Port Douglas & the atherton tablelands

Day 1 | Sunday 15 August
Arrive Cairns and Lake Tinaroo
Behind the coastal ranges of Far North Queensland, the Atherton Tablelands rise to a fertile volcanic plateau of lakes, rainforest and rolling farmland, where cooler air and clear highland light have long drawn painters away from the humidity of the coast. Our tour begins in the afternoon with a group transfer from Cairns Airport, climbing the winding Gillies Range to Lake Tinaroo, our base for the next four nights. After checking in to our lakeside resort, we gather for an introductory painting session on the shores of the lake, where John demonstrates his approach to capturing water, light and the wide Tablelands sky, whilst non-painters can settle in and explore the resort’s lakeside grounds. A welcome dinner at the resort brings our first day to a close. Overnight Tinaroo (D)

Day 2 | Monday 16 August
The Crater Lakes
The volcanic origins of the Tablelands are nowhere more visible than at the twin crater lakes of Eacham and Barrine, water-filled craters left by ancient eruptions and now ringed by dense rainforest. Our morning painting session takes place at Lake Eacham, whose deeply coloured waters and encircling forest offer endless studies in reflection, while non-painters can follow the lakeside circuit walk in search of turtles and rainforest birds. Lunch is enjoyed together at the Lake Barrine Teahouse, a long-established teahouse set at the water’s edge, before an afternoon session at Lake Barrine itself. We return to Tinaroo in the late afternoon, with dinner
at the resort this evening. Overnight Tinaroo (B, L, D)

Day 3 | Tuesday 17 August
Yungaburra and The Curtain Fig
As the railway opened the Atherton Tablelands to settlement in the early 20th century, villages developed a distinctive architecture of timber pubs, shopfronts and cottages. Yungaburra preserves this character most completely, with its entire village centre now heritage listed. On the way, we pause at the Curtain Fig, an immense strangler fig whose veil of aerial roots descends some 15 metres to the forest floor, before continuing to Yungaburra for a morning of painting among its weathered facades, shaded verandahs and quiet streets. Non-painters may explore the village’s galleries and cafés at their own pace. In the afternoon, we continue to Atherton, the commercial heart of the Tablelands, for a visit to the Tableland Regional Gallery, whose changing exhibitions showcase local and regional artists. There is time to explore independently before we return to Tinaroo, where the evening is at leisure to enjoy the resort. Overnight Tinaroo (B)

Day 4 | Wednesday 18 August
Millaa Millaa and Mt Uncle
The southern Tablelands are known for their waterfalls, where high rainfall causes water to spill off the plateau through pockets of rainforest. Our first stop today is Millaa Millaa Falls, often called Australia’s most photographed waterfall, featuring a single cascade into a fern-lined pool – an ideal scene for the morning’s painting. Next, we visit Mt Uncle Distillery at Walkamin, located among banana plantations at the foothills of the ranges. Here, we enjoy lunch together along with a tasting of their spirits. The afternoon is then spent painting on the grounds, with views of plantation rows, sheds and distant ranges providing varied subjects. Non-painters are free to explore at their own pace before we return to Tinaroo resort in the late afternoon. Overnight Tinaroo (B, L)

Day 5 | Thursday 19 August
Kuranda and Port Douglas
Leaving the highland lakes behind, the journey to the coast is itself one of the Tablelands’ great experiences, as the road winds down through rainforest towards the Coral Sea. We break the descent at Kuranda, a rainforest village long associated with artists and makers, where there is time for coffee, a short sketching session and a browse through its galleries and markets. From here we continue north along the coast to Port Douglas, arriving by mid-afternoon. Once a small fishing settlement, the town is today an elegant base between two great natural regions – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest – and our home for the final three nights. We check into our resort near Four Mile Beach, set amid tropical gardens around a lagoon-style pool and within easy walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Macrossan Street. This evening we gather for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Port Douglas (B, D)

Day 6 | Friday 20 August
Cape Tribulation and The Daintree
North of Port Douglas lies the Daintree, among the oldest surviving rainforests on earth and part of the UNESCO World-Heritage listed Wet Tropics. This is a landscape where rainforest runs down to meet the Coral Sea, and our full-day excursion crosses the Daintree River by cable ferry to reach it. At Thornton Beach, the morning painting session takes in a sweep of sand, sea and forested headlands, whilst non-painters can walk the beach and explore this remote stretch of coastline. After free time for lunch, we return south in the afternoon, stopping en route at Mossman Gorge, where the river runs clear over granite boulders beneath the forest canopy, for a further short painting session or time to wander the rainforest paths. We arrive back in Port Douglas in the late afternoon, with the evening at leisure. Overnight Port Douglas (B)

Day 7 | Saturday 21 August
Four Mile Beach
Port Douglas owes much of its reputation to Four Mile Beach, a long crescent of palm-backed sand curving south from the headland towards the distant ranges, its firm sand and shifting tropical light making it one of the most painted stretches of coastline in the north. It is here that our morning painting session unfolds, with demonstrations on capturing surf, sky and shoreline, and time to work at your own easel as the light changes across the water. Non-painters may prefer a swim, a walk along the sand or a leisurely exploration of the esplanade. The afternoon is at leisure – time perhaps to browse the galleries and boutiques of Macrossan Street, stroll to the marina or simply enjoy the resort. In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner at Nautilus, one of Port Douglas’s most celebrated restaurants, sharing memories of a week spent painting from plateau to coast. Overnight Port Douglas (B, D)

Day 8 | Sunday 22 August
Palm Cove and Depart Cairns
Palm Cove’s paperbark-lined esplanade and views across the Coral Sea provide a fitting final subject for the tour. Departing Port Douglas this morning, we travel south for a final painting session along its beachfront, while non-painters may explore the village at leisure. We then gather for lunch at the Reef House before continuing to Cairns Airport for late-afternoon flights. (B, L)