We were based in Cairns for the week. One day we loaded the kids into the hire car and headed up onto the Atherton Tablelands.

The way up is the Gillies Range Road. It's winding. Properly winding.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service guide says it climbs 800 metres in about 19 kilometres, with 263 corners. Allow around half an hour for that stretch alone.

The scenery makes up for it. Rainforest the whole way, and big views back down the valley. There are a few spots to pull over, though some are easier to use going up and others coming down.

If your kids get carsick, give them a break at the top. And bring snacks. It's a long day in the car.

As of October 2026, repairs from Cyclone Jasper are due to run until mid-2027. Expect roadworks and stop-go signs on the range.

All up, Cairns to Lake Eacham is about 65 kilometres. A little over an hour in the car.

Lake Eacham is a volcanic crater lake in Crater Lakes National Park. Pandanus and rainforest grow right down to the edge, and the water is a deep blue-green.

It's also cold. Noticeably cold, even on a warm day.

A 3 km track loops around the lake, about an hour's walk. You can do the whole loop or just a stretch along the shore.

Then there's the croc. A freshwater crocodile lives in the lake, and the sign by the boat ramp spells it out.

Queensland Parks says freshwater crocs are considered timid, and very few incidents have been reported. But it can become aggressive and cause injury if disturbed.

In 2023 a swimmer was hurt in an encounter with it. Rangers had already closed the lake for two days in 2022 after someone reported being harassed.

Nobody seems sure how it got here. The council says freshwater crocs aren't native to Lake Eacham, and rangers believe it has lived there for about 15 years.

People still swim, and on hot days the lake can be packed with kids. The croc is signposted, so that call is yours.

We spotted a turtle on a branch just off the shore. Possibly keeping an eye out for the croc.

From the lake, Millaa Millaa Falls is about 40 kilometres south. Around 35 minutes.

Tablelands Regional Council calls these Australia's most photographed falls. The water drops 18 metres over basalt columns into a round pool, with rainforest all around.

Day tours from Cairns stop here, so it can get busy. It wasn't when we visited. We think we arrived between buses. If you want it quieter, go early.

The only noise was a bit of construction. As of October 2026, the council is upgrading the visitor area until June 2027. Some works close it for a day or two, so check the council's website first.

We'd planned to see more waterfalls around Millaa Millaa. We'd also set off late, so that didn't happen.

If you have time, these are worth it. Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls are on the same Waterfall Circuit as Millaa Millaa, a short drive apart.

Heading east on the Palmerston Highway, Tchupala Falls is a 1.2 km return walk, about 40 minutes. Nandroya Falls is a longer 6 km return walk, allow three hours.

Crawfords Lookout and the Mamu Tropical Skywalk are on the same road, looking down into the North Johnstone River gorge.

We didn't go back down the Gillies. We kept going on the Palmerston Highway, down to Innisfail, then up the coast to Cairns. That leg is about 160 kilometres, roughly two and a half hours.

The whole loop is around four hours of driving. That's before any stops.

So leave early. Earlier than we did. Do the lake first, then the falls, and you'll have time for the extra waterfalls on the way home.