the lush rainforest Tablelands to the north and east.
Along the route, travellers can visit Millstream Falls, the Undara Lava Tubes, and several points of historical significance relating to the pastoral history of the region. The Wheelbarrow Way is best done as an extended day trip from Atherton or Cairns, or as part of a longer Gulf Savannah road trip that continues west toward Mount Garnet, Mount Surprise, and the Undara landscape.
The road is sealed for most of its length and suitable for conventional vehicles. Check current road conditions, particularly after wet season rain, and carry sufficient water and fuel for a remote highway drive.
A Hot Getaways destination. Where Care is Our Compass.
