We had been to Innisfail with Jenny & Dave for the Feast of the Senses and had seen some of its highlights – Flying Fish Point, Mourilyan Harbour, Ella Bay and finally the beautiful Etty Bay. This time we were able to find even more delights on our 3 day stay

Kerry’s snippets in fuchsia

Getting there

Cardwell > Tully > Innisfail (70km)

It’s a short hop to Innisfail and we get there pretty early. 

The town – Innisfail

Innisfail is located at the junction of the North and South Johnstone Rivers in the Cassowary Coast Region. Prior to European settlement the area was occupied by five separate societies of the Mamu people. These Aboriginal people followed migratory lifestyles in the rainforest and traversed rivers in string-bark canoes.

The first arrival of white people came in 1872 when survivors of the shipwreck, the “Maria” arrived on the coastal areas surrounding what is now the Johnstone River. A party came with the intention of rescuing the survivors, but they were more intent in settling there. The leader of  the rescue party, Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone named the area after himself.

In 1879, Irishman Thomas Henry FitzGerald arrived to establish a sugar industry. He was accompanied by large numbers of Kanaka South Sea Island workers and smaller numbers of Irish labourers. The house built by FitzGerald and thus the first establishment in the area, was called Innisfallen, after the largest island in the Lakes of Killarney, Ireland. Inis Fáil (Island of Destiny) is an ancient Irish name for Ireland itself. 

From 1879, the settlement was named Geraldton after FitzGerald, but in 1910 was renamed “Innisfail” to avoid confusion with Geraldton town in Western Australia. Johnstone River Post Office opened in 1882.

The terrible 1918 cyclone destroyed much of the town. Rebuilding was greatly influenced by prevailing art deco trends. Innisfail today promotes itself as Australia’s ‘art deco’ capital – arguably it has the finest collection of Art Deco buildings in Australia. It also had many building on the heritage register including the lovely Innisfail Courthouse, built in 1939.

At the 2011 census, the population was 7,176. Its economy is largely dependent on the sugar and banana plantations which surround the town, and the mills and bulk loading facilities which support the sugar industry. It is one of the few substantial towns in north Queensland to remain relatively untouched by the tourist boom.

The van site

We drove past the Big 4 Mango Tree park on the way into town, as the Wiklcamps reviews were not so good. We went on to the River Drive Van Park, which had much better reviews and was closer to the town. We parked outside and went in to investigate.

We were actually appalled at the state of the park. A good deal of it was saturated with ponded water, which was only to be expected, but the buildings and the layout looked old and in places dilapidated.  The place looked quite run down and we didn’t want anything to do with it!

We skipped out of there quickly and went back to the Big 4 – or the BIG4 Innisfail Mango Tree Tourist Park to give the full title. We went in and talked to the manager, who confirmed that they had plenty of drive through sites and took us outside to show us. 

We were impressed with the park, which we should be as it turned out to be quite expensive – $42 a night or $37.80 with our membership discount.  This makes it out most expensive site outside of Sydney.

There are sites  of all shapes and sizes and we choose a nice drive through, with gardens on each side. I drove it through and then reversed it closer to the slab. 

It is close to the Highway but all 3 van parks in town are. That did not really bother us at all. The facilities are good, but as there are not many people travelling just now, the main shower/toilet facilities are locked and we use 3 unisex facilities in the block. Spoilt for choice. Which is fine by us. There is a also a dump point. 

The camp kitchen is excellent and we had a BBQ on our first night there. The pool is just a bit small but would refresh you if needed.  Fortunately we found lots of natural water holes to do that for us. 

A drone video of the park is at the video link below. 

Day 0 (arrival day)

After settling in we drove out to Coquette Point where the Johnstone River meets the ocean. Its a wet and misty morning and the drive out is along swamps and mangroves with the river on our left. The suburb is up on the headland with some modern large homes – but not many. 

 

We drive around but the weather is not kind so many photos show little. We also did a bit of shopping as the prosecco was getting low. 

I had been thinking a lot about this part of the trip. We wanted to go north on the eastern side of the Wooroonoorna NP to see Josephine Falls and The Boulders at Babinda. But we also wanted to go up the western side of the NP, along the Palmerston Hwy, then through Millaa Millaa, Atherton, through the lakes area to Gordonvale, and then into Cairns. 

I had been particularly concerned about seeing the lookouts and waterfalls on the southern boundaries of the Wooroonoorna NP – the MA’MU Rainforest Canopy Walk, Tchupala and Wallicher falls, and Crawfords Lookout. Would we be able to drive through this area with Mobi, and stop to see these iconic attractions. 

But the reality was that we had not appreciated the geography of these places – they were only 30km from Innisfail. So in the afternoon, after the weather improved, we drove out to see the Tchupala and Wallicher falls and they were both brilliant. Awesome. 

As we approached where we thought the falls may be, we had expected to see a massive brown tourist sign on the roadside – “Tchupala and Wallicher falls over here”, as we had seen for Crawford Lookout only a couple of kms back. But not so. We missed a very small sigh, parallel to the road at the head of the track. Driving back we saw it and the very small carpark on the side of the road.  We could have parked there with Mobi, but not if there were 5 or 6 other cars already there.  Lucky I have good eyesight and spotted the tiny sign.

The walk to the falls begins with a common path through a lovely rain forest, and after about 200 m we take the path  on the right to Tchupala Falls.

 

 

It’s 360m up to the Falls and when we get there it was amazing.

On the left hand side there was a wide and strong veil of water to the pool below, and on the right hand side was a single powerful plunge fall.

So much water pounding over those rocks. 

We trekked back to the junction and headed up to Wallicher Falls, which were about 500 m along the trail.

 

 

 

 

They are not as high as Tchupala, but just as spectacular – a wide veil of water crashing to the pool below. 

From there we went back to Crawfords Lookout, which in on the side of the Hwy – plenty of room for Mobi unless there were many cars already there.

This is a great lookout down onto the North Johnstone River – they have actually cleared all the vegetation down the escarpment to the river just to provide the view. Amazing.

Well worth it.

On the way back to Innisfail we called in to the MA’MU Rainforest Canopy Walk to make sure we could get Mobi in there and more importantly out again. The parking area is just off the Hwy and there is a lower level for RV vehicles, so all OK. 

Day 1

Today, a kind weather day, we went to Bramston Beach, The Boulders and Josephine Falls and the Golden Hole. 

First we took a detour off the Bruce Hwy to try to find a back way in to Brampton Beach. It really is a lovely drive, surrounded by rainforest clad mountains.  

 

 

On the way we find the historic Garradunga Hotel. 

Built in 1888 and rebuilt in 1935 and famous for the Ghost, Athol Johnstone which is apparently regularly seen, the hotel was voted by the ABC as the 9th most well known hotels in Australia. Originally known as the historic Cane Cutters Hotel.

But our cross country shortcut is cut well short when we come to a vast expanse of water over the road. We have found the Eubenangee Swamp NP which is well and truly full.  We have no choice but to go back and find our way back to the Hwy. 

 

It is still a lovely drive and as we get closer to Brampton Beach it gets better as we drive over the coastal rain forest hills. 

 

 

 

 

Brampton Beach is gorgeous. The beach itself is set into a beautiful context of golden sand, rainforest and mountains. There is a van park right next to the beach and I am sorely tempted to go back and get Mobi and stay for a few days. 

 

We drove around to the point where Joyce Creek meets the ocean and walk out – me very nervous with the croc beware signs about. It is absolutely typical croc country. 

The area is good and cleared.  There is a man fishing with his son on the bank of the river – just where the ocean comes in.  He’s not catching any fish though.  I asked him about crocs and he reckons there is a 4 metre one on the other side of the river.

 

 

Back in town Kerry, as the driver, stopped The Cruiser at the cafe complaining about a major iced chocolate deficiency.  We ordered scones, jam and cream, tea and just about the best iced chocolate I’ve ever had – so rich and icy cold.

 

 

The Boulders at Babinda are awesome. Just behind the Boulders is Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland’s tallest mountain, from which Babinda Creek’s cool water begin their journey to the coast. There is a good bitumen road in through the town on the short drive from the Highway. 

Surrounded by lush rainforest, this is a very popular swimming hole and tourist attraction at the confluence of three creeks. It was quite busy.

Today people can only swim in the very  large pool near the carpark. People change at their cars and walk the short distance to the pool. Very convenient.

 

It is definitely cool water and Kerry only gets in to her knees. But I throughly enjoyed my refreshing swim although the current was strongish.  

We then took the short walk down the creekside, where a series of huge outcrops of granite boulders confine the creek to vigorous rapids and channels. 

 

 

 

This section of the creek is referred to as the Babinda Boulders with the water plunging into the Devils Hole. 

A sign forbids swimming anywhere downstream of the large swimming hole because the water is deep and fast flowing through chutes and over rocks. 17 deaths have occurred since 1959, mostly by people stupidly swimming, others by falling in unexpectedly, with many being wedged in a rock chute. On the day we were there you could really see the power of the water. Awesome!

 

We left the Boulders and were disappointed that we did not really have time to stop and look at Babinda town – it looked really interesting. But we are off to Josephine Falls.

The road out to the Falls is not far south of Babinda and is well signposted and sealed all the way. After a short drive we get to the carpark. It too is very popular, being so close to Cairns.

We enjoyed the 1.2 kilometre return walk through lush, rainforest to the viewing areas, despite a tiny shower.  At the start of the walk, right at the car park there was a huge sign saying No Swimming as the river was too high.

 

 

 

Josephine Falls is a lovely, tiered cascade waterfall on Josephine Creek, with the lower tier flowing over a natural rock slide into a lower pool. Today it was a strong flow and it is quite spectacular. 

 

 

Most people stay on the edge of the rock pool and take their photos. But there are always some young people who have a spirit of adventure that regularly overrides common sense, or who just cannot appreciate the dangers.

 

We see a young couple swim the pool, climb up the rocks and slide down the rock face. Later a bunch of 4 young German tourists, male, did likewise (you can see this in the video linked below). It actually looked ok – not that I, for even a millisecond, thought about giving it ago. But in January this year rescue crews had to retrieve the body of a young Korean woman who was washed away at the Falls. The woman, aged in her 20s, got into trouble when she was swept from a rock. So take care!

From there we went to the nearby Golden Hole, located on the Russell River, and only 1.5 km from the Josephine Falls turnoff. This is a really lovely swimming hole but there are prominent croc warning signs and I am very keen to get away as quickly as we can. 

Back in Innisfail we went up to the waterfront along the Johnstone River and walked the promenade. Unfortunately there was not so much to see apart from a few decrepit looking fishing boats.

But I did see a pristine-looking 1960s Ford Anglia – the one with the raked-back rear window – driving along the Esplanade and just had to take a photo. What a beauty!

 

Back at the Park, we see 4 Stone Curlews on the site opposite. They are very strange birds – you can approach them and they just don’t move – just look at you with that stunned mullet expression. Kinda cute though.

To see photos for this blog, click here

To see a video related to this blog, click here