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Kirrama National Park

  • Natural environment

    • Park alerts and park summary

    Getting there and getting around

    Turn off the Bruce Highway at Kennedy, 11km north of Cardwell. Turn right on to Kirrama Range Road about 7kms along. Follow the Wet Tropics Great Walk signs for Blencoe Falls for 30km until you reach Society Flats. Most of the road is unsealed, narrow, steep and winding, making for a slow but picturesque drive. Allow an hour and a half to get up the range. There are several lookouts along the way. Kirrama Range is somewhat remote and visitors need a reasonable level of self-reliance before venturing into the area. Road conditions vary greatly and the road is often blocked by fallen trees.

    Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended. Local flooding can prevent access, especially during the wet season from November to April. Care is required on the range, which is slippery when wet. Caravans are not recommended. Check with RACQ for road conditions and river heights at Blencoe Creek and Cashmere Crossing (see tourism information links for contact details). Check with the Bureau of Meteorology for updated weather reports.

    Wheelchair accessibility

    Wheelchair access is possible with assistance along the Society Flat boardwalk.

    Park features

    Kirrama National Park contains rugged mountain scenery, lush tropical rainforest and open eucalyptus forest. The Kirrama Range Road was built between 1937 and 1941 to provide access to the forest's rich timber resources. There are a number of lookouts along the way.

    On the picturesque range drive the vegetation changes from dense rainforest to open forest. This then levels out to a large area known as Society Flat, once the centre of a thriving logging industry. Splendid kauris and rose gums are spotted throughout the forest as you meander along the walking track. These striking trees were left when the area was designated a "beauty spot" in the 1950s.

    From Society Flat the road continues through to the Blencoe Falls Section of Girringun National Park and beyond to Mount Garnet.

    Camping and accommodation

    Camping

    Camping is not permitted in Kirrama National Park but there is a campground with toilets, about 35km beyond Society Flat, at Blencoe Falls in Girringun National Park. Camping permits are required and fees apply.

    Other accommodation

    Other accommodation facilities, including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and caravan parks, can be found at Cardwell, Tully, Ingham and Innisfail. For more information see the tourism information links below.

    Things to do

    Walking

    The Society Flats walking track, a 720m boardwalk, allows visitors to admire the giant kauri pines and rose gum trees which typify the forest. The boardwalk section is suitable for assisted wheelchair access.

    Driving

    The scenic drive up Kirrama Range Road to Society Flat offers a number of signed lookouts.

    Stop at Tuckers lookout for views over the Kennedy Valley and Hinchinbrook and Goold islands. A monument commemorates Tucker who surveyed the road in the late 1930s. An example of the original stone pitching can be seen in an embankment 200m past the lookout.

    Continue climbing through rainforest to the Murray Valley lookout. The drive continues past Brice Henry lookout and the only remaining original bridge.

    At the highest point along the range, there is the final monument dedicated to Percey Pease, the Minister for Lands in the 1930s.

    Picnic and day-use area

    Society Flat is a great place to stop for lunch. No facilities are provided.

    Viewing wildlife

    Kirrama National Park boasts an exceptional array of plants and animals. Rose gums, paperbarks, northern silky oaks, Queensland walnuts and kauri pines are just some of the trees growing on park. These plants entice a myriad of animal species including gliders, possums, honeyeaters, cassowaries, king parrots and musky rat-kangaroos.

    Reptiles and frogs are abundant, with the amethystine python just one resident finding home amongst the camouflage of the forest. Kirrama National Park also offers a safe haven for the rare tapping green eyed frog and the robust whistlefrog, which particularly like rocks and streamside vegetation. Giant white-tailed rats and fawn-footed melomys can often be heard scattering in the leaf litter, whilst the soft rustling of feathers could be the beautiful Victoria's riflebird flying overhead. Macleay's honeyeaters, spotted catbirds, chowchillas, azure kingfishers and the rarely sighted golden bowerbird are just a few more species that call the park home.

    Visitors to Kirrama National Park can experience an orchestra of sounds as the forest comes alive with bird calls, especially in the morning and late afternoon hours.

    Things to know before you go

    Essentials to bring


    Opening hours

    Kirrama National Park is open 24 hours a day (camping is not permitted) and is generally accessible from May to November. During the wet season, between December and April, the road to Blencoe Falls or Mt Garnet may be inaccessible. Visitors should check with RACQ for road conditions (see tourism information links for contact details).

    Permits and fees

    No permits or fees apply to day visitors.

    Pets

    Domestic animals are not permitted in Kirrama National Park.

    Climate and weather

    Daytime temperatures and humidity can be high at any time of the year and nights can be very cool. Please carry suitable clothing to accommodate all extremes. July to October is generally the driest period and the best time to visit, but heavy rain can fall at any time. During times of heavy rainfall, especially in the wet season (December to April), access may become difficult to impossible. Weather forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology.

    Fuel and supplies

    Basic supplies are available at the Kennedy Store, 11km north of Cardwell, or 30km south of Society Flat. For a complete range of supplies travel to Cardwell, a further 11km south, or to Tully 33km north of the Kennedy Store. For more information see the tourism information links below.

    Staying safe

    For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

    Looking after the park

    Parks and forests protect Queensland's wonderful natural diversity and scenery. Help keep these places special by following these guidelines.

    See the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

    Park management

    Kirrama State Forest became a part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in 1988, and was converted to national park in 2006. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service manages Kirrama National Park. A management plan for this park will be prepared in the future.

    Tourism information links

    Flinders Mall Information Centre (Townsville Enterprise Ltd)
    The Gateway Discovery Centre

    For information on road conditions contact:

    RACQ (The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland)
    • www.racq.com.au (see Motoring>Road Safety>Road Conditions Report)
    • ph 1300 130 595 for 24-hour road reports

    For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see www.queenslandholidays.com.au.

    Further information

    QPWS Cairns Information Centre
    • 5B Sheridan Street
    • PO Box 2066, Cairns QLD 4870
    • ph (07) 4046 6600
    • fax (07) 4046 6751
    • email cic@epa.qld.gov.au
    • Open Monday–Friday 8.30am—5pm
    QPWS Reef and National Parks Information Centre
    • Old Quarantine Station, Pallarenda
    • PO Box 5391, Townsville QLD 4810
    • ph (07) 4722 5224
    • fax (07) 4722 5222
    • email tsv.infocentre@epa.qld.gov.au
    • Open Monday–Friday 10am—4pm
    Rainforest and Reef Information Centre
    • 142 Victoria Street
    • PO Box 74, Cardwell QLD 4849
    • ph (07) 4066 8601
    • fax (07) 4066 8116
    • email hinchinbrook.camp@epa.qld.gov.au
    • A partnership between QPWS and the Cardwell Shire Council,
      managed by Great Green Way Tourism Incorporated
    EPA Customer Service Centre
    • 160 Ann Street, Brisbane
    • PO Box 15155, City East QLD 4002
    • ph (07) 3227 8185
    • fax (07) 3227 8749
    • email csc@epa.qld.gov.au

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    Last updated: 19 December 2006