Australia: The Land Where Time Began
Mt Whitfield Conservation Park
What's special?
Right on Cairns’ doorstep, Mt Whitfield Conservation Park protects the closest rainforest to Cairns. Mt Whitfield rises to 365m and is covered mainly in rainforest with patches of open forest and grassland. The park is home to the endangered southern cassowary.Exploring Mt Whitfield
Have a picnic in the adjacent Botanic Gardens or go for a walk and take your picnic with you. Shelter sheds are provided along the tracks and on Lumley Hill.Take your binoculars and go birdwatching. See brush-turkeys scratching in the leaf litter, cassowaries searching for berries to eat, and the intriguing scrub hen, one of the few birds born ready to fly. Look for agile wallabies feeding in the open grasslands early morning and late afternoon.
Enjoy spectacular views over Cairns and Trinity Inlet from lookouts along the tracks.
Camping is not allowed in the park.
Walking
Wear a hat and sunscreen and carry drinking water. Both walks are quite strenuous. Only very fit walkers should tackle the Blue Arrow circuit. If you see a cassowary, be very careful. Do not approach the bird and back away slowly if threatened.Getting there
Mt Whitfield is next to the Flecker Botanic Gardens and just 4·3km north of the Cairns Post Office. Head north along Sheridan Street (Captain Cook Highway) and turn left into Collins Street. The park is signposted.
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