Babinda Creek cascades through lush rainforest in Wooroonooran National Park
PARK INFORMATION
NPRSR 13 7468
SIZE
79 800 ha
LOCATION
46 km south-west of Cairns (Goldsborough Valley section); 75 km south of Cairns, 7 km west of Babinda, 23 km north-west of Innisfail (Josephine Falls section); 33 km west of Innisfail, 25 km east of Millaa Millaa (Palmerston section); 26 km south of Cairns (Walshs Pyramid section)
PERMITS
Camping and rafting permits required; fees apply; bookings required
ACCESS
From Cairns via Bruce Hwy then Gillies Hwy (Goldsborough Valley section); via Bruce Hwy (Josephine Falls and Walshs Pyramid sections); via Bruce Hwy then Palmerston Hwy (Palmerston section)
BEST SEASON
All year; summer months can be hot, wet and humid
VISITOR INFORMATION
Babinda (07) 4067 1008 | Innisfail (07) 4061 2655 | Malanda Falls (07) 4096 6957 | http://ttnq.org.au
MUST SEE, MUST DO
PICNIC at beautiful Josephine Falls
LOOK for platypus and freshwater turtles in Henrietta Creek
ENJOY the view over North Johnstone River gorge from Crawfords Lookout
GO whitewater rafting on the North Johnstone River
Part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Wooroonooran National Park boasts the two highest mountains in Queensland, along with wild rivers, spectacular waterfalls and lush rainforests, which blanket the landscape from foothills to summits. Widely regarded as one of the most scenic areas of the Wet Tropics yet receiving few visitors, Wooroonooran is one of Queensland's best-kept secrets.
Aboriginal culture
The Wari and Dulgubara people are the traditional owners of the Palmerston (Doongan) southern section of the park, while the Goldsborough Valley section is the traditional land of the Dulabed Malanbarra Yidinji clan. The Mount Bartle Frere area is the spiritual home of the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon and the place to which their spirits return when they die.
A look at the past
In 1882, bushman, gold prospector and explorer Christie Palmerston, assisted by Aboriginal guides, walked west from Innisfail to Herberton in 12 days. The highway, named in his honour, follows his route. Four years later Palmerston became the first European to climb Mount Bartle Frere, taking two days to reach the summit. Today's Mount Bartle Frere Trail follows a rough track used by miners and adventurers since the 1890s.
Natural features
Wooroonooran protects the Bellenden Ker Range and the escarpment country west of Innisfail. The range boasts the two highest mountains in Queensland: Mount Bartle Frere at 1622 metres and Bellenden Ker at 1561 metres. In the Wet Tropics, it also receives some of the highest rainfall in Australia, creating the rivers and creeks that cascade through lush rainforest.
The park is divided into four sections: the Palmerston (Doongan) area in the south, and Josephine Falls, Goldsborough Valley and Walshs Pyramids sections in the north. The North and South Johnstone rivers flow through the Palmerston section, distinguished by the North Johnstone River gorge, numerous waterfalls and an incredible diversity of rainforest vegetation. Each of the northern sections is dominated by a mountain: Josephine Falls by Mount Bartle Frere (the falls themselves are fed by rains falling on this peak); Goldsborough Valley by Bellenden Ker; and Walshs Pyramid by the mountain of the same name.
Native plants
The lowland and upland rainforests in the park support a great diversity of plant species. More than 500 rainforest trees grow here, including palms, milky pines, water gums, black beans, red tulip oaks, silver silkwoods and crowsfoot elms. Beneath the dense rainforest canopy are cool, moist conditions that support vines, orchids and an abundance of ferns, including bird's nest ferns, tassel ferns and staghorn ferns. Many plant species are confined to these high-altitude rainforest areas, such as Australia's only native rhododendron. Tully
Wildlife
In Wooroonooran, Wet Tropics' endemics include the tiny musky rat-kangaroo, double-eyed fig-parrot and chowchilla. At Palmerston's Henrietta Creek there are platypus and freshwater turtles. Josephine Falls is home to the Bartle Frere skink. Golden bowerbirds, which only live at elevations above 900 metres between Paluma and Cooktown, can be seen between November and January in this section of the park. These smallest of bowerbirds build the tallest bowers in the world (up to 3 metres). Butterflies flutter through the rainforest: look for orange plane butterflies basking in the sun beside tracks.
Camping and accommodation
General-purpose campsites are located in two of the four sections of Wooroonooran: Palmerston (Doongan) and Goldsborough Valley. All have toilet and picnic table facilities; most have gas barbecues. Walkers’ campsites are located along the Mount Bartle Frere and Misty Mountains Wilderness trails; these offer few facilities and are suitable only for self-sufficient wilderness hikers carrying drinking water and a gas or fuel stove. Private accommodation is available in nearby Babinda, Gordonvale and Innisfail.
Things to do
From picnicking amid lush rainforest to climbing Queensland's highest mountain, Wooroonoonan offers a variety of recreational activities. For great views, stop at Crawfords Lookout over the gorge in Palmerston. Go birdwatching during the day or search for possums by spotlight at night. The many beautiful waterfalls along the walking tracks are a photographer's delight. In the Palmerston (Doongan) section, you can have a picnic at Goolagan's picnic area or other spots along the highway. The picnic area at Josephine Falls has tables, a shelter shed, a coin-operated gas barbecue and wheelchair-accessible toilets, and similar facilities are provided at Goldsborough Valley. However, there is no day-use area at Walshs Pyramid.
BUSHWALKING In the Palmerston (Doongan) section, you can see the rainforest along Tchupala Falls Walk (1.2 km return, 40 minutes, easy) and Nandroya Falls Walk (6 km return, 3–4 hours, medium difficulty), which has an optional 1.8-kilometre detour to form a circuit.
In the Josephine Falls section, Josephine Falls Track (1.2 km return, 30 minutes, easy) takes you through lush tropical rainforest to viewing platforms overlooking Josephine Creek and falls. The viewing platform at the top pool is wheelchair accessible. Do not enter the restricted-access area around the top of the falls – serious injuries and deaths have occurred here.
In Goldsborough Valley, Wajil Walk (1.7 km return, 1.5 hours, easy) offers detailed information about the natural features of the park and the stories of the Dulabed Malanbarra Yidinji clan as you approach Kearneys Falls. Those looking for a more involved walk can follow the footsteps of gold miners on the Goldfield Trail (19 km one way, 7–9 hours, medium difficulty). If you take on this rewarding walk, don’t forget to arrange transport to meet your group at the other end.
The only walking trail in Walshs Pyramid scales the mountain, a challenging 6-kilometre hike (5–6 hours, difficult) that is rewarded by 360-degree views over Gordonvale and further to the ocean.
For more experienced walkers, Josephine Falls is the starting point for the Mount Bartle Frere Trail (15 km return, 2 days, difficult), which leads to the summit and back. Broken Nose Track (10 km return, 8 hours, difficult) offers a shorter but equally steep alternative. The summit can also be approached from the Atherton Tableland, again a challenging two-day walk. Make sure you check weather conditions with the ranger before undertaking these longer walks, as clouds can move in quickly on the upper reaches of the mountain and rainstorms are common all year. The dry season from May to October is the best time to attempt serious hikes. The Misty Mountains Wilderness Walking Tracks, a 130-kilometre network of trails and walkers’ camps, passes through the Palmerston (Doongan) section of Wooroonooran.
WHITEWATER RAFTING Whitewater rafting is possible on the North Johnstone River. The tours commence by helicopter and can take up to four days to complete. Permits are required. For details contact Cairns and Tropical North Visitor Information Centre (07) 4051 3588.
