MUST-SEE SIGHTS OF TROPICAL NORTH QLD

Ever pictured yourself lying on one of those dreamy, tropical beaches somewhere in the Philippines, Thailand or maybe Hawaii ? Well, you can quite literally experience the same feeling in our own backyard (for us Aussie’s).

This tropical wilderness is abundant in so much natural history, it’s actually quite overwhelming.. it’s hard to know where to begin as you cruise your way north up the highway. It seems like every turn signals the way to another waterfall...

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This place is so jam-packed with incredible things to do, set aside a decent amount of time if you're going to make the journey to the tropics of Far North QLD. If you love swimming in gorgeous waterfalls and fresh-water swimming holes, epic hikes in nature, camping out under the stars, diving/snorkelling and risking your life by swimming in the ocean (joking, be safe) then it's perfect for you ! These are some of my favourite locations that I've been absolutely blessed to witness:

**Prepare for a massive photo dump because I've been north a few times now and cannot get enough**

MISSION BEACH

The drive into this gorgeous little town is next level ! You’ll cruise your way through winding roads, through the most tropical landscape. And it emerges at the quiet seaside town.. there’s some accommodation, caravan parks, a few cafes and that sort of thing.. and then there’s a stretch of golden sand, fringed by palm trees and it seems to go for as long as your eye can see. The most gentle ocean laps the beach.. so tranquil. You can get out to the islands offshore as well. Dunk Island looks stunning although I’ve never been myself. I loved spending time at Mission Beach in my van.

If you don’t have a van of your own, RENT ONE WITH JUCY It’s the best way to get around, you can enjoy your own level of freedom and spend as long as you’d like at all of these wonderful spots.

WALLAMAN FALLS

Welcome to Australia’s highest single-drop waterfall ~ at 268m, it’s super impressive ! The drive inland of Ingham is beautiful, especially as you climb the mountain range. Again, it’s a gorgeous tropical setting and it seems that out of nowhere there’s a giant crack in the earth where Wallaman Falls pours into.. the entire gorge is stunning and if you have a drone I'd recommend flying it. On my third time to Wallaman, I stayed for sunset and camped overnight in the nearby campground. It was amazing to see the sky light up with a big, beautiful waterfall in the foreground. You can easily view it from the top or opt for a 2km (one-way) trek to the bottom where you'll get more of a feeling of how majestic this waterfall is. It's not a very tough trek but I'd say you'd need some level of fitness because the last push back to the top is quite steep.

BABINDA BOULDERS

First thing is first.. free camp, yes please ! About 200m across the road is a decent car park where you're allowed to free camp for a certain timeframe. There are toilets and some spots with tables. It's usually pretty busy, or it has been whenever I've been there but I guess that depends on the season too. It's a very tropical environment as you'd imagine, so it's rained every time I've visited.. no worries though, it just makes it more magical ! Once you're in the car park you can either head down to the platform where you can get in for a swim in the shallow, open waterhole.. this is stunning ! The water is so fresh and clear. If you head to the left of the picnic area you'll find the pathway that takes you on a beautiful, windy walk for about 500m through the rainforest. There's a couple of different lookout locations along the way and once you reach the end you'll be greeted by a stunning view looking back at the 'bouldery' part of Babinda Boulders.

JOSEPHINE FALLS

I‘m sure anybody who has researched FNQ has heard of these gorgeous falls.. and even though it‘s likely to have more of a crowd because of it’s popularity, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go.. if you get anywhere quite early, you should miss most of the crowd or at least be able to enjoy some quiet time (tour buses end up arriving). It's about 600m to walk in from the car park and once you're by the falls there's plenty of space to chill out and enjoy a dip. Looking up at this waterfall is amazing ! It pours over the smooth rock face and through the boulders below. I can see why it's so popular.

WINDIN FALLS

Just WOW ! Located up in the Atherton Tablelands, this incredibly special waterfall has become very popular after it's ended up all over the internet. But goddamn, for good reason. It's easily one of the most epic views you could imagine when it comes to a waterfall. Be prepared for an 11km return trek through the rainforest. Pack water, food and your camera/drone. This walk through the forest left me completely captivated.. the environment kept changing as the altitude changed. Within a few metres up or down, it was either lush rainforest or pine forest. Eventually, you can hear running water and you emerge through an opening where you can walk out onto the rock face.. you won't believe your eyes ! There's an infinity pool that then spills over the cliff ~ and the view overlooking the massive gorge in the distance is drop-dead stunning !! Check it out.. definitely up there with my favourite locations in TNQ.

NANDROYA FALLS

As you're making your way north you'll pass through Innisfail.. a few kilometres out of Innisfail you can turn left onto the Palmerston Highway and head up towards the 'Misty Mountains'. The drive itself is spectacular with farmland and green rolling hills on either side. You'll even make your way past a tea plantation. Suddenly the landscape will change and you'll enter one lush rainforest drive. Wooroonooran National Park covers a massive area and both of QLD's highest peaks are included in that area. If you search for 'Henrietta Creek camping area' you can pull into there and begin the walk to Nandroya Falls. It's definitely worth it as there are other small falls along the way. You can really feel how ancient this rainforest is with giant king ferns spilling out over the walking trail and other incredible flora everywhere you look. Nandroya Falls itself is a gorgeous little 50m drop and you can safely swim there.

WATERFALL CIRCUIT (ELLINJAA, ZILLIE AND MILLAA MILLAA FALLS)

Making your way beyond Nandroya Falls, these are an absolute must-do. It's a short circuit less than 20km to see these 3 gorgeous falls and it's all on the way through the Atherton Tablelands so you're not back-tracking at all. There's also only 2 short walks to get to the base of Ellinjaa and Zillie.. and they're stunning. If you can't be bothered walking that much then Millaa Millaa is your best option as you can park literally at the waterfall. Check out my lunch spot below..

TULLY GORGE LOOKOUT

Continuing on this amazing tour into the Atherton Tablelands, you'll find a turnoff to Ravenshoe and if you look up Tully Gorge Lookout you'll be able to find the rest of the way there. Another one of my faves in FNQ ! I'd wanted to go here for years but the drive was a little out of the way for the time schedule.. finally I got to venture there last year and it didn't disappoint. The drive is just insane ! You're basically winding your way through a tropical tunnel of trees with ferns poking out from everywhere.. you'll eventually get to a short dirt road and it'll lead you to the car park. My mate and I were able to camp in our vans safely and quietly here with no worries. The lookout point is beautiful and flying my drone over this area was something else as well. WOW ! As the sun was rising we walked the pathway to the right and followed it around to the other side of the gorge where you can enjoy an even better view. There's an infinity pool which is perfect for a dip. Check out these insane views. I love the dramatic landscape of Tully Gorge ~ it leaves me wondering how long it took to form.

CURTAIN AND CATHEDRAL FIG

I’m being so honest right now.. prepare yourself for one of the most spectacular sights you’ll ever witness (well for a tree lover like me, this was really special and my favourite place of all). Again, we're up in the Atherton Tablelands and these are SO easy to get to. Curtain Fig is a stunning fig that kind of makes a wall and you can walk around it on the boardwalk. But the one that takes the cake is 110% Cathedral Fig. I don't even know how to put into words how grand this natural architecture is ! My best example is it will remind you of 'home tree' off the Avatar movie. See for yourself.. look at that insane structure and how massive that canopy is. It's taken nature 500 years to form this beauty. I love trees so much and this is by far my favourite one I've ever laid eyes on.

BEHANA GORGE

This one is super easy to get to.. as you're heading towards Cairns you can turn left just south of Walsh's Pyramid. Follow this road for a while and you'll eventually get to a small car park next to a water pump station. It's not necessarily a walking trail to get to the gorge.. it's a big cemented road which will take you on a 3km (6km return) EASY journey through the forest, following the water pipe. You'll eventually get to enjoy a stunning view of the gorge but you can divert off wherever you like and enjoy a swim in all of the waterholes. The best is Clamshell Falls which is right at the end of the trail. This is it ! How beautiful is that waterfall.. literally the easiest walk ever to enjoy such a gorgeous place.

LAKE EACHAM

Thank you to the volcano that formed this stunning lake. It boasts a bright blue colouration which looks even more impressive from above ! This is part of the Crater Lakes National Park and is such a tranquil place to enjoy lunch if you're exploring the Atherton Tablelands. You can jump in from a couple of locations around the lake as well.. the perfect place to cool off, lay in the sunshine on the grass and enjoy a feed.

PORT DOUGLAS & SURROUNDS

The perfect spot to unwind (if nature isn't already unwinding you enough). This little town is basically accommodation, hospitality and tours. Rex Smeal Park is my absolute favourite when it comes to parking my van, setting up the awning and chilling out on the grass under the palm trees. You can also take a tapestry or hammock and head over to the open grassy area for sunset. Make sure you explore the surrounding area outside of Port Douglas. There are plenty of beautiful freshwater creeks to pull up and enjoy a swim.

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MOSSMAN GORGE

To get into Mossman Gorge you have to park and pay to jump on the bus which will take you straight to the walking trails. I think it's about $12 return and it helps to support the aboriginal community nearby. This is the lower part of the Daintree National Park so if you're not going to cross the river into the Daintree, you can still enjoy a great rainforest experience. The lush trails will take you deeper into the rainforest and you can enjoy some amazing swimming holes.

THE DAINTREE

My favourite place in the whole wide world.. this rainforest is truly ancient. My favourite thing is waking up early in the morning and listening to the birdlife. There are so many different sounds.. then you can walk out onto the beach to enjoy a sunrise. The jungle seems to bring out this inner feeling of a wild jungle woman. You just want to roam the beaches wearing next to nothing, search for coconuts, explore walking trails or chill under a palm tree.

Crossing the river is exciting in itself (from memory it's about $30 return).. as you drive further into the rainforest you get a better understanding of how epic it is. There are plenty of places to stop by and explore. Alexandra Lookout, Cow Bay, the Blue Hole (I'll let you find that one yourself because it's incredibly sacred), Dubuji Boardwalk, Emmagen Creek and obviously Cape Tribulation. Watch out for cassowaries as you're driving.

I've been lucky enough to witness cassowaries multiple times.. even with babies. So amazing ! This place holds such a special place in my heart. I'm so thankful it exists and is there to enjoy.. you feel truly wild.

MACKAY REEF

Unless you have your own ocean transportation your best bet to getting to Mackay Reef is to jump on Ocean Safari.. I've done this trip twice now and it's really enjoyable. As you leave the beach you can look back and marvel at the view. I always tell people, if it were Thailand or Bali or somewhere busy like that there would be boats lining the beach with people and probably rubbish everywhere. I feel like the Daintree is so special because it's so pristine. It's the world's oldest tropical rainforest so there is obviously a lot that goes into taking care of it. Mackay Reef itself is thriving ! It's such a blessing to see such a healthy reef. There are so many giant clams and beautiful coral formations. You can enjoy time snorkelling or make your way over to the epic sandbar. This place is total paradise !

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MT SORROW (IN THE DAINTREE)

If you park at Cape Tribulation, you can walk a little further up the road and on the left will signal the entrance to the Mt Sorrow hiking trail. This is a totally epic hike through lush vegetation. But it isn't for the faint-hearted.. I'm not saying it's only for hiking champions either. I just want to point out that it can be hot and sweaty, plus you've literally got to pull yourself up ropes at one point and then jump a fenced lookout to get to the REAL view.. as you trek further towards the summit you'll notice different flora covering the ground and climbing the trees. It's so slippery as I guess there would be a lot of cloud cover at that altitude. As I said, you'll reach a fenced lookout area.. if you jump over that and keep following the pathway (with a dramatic drop on either side) you'll be able to crawl your way out onto a bulging rock formation. This sits out of the vegetation so you can enjoy the most insane view looking down over the Daintree and out to the reef.

CAPE TRIB TO BLOOMFIELD

This 30km trek through the rainforest is totally doable, even without a 4WD. I will absolutely stress though, I would not attempt it in the rainy season as there are creek crossings. We conquered the trail from top to bottom, heading back into the Daintree. This was in an automatic Toyota Hiace van. We asked around LOTS to make sure it was safe and we were always getting the same answer. As long as your vehicle can handle hills, it should be fine. There are literally hills that go for 2km ! It's an epic drive and if you're trying to get to Cooktown or back down, it saves a lot of time. The other option is driving up and around which takes about 3 hours and is a dry landscape.

ARCHER POINT

Oh, heavenly palm tree paradise.. about 15 minutes south of Cooktown is one of my all-time favourites. This spot was an insane free camp a couple of years ago but we literally enjoyed it for the last night before we watched rangers cementing a NO CAMPING sign into the ground the next morning. Over the years there have been excessive amounts of rubbish left lying around and now they're restoring it which is 100% fair enough. All you have to do is drive further down the road towards the lighthouse and you can free camp there. It's just super windy on this side. So I'd suggest visiting the palm-fringed beach during the day instead. It just feels like you're stranded on a remote island somewhere. You can attempt risky swims in the ocean and climb coconut trees to pass time. Check out these views !

ELIM BEACH (RAINBOW BEACH OF THE NORTH)

It's easy to see why I've nicknamed this 'Rainbow Beach' of the north.. if you drive north of Cooktown for a couple of hours into what seems like the middle of absolutely nowhere, you'll eventually reach Elim Beach. There's a simple campground right on the beach and I would suggest having a 4WD so you can snag the best campsite and enjoy this location completely.. because we only had the Sprinter van I decided to walk to the 'Rainbow Beach' section. You can venture up into the gorges and admire the sand-scapes. Or simply follow the beach until you can't go any further. It'll remind you of Fraser Island. Have a look at some of these beautiful colours..

There you go guys.. a list of most of my favourite places in Tropical North Queensland. It's funny though, this doesn't even really begin to cover all there is to see up in the tropics. It seems to be ENDLESS. I can keep returning year after year and still find new places to discover. So get exploring ! I hope this helps you if you're looking to venture to the tropics...

Much love guys,

Lexie.