Julatten, Queensland

Julatten is a place where you can have your cake and eat it too - in a manner of speaking. This small community on the road from Mossman to Mt Molloy has large orchards of lychees and mangoes plus a farm which sells Chinese greens and prawns. So you can stock up on some fresh produce and have a lovely pastoral experience.

Head to the aquaculture farm for some freshwater pond fishing or drive around the rolling green hills which once supported dairying. Then, change the pace - head north off the Rex Range Road and drive up to Mt Lewis along an old logging track.

Ironically this track now gives a chance to appreciate the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest. Fortified with fresh country air and wholesome foods, you can hit the sophistication of Port Douglas, only 30 minutes away.

The cool high country of Julatten offers a pleasant contrast to summer heat. More a region than a town, there are not many facilities in the actual community but you will find a tavern on Mt Lewis road, a caravan park, small store and petrol station at Nine Mile on top of the Rex Range and a birdwatchers' lodge at Kingfisher Lodge.