Information on Tolga and the Atherton Tableland

Tolga is a picturesque safe country town in Far North Queensland, Australia on the Atherton Tableland or the Cairns Highlands. It is at approximately 760 meters elevation in the tropics mostly in Eucalyptus forest bordering on the edge of Rainforest. It is 43km South West of Cairns in a straight line at (17°13'S, 145°29'E). It is 5km North of Atherton.

The area is growing and it would be a good area to live or invest in. Major natural disasters are rarer than most other areas and mainly consist of the occasional cyclone which rarely does significant damage to the area. This is a new site under construction and more information will be added. Below is a photo looking East of the town's surrounding area in the distance from a local hill called Bones Knob. In the background are the two highest mountains in Queensland with Mt Bartle Frere on the right which is the highest at approximately 1620m and Mount Bellenden Ker (containing the television and radio transmitter) on the left at approximately 1585 meters. The town is mostly hidden by a stand of trees. A closer photo of the town will soon be added.

Tolga from Bones Knob with Mt Bartle Frere and Mt Bellenden Ker.


The below photo shows the Tolga area looking North from Halloran’s Hill near Atherton. Halloran’s Hill is easily accessible by car and provides 360 degree views. The distant mountains on the left or west are the Main Coast Ranges near Mossman up to 1378 meters high. The Tinaroo Range is nearby on the right and has an elevation of up to approximately 1300m. Just left of these ranges is a small mountain called Saddle Mountain near Kuranda and it is where the local Cairns Weather Radar is located. The pyramid shaped mountain near the centre of the photo is Black Mountain. The very distant small mountain Between Black Mountain and the Main Coast Ranges is Thornton's Peak near Cape Tribulation and it is approximately 120 kilometers away and has an elevation of 1374 meters. It is hard to see in the photograph so please do not worry if you can't. All the above mountains are in pristine wilderness and contain spectacular views either at or near their summits. I have more information. Tolga Township is mostly hidden by trees including a patch of rainforest near the town. You can see a larger image by clicking on this photo.

The major crops are Potatoes, Corn, Peanuts and Sugarcane. Some others include Avocadoes, Mangoes, Macadamia Nuts and Lychees. The area is also used for grazing and dairy cattle.

The climate is warm in the summer with temperatures in the area averaging approximately 29 - 30 degrees Celsius for the maximum and 18 degrees for the minimum. In winter the average is approximately 10 degrees for the minimum and 22 for the maximum. The prevailing wind is from the South East and is very consistent. Rainfall averages approximately 1400 mm/year. Humidity is often high during periods of cool cloudy and drizzly weather. The relative humidity has been measured as low as 16% during periods of dry weather. There is detailed weather records at my weather station at http://www.weather.org.au/tolga/ . The above averages are based on the Atherton observations because observations have only been taken at Tolga for a short time. Atherton's weather very similar and more details are at this Bureau of Meteorology page.

Tolga is in a hilly area near the top of the Great Dividing Range and the coastal ranges containing some of the highest mountains in Queensland.

Links to some photos I took in the area
Total solar eclipse in 2012.
Frost between Atherton and Malanda on the 12-8-12.
Photos from Halloran’s Hill near Atherton on the 25-9-06
Aerial Photos near Tolga and Atherton on the 10-6-07.
Frost between Atherton and Malanda on the 30-6-07.

Links to other people's local photos I formatted and uploaded.
Heavy frost at Wondecla via Herberton on the10-7-07.
Frost near Lake Eacham on the10-7-07.
Frost in paddocks from the Peeramon Pub verandah on the 10-7-07.

Please let me know if you have any related articles suitable for the Internet that you wish to ad to this site. You can email me or phone 0740955447 or 0740954354.

Worldwide Weather Organisation Please make sure you have seen the Worldwide Weather Organization with High Quality Detailed Graphs.

Links to other weather related sites including local ones

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