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This is a big Cairns day tour taking you from the coast into the outback and back again. Along the way you’ll sample local produce, watch the landscape transition from lush tropical rainforest to dry savannah plains, dotted with tiny towns and termite mounds. Your most western destination is Chillagoe, which is famous for its limestone caves, towering karsts, balancing rocks and abandoned smelter. This town offers a glimpse into Australia’s rich and diverse past. Run by Billy Tea Safaris this full day tour is hosted by knowledgeable local driver guides, with travel in comfortable, air-conditioned 4WD vehicles. Morning tea at Skybury Coffee Plantation and lunch at one of Chillagoe’s country pubs. Includes a stop at Granite Gorge, so you can see and feed Mareeba Rock Wallabies.
The Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour departs Cairns 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It has pickups from Cairns city locations. These are small group tours with a maximum of 20 guests.
Explore the Australian Outback on a full Cairns day tour. Ancient limestone caves, tiny country towns, Aboriginal rock art and adorable rock wallabies.
Get a free action camera rental when you book tours departing Cairns through us valued at over $750, we’ll lend you a GoPro camera to use for the duration of your tours. Numbers are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. Get in touch with us to claim this deal today.
Billy Tea Safaris are one of the few Cairns companies to have invested in 4WD offroad touring vehicles, allowing them to access destinations beyond the bitumen. Established in 1983, Billy Tea Safaris have curated their tours to highlight the rich history, unique character and natural beauty of our area. Their Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour is a big day on the bus, due to the distances travelled, and as such this one is not suitable for children aged 0 – 3 years old. Commentary is provided throughout the day by your driver / guide, expanding your knowledge of the changing terrain and local history. Please note this tour includes an underground cave tour, which includes staircases and some tight spaces, so is suited to people with reasonable mobility. Cairns pick ups start from 6.45am, with return between 6.30pm – 7pm. Meals and some refreshments are included in the tour price.
Get off the beaten trail and see what the Australian Outback and Gulf Savannah region is all about. You’ll enter a dry landscape of grassy plains, cattle stations and termite mounds. Completely different to coastal Cairns. The highlight is your visit to Chillagoe, a small town with a permanent population of just over 200 people. Over 400 million years ago this area was a part of Australia’s inland sea. That has long since disappeared. What remains is a vast network of underground caves filled with stalactites, stalagmites and cave corals, which you explore on Ranger guided tours. There are also balancing rocks for photo stops and visually spectacular karsts, which rise 40m into the air and dominate the landscape around Chillagoe. No outback experience is complete without lunch at a country pub, so we tick this box too.
Native Australian animals are generally considered cute and cuddly, just wait until you meet the Mareeba Rock Wallabies! These adorable creatures were classified as a distinct species in 1992 and are only found in Mareeba. You will stop in to see them at their Granite Gorge home, with time for feeding and photos. Unlike most wildlife encounters, this one is almost 100% guaranteed; we have never visited and not seen them. The Mareeba Rock Wallabies have long lashes and deep chocolate eyes. They are incredibly curious and will hop over to say hello. You can pick up some food from reception, and the best bet is to sit down and wait for them to come to you. Trust me, this is a wildlife experience you’ll never forget.
Chillagoe has several protected Aboriginal Rock Art sites. These places preserve paintings created by the Traditional Owners of that area, the Wakaman People. Due to the dry climate and location of the art, the rock art has been preserved and provide an insight into local culture. You will visit one of Chillagoe’s rock art sites during the Cairns to Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour.
Marked pathways, timber boardwalks and metal staircases all provide access to explore Chillagoe’s underground caves. This enables sustainable visitation to these environmentally sensitive sites. Some of the Chillagoe caves have underground lighting, head torches will be provided for those that do not. The cave tour takes around 1 hour and is conducted at a moderate and comfortable pace. This tour is in remote outback destinations, where the focus is on adventure and discovery. As such you should have reasonable mobility and be comfortable walking and climbing, on these surfaces. Closed in footwear is essential for your safety. There are no formed pathways for the stop at Granite Gorge. Access to the Mareeba Rock Wallabies is by walking over large boulders and rocky slopes. The Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour is fully guided for your comfort.
This Cairns to Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour itinerary is based around the ‘usual’ Billy Tea Safaris itinerary. However, please note that exact times and order of activities can change pending weather and other circumstances. Tour pick-ups commence in Cairns from 6.45am and you return from 6.30pm. Travel is in an air-conditioned 4WD vehicle. You will be travelling up some windy range roads, so if you suffer from motion sickness, we strongly suggest taking some preventative medication before setting out (and/or sitting to the front of the vehicle). The tour is fully guided. The ticket price covers all tours and destinations mentioned above, plus morning tea at Skybury Coffee Plantations and a pub lunch at Chillagoe. Bring additional funds for additional drinks or souvenir purchases.
Billy Tea Safaris commences its tour pick-ups from various Cairns city locations. Exact pick-up times are confirmed closer to travel time. Please note this tour departs Cairns 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
If you are staying in Port Douglas or the Northern Beaches, contact us for more information regarding transfers and pick-ups.
After departing Cairns, you drive up the Kuranda Range Road to the elevated Tablelands region. As you move past Kuranda towards Mareeba, you leave the rainforest behind and the scenery transitions to more open woodlands. Your first stop is at Skybury Coffee Plantation for morning tea. Their coffee is locally grown, harvested and produced onsite. Enjoy refreshments on their elevated deck, which provides views over the surrounding farmlands and countryside.
From here the journey continues into the Gulf Savannah Outback. Along the way you’ll pass through and by several very small towns and communities, including Petford and Almaden. Farmlands are replaced by cattle stations; you are entering part of Australia’s sparsely populated outback. Photos stops are available, pending timing.
Chillagoe. The first stop is a Ranger guided tour at one of the underground limestone caves. Highlights of the tour includes seeing stalactites and stalagmites, underground pools, cave corals, shawls, fossils and more. It’s a vast and amazing underground landscape, fascinating for people of all ages.
The cave tour takes around 1 hour. The caves can involve hundreds of steps, steep staircases and low passages. Some of the Chillagoe caves have underground lighting, head torches will be provided for those that do not. The interior temperature of the caves is constant throughout the year.
The historic Chillagoe Smelter Ruins are the next stop. These smelters were active in the early to mid-1900s and their ‘ruins’, remain a prominent part of the Chillagoe landscape today. Access to much of the site is restricted, due to the presence of asbestos, but panoramic views are provided by walkways overlooking the site. Your knowledgeable driver / guide will provide additional information during the tour. This is a great photo stop.
Lunch is at one of Chillagoe’s classic outback pubs. Due to the remote nature of the location and availability requirements of the pub, you will have a limited menu to choose from. Vegetarians and most other requirements can be catered too within reason and with advance notice.
Picinic at Hanging Rock is famous, but have you heard of Balancing Rock? This is a must-do photo stop. The Balancing Rock track is a moderate 440m return loop from the car park. The rock is just one of many large boulders, seemingly scattered around the area, with a backdrop of the dramatic karsts.
The Wullumba Rock Art Site is a short walk from Balancing Rock and is where you go to look at ancient Aboriginal rock art. Here you’ll learn more about Dreamtime stories and the region’s Indigenous history. Then it is back on the bus, to commence the return journey to Cairns.
Last stop of the day is Granite Gorge, near Mareeba. Here you can visit a wild population of Mareeba Rock Wallabies, which thrive on the rocky slopes and boulders. These cuties are only found in the Mareeba area and will have you in the paw of their furry little hands, thanks to deep chocolate eyes, long lashes and whiskers.
Billy Tea Safaris re-traces its steps on the Tablelands, coming down the Kuranda Range and commencing drop-offs. You should be back at your accommodation / pick-up point between 6.30pm and 7pm.
The tour includes return transfers from selected Cairns accommodation, travel in a comfortable air-conditioned 4WD vehicle and commentary from a knowledgeable Billy Tea Safaris driver guide. You’ll enjoy morning tea at Skybury Coffee Plantation, a country pub lunch in Chillagoe, a Ranger guided limestone cave tour, Aboriginal rock art, historic mining sites, Balancing Rock and a wildlife encounter at Granite Gorge. National Park and attraction entry fees are included.
The tour travels from Cairns across the Atherton Tablelands, passing through Mareeba and small outback towns on the way to Chillagoe. Highlights include:
Billy Tea Safaris operates the Chillagoe Caves and Outback Tour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, excluding certain public holidays and major events. Cairns city pickups generally commence between 6.45am and 7am.
This is a full-day tour lasting approximately 12 hours. Cairns pickups begin around 6.45am, with guests generally returning between 6.30pm and 7pm. Chillagoe is approximately 215km from Cairns, so there is considerable time spent travelling. Along the way, you’ll enjoy changing scenery, small country towns and commentary from your driver guide.
The Ranger guided cave tour takes approximately 1 hour and involves walking on pathways, metal staircases and uneven surfaces. Depending on the cave visited, there may be hundreds of steps, steep sections and low passages requiring you to crouch. Reasonable fitness and mobility are essential. You’ll also walk over rocky ground at Balancing Rock and Granite Gorge. This tour is not suitable for guests who require wheelchair access.
Children aged 4 years and older can join the tour, although families should consider the long travel day and physical requirements of the caves. The itinerary involves approximately 12 hours of touring, several stops and an underground cave experience with stairs and uneven surfaces. Children must be comfortable walking and following instructions in the caves. Children under 4 are not permitted on these tours.
Closed-in walking shoes with good grip are essential for exploring the caves and walking over rocky ground. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, refillable water bottle and camera. A light jacket can be useful during the cooler months. We also recommend bringing some spending money for additional drinks, snacks or souvenirs along the way.
The Chillagoe Caves include underground chambers, narrow passages, low ceilings and some confined spaces. The experience may not be suitable for people with significant claustrophobia or a fear of heights. The level of difficulty varies depending on which cave is visited. If you have concerns about confined spaces, mobility or medical conditions, please contact us before booking so we can check the suitability of the tour.
Vegetarian meals and many medically necessary dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice. Lunch is served at a country pub in Chillagoe, where menu choices are more limited than those at city locations. Please advise us of any dietary requirements when booking so we can confirm suitable arrangements with Billy Tea Safaris.
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