The people and personalities of the Atherton Tablelands feature in a series of new videos encouraging self-drive and fly-drive visitors to experience the region’s heritage charm, outstanding natural beauty, and foodie and cultural attractions.
From innovative trail blazers in the gourmet and bush tucker food industries to Indigenous cultural heritage, pioneer history and wildlife interpreters to nature loving adventurers, each gives a unique insight into why the Atherton Tablelands is such a special place and why people should visit.
The two-to-three minute videos are part of the six-month ‘Discover Perfect’ campaign, highlighting the Atherton Tablelands and its hero experiences.
‘Stars’ tell their unique stories amid naturally beautiful environments, from the rainforest and waterfalls of the southern Tablelands through to the open forest and crystal waters of Davies Creek near Mareeba and beyond to the sculptured savannah landscapes.
Full of warmth and wonder, the compact works were created by Tanya Snelling for Tourism Atherton Tablelands, to centre around the organisation’s themed trails map booklet, published in the trademark Discover Magazine.
Eddy Nye, chair of Tourism Atherton Tablelands, said the videos aimed to show just how special the people of the Atherton Tablelands were and to shine the spotlight on some of those in the industry.
“The Atherton Tablelands is a special place and that is reflected by those who live here. They are the real stars and the perfect choice to promote the perfect experiences we have here,” Mr Nye said.
Those featured include Frank Gallo from Gallo Dairyland, famous for its cheese and chocolate, and Geraldine Maguire from Rainforest Bounty (Food Trail), Darryl Cooper from the Historic Village Herberton (History Trail), Willie Brim from Buluwai Country (Cultural Heritage Trail), hiker and adventurer Michael Warren (Great Outdoors Trail), and Alan Gillanders (Wildlife Trail).
“It is a real delight when somebody has wanted to see something for a long time and we manage to give them a good view of it. They just light up and, in some cases, they tear up,” Mr Gillanders said.
Willie Brim, Buluwai Cultural Custodian, is proud to share stories and the wonders of the savannah and rainforest, including ancient rock art, of his country.
“Keeping the culture alive and sharing stories is very important – it helps people really understand the way we look at country and the way we look at life in general,” he said.
For Geraldine McGuire, the destruction of thousands of acres of prime rainforest in Indonesia was so devastating that on her return home to Australia, together with her husband they purchased an old farm and began replanting rainforest together with tropical fruit trees.
Today, Rainforest Bounty is known for its innovative and award-winning tropical fruit products and cooking school.
