Yungaburra is a picturesque village, largely unchanged since 1910. With 18 heritage-listed buildings, it is the biggest National Trust village in Queensland.
Yungaburra takes its name from the Yidinyji language, meaning a place of enquiring or questioning. The European settlement of Yungaburra spans from the early 1880s, but the history goes back much further.
Visit charming cafes, award winning restaurants and arts and crafts galleries to complete the picture.
Yungaburra’s high profile landmark, the amazing Curtain Fig Tree, is only minutes from the village and is accessed by a short boardwalk from the sealed road.
Bushwalking is the ideal way to encounter the wildlife of the surrounding areas. A network of easy and moderate walking tracks will lead you through wetlands, rainforest, scrub and lakeside paths.
One of Yungaburra’s main attractions is the Peterson Creek walking circuit where there are often platypus to be spotted. A re-vegetation program has ensured the tree kangaroo is also making its home there. The platypus viewing platform at Peterson Creek provides another spot for observing these elusive creatures.
Nearby Lake Tinaroo is popular for water skiing, fishing and family picnics.
On the fourth Saturday of each month the famous Yungaburra Arts & Crafts Markets, the largest and most popular of all the region’s country markets, are held on the green in the village centre.
Avenue of Honour
The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour is a living memorial dedicated to the memory of all who served in the fight against terror in Afghanistan and to those brave and selfless Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of freedom and liberty.
The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour – made up of Illawara Flame Trees – is located at Tinaburra, 3km from Yungaburra Village.
Crater Lakes National Park
The volcanic features of the landscape on this part of the Atherton Tableland are between 10,000 (Pleistocene) and two million (Pliocene) years old.
Ten minutes from Yungaburra is Crater Lakes National Park and home to Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine.
Camping, including sleeping in campervans and vehicles, is not permitted within Crater Lakes National Park.
Lake Eacham
Lake Eacham is a maar—a volcanic crater formed by two massive explosions from superheating of groundwater. This vent now forms the catchment of the lake and is 65m deep. Some of the original underlying sedimentary rocks occur today as metamorphic rock outcrops in parts of the crater rim.
No streams flow into or out of the lake, with water only lost through seepage and evaporation.
The water level can fluctuate 4m between wet and dry seasons.
Indigenous stories of the explosion of Lake Eacham describe the forest at the time as “open scrub”. A subsequent study of pollen records from lake sediments supplements this view, suggesting the rainforest formed on the Atherton Tablelands only around 7600 years ago.
In 1988 Lake Eacham was included within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA) and in 1994 joined Lake Barrine under a single protected area—Crater Lakes National Park.
Lake Eacham is a clear, blue lake surrounded by lush rainforest and offers swimming, birdwatching, canoeing, picnic areas and shady walking tracks. It is a popular recreation area for locals and visitors.
The Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Lake Eacham welcome you to their country and ask that you respect their special place.
Lake Barrine
Lake Barrine was formed over 17,000 years ago when a large volcano erupted, leaving a crater that over time filled up with water to create a lake. The crater was formed as a result of a series of volcanic explosions. These explosions were caused by the hot molten rock coming into contact with groundwater. This caused a build-up of steam, gases and pressure which blasted the central core from the volcano. This massive explosion left a huge crater, which filled with rainwater to create Lake Barrine.
A walking track around the lake allows for forest-fringed, secluded views of the lake and excellent opportunities for viewing wildlife. A pair of towering bull kauri pine trees, over 45m tall, is a feature of the park.
Lake cruises operate from the privately-owned Lake Barrine Teahouse offering visitors a relaxed view of the lake and its wildlife.
