Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland, at about nine hundred and thirty metres, and you feel it the moment you climb out of the tropical coast: the air thins and cools, the cane fields give way to cattle pasture and tall eucalypt forest, and in winter there is a morning chill that surprises people who have come from Cairns in shorts. The town sits on the volcanic soils of the Atherton Tableland, red and rich, with remnants of rainforest on the edges. It began as a timber settlement, and was named after the novel Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley, which a local timber getter was fond of, according to the story.
The surroundings repay a visit. Millstream Falls, a few minutes from town, is a broad curtain of water that is said to be the widest single-drop waterfall in Australia, spilling over a basalt lip into a pool. On the hills above town a wind farm, one of the first in the country, turns slowly in the steady air from the Coral Sea. Tully Falls, further south, is a long white fall in the forest, best in the wet season. The forests here are home to tree kangaroos, platypus in the creeks, and cassowaries, the big flightless birds that can be dangerous if they are surprised, so slow down in rainforest sections where signs warn of them.
For riders, the Palmerston Highway is the attraction. It climbs from the coastal plain near Innisfail through rainforest, with tight bends, a rolling climb and lovely shaded corners, and arrives at Ravenshoe in cool air. The surface is generally sealed and decent, but wet leaves, mud and damp patches are common, and mist can cut visibility. Beyond the town, the roads across the Tableland towards Atherton are smoother, with sweeping views over farmland.
Fuel is available in Ravenshoe, and Atherton, thirty-eight kilometres away, is the next sizeable town. A cafe or bakery in the main street is a good place to warm up. The dry season, from May to October, offers the best riding, with clear days and cool nights, while the wet season brings heavy rain and flooding.