Australia: The Land Where Time Began
Mt Spec, Paluma Range National Park
What's special?
Straddling the summit and escarpment of the Paluma Range lies the Mt Spec Section of the Paluma Range National Park. Rising 1000 metres above the Big Crystal Creek floodplain, Mt Spec is the most southerly park in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.Tropical rainforest grows on the cooler mountain tops and valleys while open eucalypt woodland covers the foothills. Casuarinas and paperbarks fringe the creeks in the lower, drier parts of the park. Bloodwoods, ironbarks, poplar gums and cocky apple trees grow here. The park is home to many animals found only in the Wet Tropics.
Exploring Mt Spec
Have a picnic at Little Crystal Creek halfway up the mountain. Toilets, gas barbecues and picnic tables are provided.When you reach the top, enjoy the view from McClelland’s Lookout. Have a picnic or walk through the rainforest. Toilets, a shelter shed, picnic tables, barbecues and tap water are provided.
Go birdwatching. Look for logrunners, Macleay’s honeyeaters, brush turkeys and Lewin’s honeyeaters. You might be lucky enough to see a golden bowerbird. These birds live in the wet tropical rainforest and decorate their bowers with green and yellow leaves and flowers. Look for green ringtail possums and giant white-tailed rats at night.
Camp or picnic at Big Crystal Creek at the bottom of the range. Tent and van sites, gas barbecues, picnic tables, a shelter shed, toilets and cold showers are provided.
Walking
Walk from McClelland’s Lookout to Witt’s Lookout and Cloudy Creek.Accessibility
The toilets and shelter sheds at McClelland’s Lookout and Big Crystal Creek and toilets at Little Crystal Creek are wheelchair-accessible.Getting there
Mt Spec is one hour’s drive north of Townsville. Turn off the Bruce Highway onto the old highway 61km north of Townsville or 40km south of Ingham. The narrow, winding, 18km Paluma Range Road leads to Little Crystal Creek and McClelland’s Lookout.The turnoff to Big Crystal Creek is 2km north of the Paluma Range Road on the old highway. The gravel access road has several low level crossings that may be impassable during wet weather.
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