Rainforests: The Best of Queensland

Tropical North Queensland is full of rainforests, no surprise there! Magnetic Island, Mission Beach and Cairns host my top Australian rainforest memories.

Magnetic Island

Abundant wildlife, tropical climates and secluded beaches is the best way to describe Magnetic Island in a nutshell. The island is about 8km long and 5km wide, you can cross the island in only 40 minutes, by car. 

Jeeps on maggie

The best way to explore this picturesque escape is by open-top Jeep. There’s a few great car rental shops on the island where you can rent a barbie pink Jeep just for the day! With the roof off, the sun shining and music pumping there is just no better feeling. You totally feel free in the world. Having a car on Maggie allows you to beach hop all day long, visit the rock wallabies and go koala spotting.

The Fort’s Walk takes you on a 40 minute hike up to the old fort. The views are great of course, being a tropical island in Australia. But the best part? The wild koalas!! Along the walk be sure to look up into the trees and spot a koala or two, we saw the cutest baby koala having nap in a swaying tree. 

The rock wallabies can be found within the rocks in Geoffrey Bay and Nelly Bay as well as at the helipad. They are super friendly and even more so if you bring some wallaby food with you for them to nibble out of your palm.

We met about 13 wallabies, some even had little joeys in their pouches!! 

Hawkings Point & Endeavour Falls

Hawkings Point Lookout should also be in your Maggie Island bucket list. The panoramic views are well worth the up-hill walk. Located in Picnic Bay, this hike is a little more challenging than the Fort’s Walk due to its continuous incline and the humid weather in Tropical North Queensland. Along the way to the top, you will pass by Endeavour Falls, a freshwater flowing waterfall with crystal clear water. It is perfect to take a refreshing dip in on the way down from the viewpoint hike.

Our day out exploring the island in our pink Jeep was one of my favourite moments of the entire trip, but it hardly beats having breakfast with koalas at the Roamer Hostel’s koala sanctuary… I feel so blessed to have had so many incredible experiences in the last 6 weeks.

Mission Beach 

In this truly tropical rainforest town where the weather is definitely unpredictable. 

The bicton hill hike

The best way to explore the rainforests here is to take the 4KM hike up Bicton Hill. Beginning on the beach at Bingil Bay, this 1-2 hour hike winds up the hill in a gentle slope, perfect for chatting all the way up as you walk. 

The jungle track is teeming with wildlife - hundreds of different plants, lots of birds and even some frogs!! These defo gave us a little fright when we saw them so unexpectedly appear on the path, with their camouflaged bodies, you don’t see them until you are right up close to them. er it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The views! Oh my god, they are just incredible. Throughout the hike it feels like you has. entered another world entirely, totally like in I’m A Celeb or Indiana Jones.

Cairns

Atherton Tablelands 

This region north of Cairns in Tropical North Queensland is home to some incredible nature, from dense rainforests to magical waterfalls it really should be on everyone’s bucket lists. 

The key sites within the Tablelands are the Millaa Millaa Falls, Josephine Falls, The Curtain Fig Tree National Park, and even a natural pyramid!

Millaa Millaa Falls 

The Falls

Set within the Atherton Tablelands, this 13.3 meter tall waterfall is dazzling, it is rightfully so the most photographed waterfall in all of Australia. It appears almost out of no where nestled in the forest, it is a true marvel. The sheer noise of the waterfall makes clear its absolute power. My favourite part though is the natural swimming pool at the base of the falls. I visited in late march on a rainy day, and the pool was defeated refreshing to say the least, almost like doing an ice bath!

Josephine Falls is another top rated waterfall in the Atherton Tablelands, its key feature being the natural waterslide. However, like with all things in nature, this is only accessible in the dry season and with the right conditions otherwise it can be extremely dangerous to slide down due to high water levels and extremely strong currents. 

The Curtain Fig Tree National Park

Located near Yungaburra, this national park is home to the iconic Curtain Fig Tree, this national park deserved its fame. The key attraction is a 500 year old curtain fig tree, which is said to be one of the trees that inspired the Tree of Souls in the Avatar movies. 

The tree

The tree gets its name from the aerial roots of the strangler fig tree, which grows around the host tree, creating an almost curtain-like effect. 

Rainforests will never cease to amaze me, especially as a Brit, where a rainforest is most definitely few and far between! I will never tire of a seeing a waterfall and just being totally in awe of all it is, and all that Aus has to offer.

Love, Bella xx