Where Waterfalls and the Herbert River Cut Through the Range

Overview

Girringun National Park spreads across a big and varied stretch of North Queensland, from lower country near the coast to high tableland and escarpment country inland. Much of the park sits within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and that mix of altitude, geology and climate gives it a notably broad range of landscapes in one park. You move from rainforest and wet creek lines to open woodland, rugged gorges and river country, with the Herbert River shaping some of its most dramatic scenery.

The park also protects several separate sections rather than one single compact block, which helps explain why it feels so diverse. Around the better known waterfall areas, steep ranges and deeply cut valleys dominate the scene, while other parts of the park carry drier forests and more open country.

Highlights

The best known feature is Wallaman Falls, where Stony Creek drops in a sheer plunge from the escarpment into a deep gorge below. It is recognised as Australia’s highest permanent waterfall, and the surrounding lookouts take in a huge sweep of the Herbert River Valley.

Blencoe Falls brings a different sort of drama. Here the creek drops in two major stages into a long, rugged gorge, giving the inland section of the park a more remote and rocky character. Elsewhere, the park’s scenery is shaped by granite and rhyolite hills, forested ranges, river terraces and the broad escarpments that mark the edge of the tablelands.

Best Time to Visit

The drier months from about May to October are usually the most comfortable time to spend longer outdoors here. Skies are often clearer, humidity is lower, and the big escarpment and valley views tend to open up more readily.

That said, Girringun’s waterfalls are often at their most powerful after the summer wet season, when the creeks and river systems are running strongly. The feel of the park changes with the seasons, so timing really depends on whether you want cooler walking weather or to see the falls with more water moving through them.

Plants and Animals

One of the most interesting things about Girringun is how many habitat types it fits into one protected area. Rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest, open woodland and riverine environments all occur here, supporting a wide spread of wildlife across the park.

The park is especially important for gliding mammals, with all six of Australia’s glider species recorded here. It also supports a notable number of threatened animal species and several threatened plants. Around creeks and forest edges, the mix of Wet Tropics species and drier inland species is part of what makes the wildlife here so distinctive.

Culture and Heritage

Girringun National Park protects important cultural as well as natural values. In the Dalrymple Gap area, the Traditional Owners are the Girramay, Bandjin and Warrgamaygan Aboriginal people, reflecting the strong and continuing cultural connection to this part of the park.

The park also has a layered land-use history. Some sections were added together over time to form the present park, and parts of the Kirrama and eastern areas were previously mined for minerals including gold and tin. That history sits alongside the older cultural significance of the ranges, waterways and travel routes through this country.