Crystal Rockslides & Big Crystal Creek

Acknowledging the Nwyaigi people as the Traditional Owners and first people to live in the Paluma Region for thousands of years and many generations.

Paluma Range National Park is located about an hour's drive (70km) north of Townsville with easy access to freshwater swimming holes for day trips and camping at Big Crystal Creek. 

Crystal Rockslides are located just 2km past Big Crystal Creek Campgrounds, taking a narrow and sealed road to reach the ample carpark areas.   From here, its a short 500m walk on sealed surfaces, with an uphill section before taking the shady path to reach the Rockslides. 

    Crystal Rockslides is great for cooling off, having fun and enjoying the Paluma experience

It's an easy walk to reach the Rockslides

When you get there, mind the steps

                   

Towering rockfaces and boulders of granite and granodiorite surround the natural pools and waterfalls that form Crystal Rockslides (1).  Granite and granodiorite are types of intrusic rock formed deep below the earth's surface when volcanic magma has been forced into older rocks and slowly cools and solidifies (2).  These ancient rock formations are the mountain roots which have eventually reached the earth's surface through erosion (3 & 4).

Leaping off natural rock platforms into the pool below provides hours of entertainment.

This is not for the faint-hearted.

Those looking for a quick rush of adrenalin will enjoy the fun of rock jumping. 

Beginners start with a jump of about 3m, 

before graduating to jump about 7m from the higher rock.

Even if rock jumping isn't your thing, it makes for good spectating 

and is a memorable part of every visit to Crystal Rockslides.  

Please remember:  SAFETY FIRST!

The traditional name for Paluma Range is Munan Gumburu, which means 'misty mountain'

Paluma Range is the southern-most national park in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre has declared the Wet Tropics of Queensland an area of "outstanding universal value" with "exceptional natural beauty...sweeping forest vistas, wild rivers, waterfalls, rugged gorges and coastal scenery."  The Wet Tropics extends from Townsville north to Cooktown and includes the Daintree Rainforest and Hinchinbrook Channel.  The entire Wet Tropics area makes up less than 0.2% of Australia's land mass, however it is home to 20% of reptile species, 30% of marsupial and frog species, 40% of bird species, 60% of butterfly species and 65% of fern species (5).  Of the 2,800 vascular plant species found in the Wet Tropics, 700 species including 50 flowering plants, are not found anywhere else in the world (6).

Pandanus palms amongst the eucalypts

Lichen patchwork covering tree trunks

            

When you finish exploring Crystal Rockslides, head back to Big Crystal Creek day-use area for a barbeque or picnic in the shady park.  Take a short walk to Paradise Waterhole for a final swim.

Paradise Waterhole - Big Crystal Creek

Pheasant Coucal

A member of the cuckoo family, the pheasant coucal is one of Australia's largest cuckoo species.

Pheasant coucals are found across north-eastern Australia, from the Pilbara in WA to Southern NSW, and also in the Torres Strait islands, Timor and Papua New Guinea.  They especially enjoy the canefields, tropical forests and mangroves of North Queensland.

Cuckoos are 'parasitic' birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.  However the pheasant coucal is an exception, as the only Australian species of cuckoo to lay eggs in it's own nest.

Pheasant coucals are ground dwelling and feed on large insects, frogs, lizzards, eggs and small mammals.  They build their nests on the ground with long stems of grass to form a dome shape. (7)

Australian Brush-turkey

Crystal Rockslides - upper section

References

(1) Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport & Racing; Paluma Range National Park Management Statement 2013;

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/167004/paluma-range.pdf

(2) Britannica 

https://www.britannica.com/science/intrusive-rock

(3) University of Auckland https://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks_minerals/rocks/granodiorite.html

(4) US National Parks Service

https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/education/granite-and-granodiorite-faq.htm

(5) UNESCO World Heritage Centre

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/486/

(6) Wet Tropics Management Authority

https://www.wettropics.gov.au/world-heritage-area-facts-and-figures.html

(7) Australian Geographic

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2018/03/the-pheasant-coucal-is-proof-that-australia-has-the-best-birds/

Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park

Acknowledging the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people as the Traditional Owners and first people to live in the Townsville Region for thousands of years and many generations.

Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park is located only 8km north of Townsville's CBD.  It's a great spot for family gatherings, picnics, barbeques, enjoying the shady parks, playgrounds and safe swimming inside the stinger nets.  The network of trails at Cape Pallarenda provides opportunity to put on the walking shoes, get outdoors and go exploring the area.  

Shelly Cove Trail 

(1.5 km return)

Shelly Cove Trail starts as an easy and wide gravel track, gently ascending the coastal walk along a section of Cleveland Bay looking across to Magnetic Island. 

Recent history

• Pallarenda was given it's name in 1864 by Lieutenant George Poynter (G.P.) Heath during a marine survey of Cleveland Bay.  Lt Heath had joined the British Royal Navy in 1845 and worked drawing marine survey charts. In 1860, Lt Heath and his wife sailed to Brisbane and he was appointed Portmaster of Queensland.  Over the next 30 years, Lt Heath was responsible for opening 13 new ports, including Townsville and Cairns, and mapping 450 miles through the Barrier Reef.

• In 1915 a Quarantine Station was established at Cape Pallarenda to quarantine passengers from arriving ships with suspected cases of ship-borne diseases.  Some of the quarantine station buildings came from a previous location built at West Point - Magnetic Island in 1884.  The Spanish Flu epidemic impacted Australia in 1919, with almost 15,000 lives lost.  Cape Pallarenda's Quarantine Station closed in 1973.

• During World War II, Townsville in 1942 was a supply base for Australian and United States defence efforts.  Two gun emplacements at Cape Pallarenda were constructed to protect the Townsville Harbour. The Cape Pallarenda area included a command post, base camp for troops and the Quarantine Station which was used as a hospital treating casualties mainly from Papua New Guinea.

 

The first gun emplacement on Shelly Cove Trail, looking back to Castle Hill

Second gun emplacement overlooking Shelly Cove

From here the Shelly Cove Trail becomes a narrow path, 

winding through the trees and scrub on a gradual descent to the beach via rock steps. 

View of Magnetic Island from track leading down to Shelly Cove

Shelly Cove, Cape Pallarenda

    

Looking from Shelly Cove across Cleveland Bay to Magnetic Island and Cape Cleveland

Graves Circuit (2 km)

On the way back from Shelly Cove, taking the Graves Circuit track uphill leads to a ridge

 

Graves Circuit track, looking towards Townsville and the iconic landmark of Castle Hill

Hypolimnas bolina

Common names for this butterfly are Blue Moon 

or Varied Eggfly (because of the egg shaped white spot on each forewing of the male)

The Graves Circuit trail is a memorial to 13 Vietnamese immigrants 

who died in quarantine at Cape Pallarenda due to an outbreak of meningitis in 1920.

Australian Working Stock Dogs at Woodstock

Working Dog Schools for Mental Health Awareness

Working Dog Schools For Mental Health Awareness
In 2017 we will be working with working dog trainers in Australia.
Schools will be $300 for the weekend and all proceeds will be donated to beyondblue
If you are a working dog trainer or want to attend one of our working dog schools please contact us.
We are also chasing sponsorship to cover direct costs in hosting the working dog schools.
Support the cause! 

Click here for Wayne Flintham's video: Working Dog Schools 4 Mental Health Awareness