Explore Paluma Dam to Jourama Falls & Pack Weight

The Great Pack Weight Debate: Comfort at Camp vs. Comfort on the Trail

With the temperature dropping and the humidity finally breaking, North Queensland is turning on the perfect hiking weather. In this episode of the "Take A Hike" podcast, Blair Woodcock, Luen Warneke, and Cherry Judge dive into a hotly debated topic in the hiking community: how light should your pack be?

Blair is currently planning a big trip and struggling to keep his pack weight down without sacrificing comfort. He is looking at carrying around 15 to 17 kilos, including his camera gear and bear canister. This sparks a great discussion on the different categories of backpacking:

• Normal Backpacking: Typically, a loaded pack shouldn't exceed 20% of your body weight. For many, a comfortable total weight is around 16-20 kilos for a multi-day hike.
• Lightweight Backpacking: A base weight (backpack, tent, sleeping system, without food, water, or worn clothes) of around 8 kilos.
• Ultralight Backpacking: A base weight of less than 4.5 kilos.
• Extreme Ultralight: For the truly wild, a base weight of less than 2.5 kilos.

Luen shares his minimalist approach, sacrificing some camp comfort for trail comfort. He uses a shaped tarp tent (just 200 grams!), a polyfilm ground sheet, and a thin foam mattress, bringing his base weight down significantly. The takeaway? Find the middle ground that works for you. Pack for the environment and your personal safety, but don't be afraid to leave the heavy cast-iron percolator at home!

Exploring from Paluma Dam to Jourama Falls

If you are looking for an epic 4 to 8-hour day hike (or a fantastic overnight trip), the journey from Paluma Dam down to Jourama Falls is a must-do.

Here is a quick breakdown of the route discussed by Cherry and Luen:

• The Start: Begin at Paluma Dam and take the Benhams track (the road towards Hidden Valley).
• The Trailhead: Cross the small creek and keep an eye out on your right for an old, overgrown logging road.
• Station Creek: About an hour and a half in, you will reach Station Creek. It is a perfect spot for morning tea, with old tin-mining artifacts and a flat camping area.
• The Ridge: Cross the creek and follow the ridgeline before a steep descent into a beautiful, open ecosystem.
• Black Hole Falls: Do not bypass this side trip! At the junction marker, turn right. It is about a 30-minute detour to these stunning falls. From there, you can either return to the main track or rock hop downstream (which requires some navigation) to rejoin the track at the top of Jourama Falls.

The Townsville Bushwalking Club maintains this rudimentary trail, marked as the Wilfrid Trail, so it is relatively easy to navigate. Be sure to check out Wanderstories for detailed maps and track notes.

Join the Townsville Bushwalking Club

Feeling inspired? The Townsville Bushwalking Club is tackling the Paluma Dam to Jourama Falls hike over the first long weekend in July! They will be doing it as a multi-day trip, starting at Paradise Waterhole and camping near Johnston's Clearing and Black Hole Falls. Local legend Wilfred Karnoll will be joining, making it an incredible opportunity to learn about Paluma's history.

Get outside, enjoy the cool weather, and happy hiking!