Tourism in the Herberton Region – Hills to History, its all here!
As the oldest town on the Atherton Tablelands, Herberton offers visitors a unique experience and has so much history to share!
Ride Historic Steam Trains, be transported back in time at the Historic Village Herberton, visit Australias only Spy Camera Museum, pan for gold at the Heberton Mining Museum!
Go Mountain Biking or Bush Walking or take a gentle stroll through our Village.
Book a tasting at the Wild River Mountain Distillery or stop in for drink and a yarn with the locals at one of our local Hotels.
Grab your favourite book and enjoy a coffee at one of our local cafes and watch the world go by.
If you would like to know more, use the links below or click here to Contact Us
Museums
Historic Village Herberton – Experience Living History! Australia’s timber, farming and mining history lives again at this authentic and award winning 100% family owned attraction. Spend the day exploring the collection of more than 60 original buildings complete with shops, a functioning tearooms, antique motor vehicles, small engines, fashion, John Deere tractors and more.
Atherton Herberton Historic Railway – Come and enjoy a ride on our 1905 Peckett Steam Train. The Railway is run and managed by a group of passionate volunteers who are dedicated to bringing our 113 year old railway history to life for the benefit of the Tableland community and visitors.
The Herberton Railway station also includes our workshop (that allows tours), Railway Museum, the Timber Cutters display centre, and our new (Old style) Railway Refreshment Room, for Expresso Coffee, a Cup or Pot of Tea and a range of home made biscuits etc made by our own volunteers.
Herberton Mining Museum – The Herberton Mining Museum and heritage-listed Great Northern Mine site offer visitors of all ages the opportunity to dig into the past and explore.
Make sure you allow sufficient time to enjoy all of the indoor and outdoor exhibits, displays and walks. There are working mining exhibits and scale models, tin panning and interactive displays, several significant mineral collections as well as extensive walking trails.
Spy & Camera Museum – Discover the enthralling world of spies, cameras, and the art of photography at the Spy & Camera Museum in Herberton. Delve into the fascinating history of espionage and witness the evolution of photography, all under one roof. Our museum is a treasure trove of knowledge, offering visitors a unique experience that combines intrigue, technology, and creativity.
Sleeper Cutter Museum – Located at the Herberton Railway Station, the museum is dedicated to the local sleep cutters who supplied sleepers for the Cairns to Ravenshoe line. They also supplied the Queensland Government Railways with sleepers for their railway network.
Historic Village Herberton
1905 Peckett Steam Train
Herberton Mining Museum
Rainforest to Bush Cultural Experiences
Wild River Mountain Distillery
Tours & Experiences
Rainforest To Bush Cultural Experiences – Offers you an opportunity to see the Tablelands from an Indigenous perspective. Focusing on educational tours and cultural experiences including walks, talks, demonstrations and displays. They provide interactive workshops which not only cater to tourism, but to the local community as well. Working with schools, corporate groups, public events and also private requests.
Wild River Mountain Distillery – Wild River is an Australian craft distillery producing small batch whisky, gin and rum influenced by cool climate, the lush mountains, rivers and valleys of the region. The distillery employs a unique combination of old and new world methods for producing distinctive small batch award winning Australian Gin, Whisky, Rum and Liqueurs. Book a tasting or enrol in their next “Cocktail Masterclass”
Wilderness Expeditions – Wilderness Expeditions offers bushwalking treks and expeditions with a big difference: Trained and experienced pack donkeys carry your food and home comforts across the roughest terrain fully supervised by an interpretative guide and packer/driver. Use of donkeys enables us to explore remote and rugged areas of Lower Cape York and the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland in more comfort than with conventional bushwalking and to get to places that are not accessible by wheeled vehicles. We offer a range of short, medium and extended walks, treks and expeditions. Our treks and expeditions are mostly off the beaten track, so we enjoy our own space. Many walks require little preparation and are suitable for adults of all ages and children older than 9 years.
Walks in Herberton
The Great Northern Mines Walk is the signature walk of the Great Northern Fire Trails. It’s also our most popular and frequented trail, with over 5,000 people enjoying it annually. The trail consists of a short figure-of-eight pathway that takes you past the three main mineshafts that contributed the lion’s share of tin ore production which, for decades, was the anchor of Herberton’s economy.
The walk starts near the entrance of the Mining Museum carpark, situated in Jacks Road Herberton. This is one of the first freehold blocks on the Tablelands still in its entirety. The walk is 1.3 kilometres long, graded as easy and takes around one hour to complete. Several species of plants on the walk are endemic (native) to Australia. Specimens of two of the plants were collected by Banks and Solander on Captain Cook’s voyage in 1770. There are 24 trees and shrubs identified and marked with interpretive signs which show their common and botanical name.
Herberton’s Self Guided Town Walks – The township of Herberton invites you to explore its rich mining, social and natural history on a series of easy, self-guided walks. Some short walks will take you through the town’s historic streets and along the banks of the Wild River. They will also take you past some of Herberton’s local cafes and stores, which sell refreshments, snacks, meals and souvenirs and would appreciate and welcome your custom. The town and river walks can be comfortably undertaken by people of all ages. Please remember to be sun smart, wearing a hat and sunscreen to suit the conditions.
Wild River Self Guided Walks – The township of Herberton stands on the headwaters of the Wild River, a tributary of the Herbert which reaches the coast at Ingham. The Wild was named by James Venture Mulligan on the 4 June 1875. It was at this time that Mulligan found evidence of tin ore in the area, but an entry in his journal questions the value of the find ‘in this wild place’ (Pike, in Wild River Times, June 1975). Much has changed in the intervening years. Herberton has become a quiet village in the hills after being a somewhat turbulent mining town in the past.
Today, close to the centre of town is the Wild River Park, which follows the banks of its namesake river, and is a peaceful spot for relaxation, birdwatching, walking and picnicking. There is also a track along the river that links the two larger areas at each end of the Wild River Park and a series of exercise stops. Borrowed from the Irish Heart Foundation, these are to commemorate the founder of Herberton, John Newell. He was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1852 and lived to 82 years of age.
Great Northern Mine Walk
Walk our Trails
Wild River Park
Mountain Biking in Herberton
On Two or 4 Wheels
Atherton Mountain Bike Trails – Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park, located just outside of the charming rural centre of Atherton, is the region’s mountain biking jewel. This vast and varied single-track network has white-knuckle trails to thrill hardcore mountain biking connoisseurs, as well as a range of less technical but no-less-enjoyable trails for more intermediate riders.
Tablelands Waterfalls Trails – The Atherton Tablelands is a natural wonderland filled with waterfalls and swimming holes, crater lakes and pristine flowing streams. Mt Hypipamee Crater is only a 15-20 minute drive from Herberton. Keep your eyes out for Cassowaries!
Regional Resources
What’s On Tablelands – Our local “go to” monthly magazine covering local and community events for the whole of the Atherton Tablelands area.
Discover Atherton Tablelands – Discover other areas of the Atherton Tablelands
Dinner Falls at Mt Hypipamee National Park