Barnard Island Group National Park – (15 – 30 minutes by boat)
Located 5–10 km offshore from Kurrimine Beach, the islands can be reached by private boat. These seven islands, with rain forested slopes, rocky headlands, sand spits and shallow reefs, are important seabird ookeries. To protect nesting seabirds, access to Stephens and Sisters islands is restricted from 1 September to 31 March each year. The islands offer bird-watching and snorkelling opportunities.
North – Wooroonooran National Park / Misty Mountains (20 – 60 mins)
Offers visitors a variety of recreational opportunities. The Goldsborough Valley offers opportunities for canoeing, mountain biking, walking and camping. Josephine Falls features a cascading waterfall and the beginning of the trail up Queensland’s highest peak—Bartle Frere, while Palmerston (Doongan) is renowned for beautiful rainforest, wild rivers, steep gorges, cascading waterfalls and theMamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway.
Josephine Falls
A short walk to a beautiful setting at the base of Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain. Great for older children – slide down the natural rock slippery dip in the waterfall!
Mount Bartle Frere
A walking track for fit and experienced bushwalkers only. Be rewarded with a fantastic view at the summit.
Babinda Boulders
Picturesque picnic and swimming spot situated in the shadow of the Bellenden Ker range and accessed by a sealed road.
Eubenangee Swamp National Park
Home to more than 190 species of birds with some, such as the jabiru, nesting here each year. Here you will encounter rare and protected species found nowhere else in the world. Crocodiles, cassowaries and marine animals such as dugongs can all be observed in their natural habitat.
Etty Bay
This is a very pretty, small, secluded beach virtually in the rainforest. The added attraction of this pretty bay is that you are almost certain to spot one of the local cassowaries.
West – Atherton Tablelands (30 – 90 mins)
Here in the northern tropics, there is plenty of water. Luckily the rivers and streams cascading from the highlands to the coast spill over terrain that creates natural features such as lakes and cascading waterfalls which are the stand out attractions of this region.
Mamu Canopy Walkway
A major tourism attraction, this elevated canopy walkway and observation tower offer sweeping views of the North Johnstone River gorge and rainforest clad Bellenden Ker Range. Designed for minimal environmental impact, the wheelchair-accessible walkway allows visitors to experience world heritage rainforest at all levels—from the ground to high in and above the canopy
Crawfords Lookout
On the Palmerston Highway, 1 km west of the Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway, this lookout provides breathtaking views over the North Johnstone River gorge. It has been a popular tourist stop since the late 1900s.
North Johnstone Lookout Track
Distance: 4 km | Time: 1.5–2 hrs return | Grade: difficult
From Crawford’s Lookout, a steep, winding track drops 500 m in 1.5 km to a lookout that is about 150 m from the main track. An open grassy area here overlooks the North Johnstone River and Douglas Creek. The track then drops a further 500 m in height down to the river.
Tchupala and Wallicher Falls
Distance: 1.2 km | Time: 40 mins return | Grade: easy
Distance: 2 km | Time: 60 mins return | Grade: easy
This track starts from a car park on the Palmerston Highway, 2 km west from Crawfords Lookout. The right branch of the track leads to Tchupala Falls (400 m) and the left branch leads to Wallicher Falls (800 m). From Wallicher Falls, visitors can continue onto Gooligans picnic area (2 km), crossing the creek via a bridged walkway; and onto Henrietta Creek camping area (another 800 m), which involves wading across the creek.
Nandroya Falls Circuit Track
Distance: 4.6 km return or 6 km circuit | Time: 3–4 hrs | Grade: moderate
From the western side of Henrietta Creek camping area, the walking track crosses a footbridge and branches. The left branch leads directly to Nandroya Falls (1.7 km), passing the 10 m high Silver Creek Falls on the way. The right branch is a longer route to the falls (3.5 km). At Nandroya Falls, Douglas Creek drops in a narrow, uninterrupted, 50 m fall from a basalt parapet.
Mungalli Falls
Stop for morning tea at the Mungalli Creek Dairy & Cafe on the way to visit Mungalli Falls.
Millaa Millaa Falls
Visit the fairytale drop of Millaa Millaa Falls, the region’s most popular emblem and the most photographed waterfall of all.
Malanda Falls Conservation Park
Easy walking track with pleasant scenery and the chance to see a platypus in the wild.
Curtain Fig National Park
View this magnificent curtain of aerial roots sent out thy this magnificent strangler fig, or visit the Cathedral Fig Tree in the Danbulla State Forest. Both trees have easy access and boardwalks around their bases.
South West – Tully Area (30 – 60 mins)
The Tully River originates high in the Cardwell Range then plunges into the narrow, densely forested Tully Gorge. This is one of the wettest parts of the wet tropics, rivers and creeks rush down the range slopes carrying the water back to the sea. Tropical rainforests flourish in a narrow band running along the coast.
Butterfly Walk
Distance: 375 m | Time: 20 mins return | Grade:easy
Walk from the Tully Gorge Camping area. A short and wheelchair acceesible (with assiatance) walk leads through the rainforest noted for it’s butterflies which are best seen between September & February.
Mount Tyson Walking Track
Distance: 6 km | Time: 4-6 hours return | Grade: difficult
Walking track from the western edge of Tully Township. This very steep and challenging track leads tot he 678m summit of Mount Tyson. The lookout offers views of the Tully Township, coastline and Hinghinbrook Island.
Alligators Nest
You will be pleased to hear was named not for the reptile but a local scout group known as “The Alligators”. This sandy floored swimming hole and rainforest fringed picnic area is located 6km north of Tully.
South – Mission Beach Area (30 – 40 mins)
Explore lush rainforest on a variety of walking tracks, on foot or by mountain bike, and perhaps glimpse a magnificent cassowary.
Fan Palm Walk
Distance: 1.3 km | Time: 20 mins return | Grade: easy
From the Licuala day-use area, this track, with sections of boardwalk, meanders through fan palm forest. The impacts of Cyclone Yasi—fallen trees and sawnoff trunks—are most evident here. Cassowaries sometimes appear from the surrounding forest and then melt away again. A shorter (400 m) loop track— the Children’s Discovery walk—follows ‘cassowary footprints’ to the ‘nest’.
Musgravea Track
Distance: 6 km | Time: 2.5 hrs one way | Grade: moderate
From the Licuala day-use area, this one way track heads north, traversing through rainforest and exiting on the El Arish–Mission Beach road, 2 km east of the Lacey Creek day-use area (same exit as the Dreaming trail). The track is suitable for dry weather access and requires a medium level of fitness.
The Musgravea track is also accessible to mountain-bike riders. This is a multi-use track so riders should exercise caution and give way to walkers.
Lacey Creek Circuit Track
Distance: 1.5 km | Time: 45 mins | Grade: easy
From the Lacey Creek day-use area, this track loops through rainforest, and along and across Lacey Creek. Lookouts over the creek allow for fish and turtle spotting. It is best to start from the cassowary information shelter and walk in an anticlockwise direction. Cassowaries sometimes appear from the surrounding forest.
Dreaming Trail
Distance: 3.2 km | Time: 1.5 hrs one way | Grade: moderate
Starting across the road from the Lacey Creek day-use area, this trail climbs over quite steep terrain, meanders through rainforest, crosses several creeks— one requires wading—and exits 2 km further east along the El Arish–Mission Beach road. This is the same exit as the Musgravea track.
Clump Mountain National Park
Bicton Hill was used as a lookout by the Djiru Aboriginal people and, later, as a ship lookout by the Cutten brothers, the area’s fi rst permanent European residents. The forest canopy on the exposed side of Bicton Hill is dominated by sturdy species such as swamp box and milky pines while Alexandra palms flourish on the sheltered side. Vulnerable Arenga palms and ancient cycads grow near the summit.
Bicton Hill circuit track
Distance: 3.9 km | Time: 2.5 hrs return | Grade: moderate
A steady climb around the hill slopes leads to the summit where a lookout offers spectacular mainland and island views.
Family Islands National Park
Distance: 3 km | Time: 1 hr return
Distance: 7 km | Time: 3 hrs return
Dunk Island the largest of the Family Islands—was made famous by the ‘beachcomber’, E. J. Banfield, who wrote about his life on this tropical island paradise. Cloaked in dense rainforest with woodland on exposed slopes, Dunk Island is dotted with sandy beaches and rocky headlands, and surrounded by fringing reefs.
From the Dunk Island Spit, stroll to Muggy Muggy Beach (3 km, 1 hr return) or hike the more strenuous Mount Kootaloo track to the 271 m summit for spectacular views (7 km, 3 hrs return).
Located 7 km east of Kurrimine Beach, Dunk Island can be reached by private boat and or by water taxi from South Mission Beach.