The historic Lake Eacham Hotel, known as the Yungaburra Pub, takes its name from the neighbouring lake and National Park.

DETAILS
WHAT Lake Eacham Hotel
WHERE 6-8 Kehoe Place Yungaburra
CONTACT 4095 3515 or www.yungaburrapub.com.au
COST $75 per double room including light breakfast

A grand old lady in the best tradition of country hotels, this wonderfully atmospheric old pub has been the focal point of the local community for 100 years.

Authentically battered antique furnishings and fixtures document the pub’s rich history, walls are crammed with fraying pictures of famous guests and never-to-be-forgotten footie teams, ancient signs ask guests not to do laundry in their rooms – this is a pub that breathes history.

Spend a night in these historic surroundings and you are guaranteed a nostalgic evening and with luck you may even catch a glimpse of the hotel’s resident ghost (said to be Maud Williams, the hotel’s first proprietor, who took the helm when she was 14 and ran the pub for 60 years).

An hour from Cairns, atmospheric Yungaburra is situated on the Atherton Tableland, a mainly agricultural region offering a completely different take on tropical life than you’ll find on the steamy coastal plain.

The 70km drive from the coast includes the 263 corners of the windy Gillies Range Rd, which climbs 800m in only 19km of road.

Up top, the air is noticeably cooler, with summer temperatures averaging 28 degrees.

Yungaburra makes a superb base to explore the Tablelands, within easy reach of surrounding lakes, waterfalls and rainforest. In town you can browse charming galleries and craft shops and enjoy the town’s heritage loop walk.

A sprawling heritage-listed property with three bars, a gorgeous, timber-panelled dining room, reception room and lounge, plus an extensive garden, the Lake Eacham is not only an old-style pub, but a fully-functioning resort-style hotel.

The current owners are restoring the grand old dame to her former glory and the pub has regained its place at the heart of the community.

Pokie machines have been removed, a bottle shop added in an adjoining shed and a restoration plan is underway.

Accommodation is provided in 30 spotlessly clean ensuite rooms.

The hotel’s walls are lined with historic photographs of the region’s early days, particularly snaps of proud foresters beside their conquests.

The Yungaburra Pub is a living, breathing time capsule to a bygone age – here’s to another 100 years.

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