Ingham - Wallaman Falls and Hinchinbrook Island
Trip Start
Apr 29, 2011
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Trip End
Feb 29, 2012
Ingham, Queensland, Australia
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Once we settled we drove to the shore to Lucinda and Dungeness. We wanted to see Hinchinbrook Island from distance at least as reference for the future. We could not visit the island as this is a very isolated place with no facilities. There are a few walks but they are very long and together with Nell we could not make it.
The Island looked very mountainous and encouraging to explore. Lucinda town is a small place with a few caravan parks and resorts. There is a sugar cane loading facility that is coming 5.7 km off to the sea. Interestingly, we could see a van with workers going to the end by car where the platform is located. It took them 10 minutes to reach the end. Except this, there was nothing more to see in Lucinda so we drive up to the nearby Dungeness. It a very small town located at the estuary 1 km from Lucinda. The view to Hinchinbrook Island was best from that point. There are many resorts and big boat ramp in the town. Obviously, there are lots of crocodiles so all precautions are needed.
Wallaman Falls are the highest water drop in Australia of 305 meters. They are located 50 km west from the town. The roads to get there is bitumen and first 20 km it is going through green fields of sugar cane and later forest. Then, there is a very steep climb to the gorge where the falls are located. Again we saw road works as the road is very narrow and fragile to rain that can cause any damage. Driving, we could see Ingham and the fields from the top and the view was stunning. Off the car park on the top there is a short walk to the lookout to see the falls and also another 3 km return walk down to the lower part where the falls are closer and it is better opportunity to take pictures.
Unfortunately the longer walk was closed. When we saw the falls from the lookout we were stunned. They are truly amazing and we counted them as the best falls after Mitchel Falls in Kimberley. The water falls from high distance of 305 meters and it drops with so much power to the bottom pool that over years it created a 20 meter deep pool. The pool is very small so we could not believe it is so deep. And this is not everything. At the bottom, there is a mysterious mist coming off the pool that is surrounding the nearby creek and trees. Also, only in the morning, together with the good weather, when the sun is on the sky, there is a horizontal rainbow line at the bottom of the falls. It was as surprising as we did not see it in the past. Definitely it was worth stopping in Ingham and visiting Wallaman Falls.
In the afternoon we went to Tyto Wetlands located close to town. The wetlands are really nice and have good boardwalks. Unfortunately there were not too many birds. Maybe they flied somewhere else.
