Nandroya Falls, Queensland 🇦🇺 2021

Date: 6th May 2021

Travelled: 320 kilometres from Magnetic Island to Nandroya Falls

Visited: Driving the PCW and Nandroya Falls, Far North Queensland.

Stayed: Henrietta Creek Campground, free, no services. S17.59859, E145.75900

Budget: 26 days @ $144 per day.

After staying put for three days on Magnetic Island we roll off the ferry in Townsville and civilisation again. By civilisation I mean a supermarket. We have depleted the cupboard and fridge, so we make for a shopping complex. Once again I manage to jag a magnificent spot 29.5 feet long within a short trolley push.

Thirty minutes later we’re refilling the Jayco with food and getting ready to roll out of Townsville. I know your thinking why didn’t they visit Townsville ? Well Townsville really is a small city. The port and harbour area look good but parking the Jayco isn’t easy and we have the urge to move on, so the Pacific Coast Way it is.

So we drive north, passing through Ingham, Caldwell, Tully to Innisfail…

Having crab rolls with views of Hinchinbrook Island.

We had a loose plan of a free overnight stop behind a pub in Innisfail, so we stop and check it out. Finding it’s a long way back to the centre of town we decide to continue on to East Palmerston’s National Park Henrietta Campsite.

Leaving Innisfail we turn west and climb into the Atherton Tablelands.

Map of Nandroya Falls, the icon on the Henrietta Campsite.

We park the Jayco and have a chat with our new neighbours getting some information about the falls. He tells us the return walk to the falls is almost 2 hours. As it‘s 4 pm we say thanks and get going.

We make the falls in 45 minutes including a few photo stops. We have a few minutes trying to get a perfect picture but the light is failing so we get started back up the hill. It’s getting late and we want to be back before dark. After all this is normally our debrief over a drink time rather than walking up a steep trail time.

We emerge from the track to find several more campers have arrived. There’s plenty of space at Henriett, so no one is close. We cool down enjoy a drink, shower and sushi. We spotted a fresh sushi place back in Townsville this morning and thought why not. Damn glad we did.

Anyway we have come to the Atherton’s to do the waterfall circuit, so that’s one less to do tomorrow.

Michael + Pam