Atherton Tableland


The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns. Although it is in the tropical latitudes, its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around 32,000 km with an altitude ranging between 500 and 1,280 m (1,640 and 4,200 ft). The fertility of the soils in the region can be attributed to the volcanic origins of the land.