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Mount Whitfield Conservation Park

  • Natural environment

    • Park alerts and park summary

    Getting there and getting around

    Access is from the carpark on Collins Avenue, next to the Flecker Botanic Gardens, less than 5km from Cairns city centre.

    Wheelchair accessibility

    There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities or tracks.

    Park features

    Mount Whitfield is a forested range surrounded by urban development. Rainforest predominates but there are also patches of eucalypt forest and grasslands with cycads. Situated near the centre of a developing city, it is a popular place for hikers and local townsfolk looking for somewhere to escape the pressures of daily life.

    The park offers many opportunities for nature-based recreation and educational activities. Two linked circuit tracks lead energetic visitors up the forested slopes to lookouts which provide views of Cairns city and suburbs, Trinity Bay, the rich, green, coastal mangrove forests lining the Barron River, the airport and the northern beaches.

    Camping and accommodation

    Camping

    Camping is not permitted in Mount Whitfield Conservation Park.

    Other accommodation

    There is a range of holiday accommodation in and around Cairns. For more information see the tourism information links below.

    Things to do

    Walking

    Two linked circuit walks ascend the slopes of the Whitfield Range, providing views over the city and to the north. Walkers can tackle the shorter 1.5km Red Arrow Circuit or, by adding the more demanding Blue Arrow Circuit, cover 6.6km, a walk which takes four or five hours.

    Red Arrow Circuit — 1.5km return (1 hour) Grade: Moderate

    About five minutes from the carpark, the track divides. This is the beginning of the 1.2km Red Arrow Circuit. The left-hand side of the circuit climbs up through a shady rainforested gully. The right-hand path ascends through a thick stand of bamboo and continues through open forest to a sheltered lookout at 100m in altitude, with views to the north and of the airport below.

    Blue Arrow Circuit — 6.6km total return (4–5 hours) Grade: Moderate

    A short 0.6km track links the Red Arrow Circuit to the 4.5km Blue Arrow Circuit.This walk climbs mainly through rainforest to 300m altitude, on a path which is sometimes steep and narrow and requires a reasonable standard of fitness. About half way round the circuit is an optional 400m side track to the summit of Mt Lumley Hill at 325m in altitude. From the lookout at the top you get fine views along the coast to the north of Cairns.

    Picnic and day use areas

    There is a picnic shelter at a lookout, just off the linking track between the Red and Blue Arrow circuits. At a height of 150m, it provides views of Cairns city and Trinity Bay.

    Viewing wildlife

    Mount Whitfield is a good place for birdwatching. The first part of the track is a favourite hangout for two interesting ground-dwelling birds — the Australian brush-turkey and orange-footed scrubfowl — which can be seen fossicking noisily through the leaf litter. Buff-breasted paradise-kingfishers may be seen in the summer months and the shy noisy pitta may be spotted in the denser, quieter rainforest sections. Listen for its distinctive "walk-to-work" call.

    Red-legged pademelons (small wallabies) browse in the forest, and swamp and agile wallabies are sometimes seen.

    Read more about the natural environment of Mount Whitfield Conservation Park

    Other things to do

    The Gondwana Evolutionary trail is between the carpark and MacDonnell Street. Signs along this short, flat walk explain evolutionary plant development with reference to endemic Wet Tropics plants next to the path.

    Visit the Flecker Botanic Gardens on Collins Avenue, close to the carpark. For more information see the tourism information links below.

    Things to know before you go

    Essentials to bring


    Opening hours

    Mount Whitfield Conservation Park is open 24 hours a day.

    Pets

    Domestic animals are not permitted in Mount Whitfield Conservation Park.

    Climate and weather

    During the wet season, from December to April, there are frequent, heavy downpours. Maximum temperatures through the wet season generally range from 27 to 33 degrees Celsius, with high humidity.

    The cooler, drier months, from May to September, are the best time for walking. The weather is pleasantly warm during this time, with reduced humidity and maximum temperatures averaging 26 degrees Celsius.

    Staying safe

    Both walks are strenuous. Only fit walkers should tackle the Blue Arrow Circuit and should allow plenty of time to return before it gets dark. Wear sensible clothes, walking shoes or boots and carry plenty of water as none is available on the tracks.

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

    Looking after the park

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

    Park management

    Mount Whitfield Conservation Park is managed jointly by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Cairns City Council for the purposes of nature conservation and nature-based recreation.

    Tourism information links

    The Gateway Discovery Centre

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

    Further information

    QPWS Cairns office
    • 5B Sheridan Street, Cairns
    • PO Box 2066, Cairns QLD 4870
    • ph (07) 4046 6600
    • fax (07) 4046 6751
    • email cic@epa.qld.gov.au
    Flecker Botanic Gardens
    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: 07 March 2006