NA ="Malanda, Millaa Millaa, Ravenshoe, Herberton, Atherton, Mareeba, Yungaburra, Walkamin, Kalunga, Biboohra,";
FE1[0]=" Australia's most beautiful tropical destination North Queensland has several fruit wineries ideally located to capture the tourism market. The combination of climate and magnificent natural beauty make North Queensland an ideal to";
FE2[0]="urist location. The wineries are all located within reach of Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands. Most wines are made using North Queensland Tropical fruits such as mango, banana, lychee, pineapple, passionfruit, black sapote, pita";
FE3[0]="ya and other tropical fruits, as well as citrus and the Australian native fruits including the Davidson Plum and Lemon Aspen. The Atherton Tableland is the region incorporating the townships of Yungaburra, Malanda, Millaa Millaa, ";
FE4[0]="Ravenshoe, Herberton, Atherton and Mareeba. Atherton Shire is located on rich red volcanic soil on the Atherton Tablelands (also known as Cairns Highlands) and has an abundance of natural attractions and beauty such as waterfalls,";
FE5[0]=" scenic views, walking tracks, rainforest, native animals, and prime agricultural land growing fruit and vegetables such as peanuts, maize, corn, potatoes, avocados, mangos, lychees, macadamia nuts, and dairy and beef cattle. Athe";
FE6[0]="rton Shire which is 90kms south-west of Cairns in the highlands (and ranges from 500m to 1280m above sea level covering 620 sq km in area), can be by air (arriving in Cairns), and road.  Bus services operate daily from Cairns to t";
FE7[0]="he Atherton Tablelands and Highlands. The area has a tropical climate - pleasant temperatures ranging between 17°C and 25°C, September to June and between 5°C and 14°C from July to August, cool summer nights and mild, sunny winter";
FE8[0]=" days without the high humidity experienced in coastal areas.";
FE9[0]="";
LA1[0]=" The Atherton Tableland is the region incorporating the townships of Yungaburra, Malanda, Millaa Millaa, Ravenshoe, Herberton, Atherton and Mareeba. These tablelands were the site of some of Australia's most recent volcanic activit";
LA2[0]="y. Lava flows that spilled into the area from volcanoes have resulted in the pleasant undulating hillsides that are known as the tablelands. This has also resulted in rich basaltic soils and after much of the area was cleared for ";
LA3[0]="timber, it has subsequently been developed for a huge range of agricultural activities. The volcanic activity occurred over many years, with estimates ranging from millions to much more recently, perhaps only 10,000 years ago. The";
LA4[0]=" Atherton Tablelands are located about an hour's drive over the great escarpment from Cairns. Due to the higher altitude, a typical day on the tablelands is cooler and less humid than in Cairns and on the coastal plain. Rainfall i";
LA5[0]="n the central (Barrine/Malanda) tablelands averages between 1.5 and 2 metres a year, which is lower than Cairns and much of the lowlands, and the escarpment country to the east.The highlands rise to altitudes of 900 m with isolate";
LA6[0]="d peaks up to 1,622 m. To the east, the Great Escarpment marks the limit of head-wards erosion into these tablelands from the coastal plain. It is a zone of rugged topography, rapid geomorphic processes and diverse environments. T";
LA7[0]="he escarpment is deeply incised by many gorges, and there are numerous waterfalls. Atherton Shire is located on rich red volcanic soil on the Atherton Tablelands (also known as Cairns Highlands) and has an abundance of natural att";
LA8[0]="ractions and beauty such as waterfalls, scenic views, walking tracks, rainforest, native animals, and prime agricultural land growing fruit and vegetables such as peanuts, maize, corn, potatoes, avocados, mangos, lychees, macadami";
LA9[0]="a nuts, and dairy and beef cattle.";
CL1[0]=" The climate at the Atherton Tablelands is redundantly described as 'naturally air-conditioned.' The Atherton Tablelands begins 60 kilometres west of Cairns, and ranges in altitude from 600 to 1100 metres. The area is free of coast";
CL2[0]="al humidity and high temperatures, making it very comfortable. In summer, temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius during the day, and drop to 19-20 degrees at night. During winter, the daytime temperature is a restful 22 deg";
CL3[0]="rees in most areas and the nights are perfect for cuddling in front of a fire while the outside temperature hovers around 11 degrees. This is a climate that allows for comfortable daytime activities and refreshing nights. The aver";
CL4[0]="age rainfall in the area is 1400mm, which means the flora on the Atherton Tablelands is a lovely tropical green most of the year. During drought, crater lakes become very popular with locals and visitors because they do not lower ";
CL5[0]="in water level. They are spring fed and remain at a constant level that is perfect for swimming and water activities. Temperatures in Mareeba are considerably higher than in other regions at the Atherton Tablelands. This is due to";
CL6[0]=" the lower altitude and closer proximity to the coast than other towns in the region. The contrast between summer temperatures and winter temperatures in all locations is much more pronounced than in coastal regions such as Cairns";
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HI1[0]=" The history of settlers at the Atherton Tablelands is traced from its beginning in 1875 when it was discovered by the explorer and prospector, James Venture Mulligan. He was passing through the area on one of his many expeditions ";
HI2[0]="in search of fertile lands and valuable minerals such as gold and tin. While Mulligan was passing through the Atherton Tablelands he met a pioneer grazier, John Atherton, from whom the name of the region is derived. Mulligan infor";
HI3[0]="med Atherton of tin deposits in the area now known as Herberton, who then passed this knowledge further to another party of explorers headed by John Newell. These men formed an alliance, forming the pioneer town of Herberton. For ";
HI4[0]="tin mining to be successful, a track needed to be carved through the jungle from Herberton to the main shipping terminal on the coast, Port Douglas. Workers toiled under harsh conditions, combating wild animals and tropical diseas";
HI5[0]="es. The track, when finished, passed through the present Main Street in Atherton. Bullock teams hauled food and other essential supplies up and down this road to sustain the mining community at Herberton. Life for European settler";
HI6[0]="s (British Isles, northern Italy, Germany, Middle East, Greek, Albanian, Sicilian, Swiss, French) in the Atherton Tablelands was spent either mining for tin or gold, or timber cutting. Along with Europeans, many Chinese, Malaysian";
HI7[0]="s and Indians came to work the land. The Chinese, mostly market gardeners, were on the lookout for opportunities to grow maize, and found prime conditions at the Atherton Tablelands. Up until 1919, Chinese were responsible for app";
HI8[0]="roximately 80% of all maize harvested in the region. Atherton had a Chinese population of more than 1000, with its own Chinatown and Chinese temple. Today, farming is still the major industry at the Atherton Tablelands. Sugar cane";
HI9[0]=", corn, maize, beans, strawberries, macadamia nuts and lettuce have replaced tobacco farms as primary industries. Cattle grazing and chicken rearing are also major industries.";