Walks from Wallaman Falls
- Getting there
- Climate
- The track
- Facilities
- Cost and bookings
Garrawalt Creek
The Wallaman Falls Section of Girringun National Park forms part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It boasts spectacular scenery and an array of plant and animal life. The Wet Tropics Great Walk enables you to discover some of the region's diverse landscapes. The creeks and rivers are home to platypus, eastern water dragons and saw-shelled turtles. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the reclusive musky rat-kangaroo or the endangered southern cassowary.
Before undertaking an overnight walk please ensure you have collected the relevant trail guide. Trail guides are available from some Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service offices and selected accredited information centres.
Getting there
Access to Henrietta gate, Wallaman Falls and the Yamanie Section of Girringun National Park is from Ingham. Contact the RACQ online at www.racq.com.au to enquire about local road conditions.
Wallaman Falls
Wallaman Falls is 51km south-west of Ingham, about a 1hr drive through rural properties. Travel west from Ingham along Abergowrie Road to Trebonne. From here, the route is well sign-posted. While part of the road is unsealed, it can still be accessed using a conventional vehicle. Care is required on the range, which is slippery when wet. Towing caravans is not recommended.
Yamanie Section pick-up
The Yamanie Section of Girringun National Park is 60km from Ingham, about a 45min drive. Travel west from Ingham along Abergowrie Road. At the end of the road you will find a gate - the entrance to the park. Please ensure you close the gate behind you. Beyond the gate, 4WD vehicles are recommended.
Henrietta gate pick-up
Travel west about 24km from Ingham along Abergowrie Road. Take the second turn left, past the Ashton Hotel, into Sheahans Road. From there, the road is well sign-posted. Please leave all gates along the access road as you found them.
Climate
To ensure your walk is fun and comfortable try to walk between April and September when the weather and track conditions are at their best.
Daytime temperatures and humidity can be high at any time of the year and nights can be very cool. Frosts can occur in some elevated areas. Please carry suitable clothing to accommodate all extremes. July to October is generally the driest period, but heavy rain can fall at any time.
The track
- Wallaman Falls Section, Wet Tropics Great Walk map (PDF, 152K)*
- Wallaman Falls Section, Wet Tropics Great Walk map - B&W (PDF, 134K)*
The Wallaman Falls Section of the Wet Tropics Great Walk passes through the traditional lands of the Warrgamaygan Aboriginal people. All of the walking tracks have been given language names by the Traditional Owners. They hope you will enjoy the walks and respect this sacred place.
Some walks may be closed during the wet season, between September and May. Additional closures may occur for management purposes including weed and feral animal control programs.
There are three walking tracks in the Wallaman Section of the Wet Tropics Great Walk. See the map for locations (PDF, 152K)*.
Buujan Quiinbiira walk
(Boo-jun quin-bee-rr-ar)
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Jagany (goanna) walk
(Jar-gar-nee)
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Gugigugi (butterfly) walk
(Goo-ji goo-ji)
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Wallaman Falls to Pack Trail campsite
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On your first day of walking, you will follow an old forestry track through a range of landscapes including she-oak dominated country, open forest and rainforest.
From the Wet Tropics Great Walk information shelter, wander down the road and across the Stony Creek Bridge to the start of the walk.
Small gullies teeming with ferns and palms are scattered throughout the forest. If you look carefully, you might catch a glimpse of the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly or forest kingfisher as they seek sanctuary from the heat.
About 5km along the track you will come to a large clearing. This was once a forestry quarry. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is rehabilitating the area. In time, this scar on the landscape will disappear.
The remains of an old forestry camp can be seen a further 7.2km down the track. For about 10 years this camp was home to the road gangs, forestry officers and timber cutters who worked here. Just past the forestry camp is Garrawalt Creek, a perfect spot to stop for lunch. Spend a moment peering into the rock pools and you could be rewarded with a glimpse of a platypus or hear the plop of a water dragon seeking refuge in the stream.
After lunch, you will cross three more creeks. Flagstone Creek is the last creek crossing for nearly 14km, so fill up your water containers. Continue on a further 4.4km to the Pack Trail campsite, your home for the night.
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Pack Trail campsite to Yamanie turnoff
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After a peaceful night sleeping under the stars the walk this morning will take you back in time.
Relive the past by walking part of the Dalrymple Track forged in the 1860s by George Dalrymple and his team. The track provided an essential route for bullock teams hauling supplies from the Port of Cardwell to the frontier homesteads.
Be prepared for a steep decent on unstable surfaces. Part way down the steep hill, there is a break in the canopy. Enjoy the sensational views across the Herbert River Valley.
At the base of the hill you will pass through a big scrubby gully. Not far past this point, those doing the Buujan Quiinbiira walk will need to keep watch for the sign-posted turnoff to the Yamanie Section pick-up.
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Yamanie turnoff to Stony Creek campsite
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Those doing the Jagany and Gugigugi walks continue on through the open forest towards Stony Creek.
About 1.8km along the track, keep watch for a grove of cycads. These plants are ancient and were part of the landscape when dinosaurs roamed the land. They were the dominant form of vegetation about 193 to 136 million years ago, and have changed very little since then.
Garrawalt Creek is only another 3km away. This is a great place to stop for lunch or just for a rest under a shady tree. The creeks along this part of the walk run into the Herbert River which is not far from the track. Crocodiles can be found in the Herbert River. Be wary! You are now in croc country.
Estuarine or saltwater crocodiles are an important part of north Queensland's wetlands, freshwater and marine areas. They are the largest predator in these habitats and help to maintain the overall health and balance of these ecosystems. They live mainly in the tidal reaches of rivers, as well as in fresh water lagoons, swamps and waterways - up to hundreds of kilometres from the sea. Crocodiles are most active at night. Remember to be croc wise in croc country.
Continue on for another 4.4km till you reach the Stony Creek campsite. Set up camp, and enjoy a well-earned rest for the night.
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Stony Creek campsite to Henrietta gate
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Fill your water bottles before leaving the campsite. Water is not available for nearly 13km.
As you wander the track, you will see that some areas are not the pristine natural environments you expect to find in a national park. Despite the presence of weeds and feral animals, this area is special.
Previously, most of the area was used for grazing. It was purchased by the Queensland Government in 1994, and is now part of Girringun National Park. The area is protected habitat for the endangered mahogany glider and work is underway to control the spread of weeds and remove feral animals.
Henrietta Creek is the ideal spot to stop for lunch and to fill your water bottles before tackling the last section of the track. Another 6km and you will pass lemon tree gully, named for it's lemon tree that still bears fruit.
Only 5.2km of walking remains until you reach the Henrietta gate and your pick-up point.
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Yamanie turnoff to Yamanie Section pick-up
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Enjoy a pleasant walk through open forest, along the high banks of the Herbert River. Keep your eyes and ears open for resident wildlife. Listen for the noisy chatter of scaly-breasted lorikeets or the deep, gruff call of a wompoo fruit-dove.
Scattered throughout the open forest are small gullies filled with riparian rainforest including large fig trees. The transformation in the vegetation is sudden, affected by changes in soil quality and moisture levels.
Spend a moment peering into the river and be rewarded with a glimpse of a platypus. Freshwater turtles can be seen basking on logs or peeking through the surface of the water. The river is also home to many different fish such as barramundi and mangrove jack.
In a big, long, deep waterhole in the Herbert River, you will find another of the locals - a large estuarine crocodile took up residence years ago. Remember to be croc wise in croc country.
Facilities
Wallaman Falls
Picnic tables, toilets and water are provided at the campsite, day-use area and the falls lookout. Treat water before use. Barbeques and shelter sheds are available at the campsite and day-use area. A cold-water shower is provided at the campsite.
Camping must be booked in advance. Fees apply. For more information about camping and facilities at Wallaman Falls see the Wallaman Falls Section of Girringun National Park.
Walk-in campsites
Two campsites, Pack Trail and Stony Creek, are located along the walks in the Wallaman Falls Section. Toilets and picnic tables are provided. Water can be collected from creeks along the walk. Treat water before use.
A bush-style campsite is available in the Yamanie Section. No facilities are provided.
Camping must be booked in advance. Fees apply.
Cost and bookings
Camping permits are required for camping in Girringun National Park and along the Wet Tropics Great Walk. Permits must be obtained before you begin.
To obtain a camping permit:
- telephone 13 1304, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- book online at www.qld.gov.au/camping
- visit a QPWS information centre.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 28 September 2005