Tully Falls Area - Trip Report
Exploring North Queensland’s rugged history and scenery, we visited the long-abandoned Eyrie Lookout with its rusted fence and sweeping gorge views and the dramatic Tully Falls Lookout - plus extra side quests!
Our plan for the weekend had been an ambitious one - an exploratory off-track route through the Tully Gorge, involving boulder-hopping, pack swims, and a steep scramble to the base of Tully Falls. The Club has done so many times in the past. However, the conditions were not quite right, so I turned the day into a historical and scenic exploration of the Palmerston and Tully Falls area.
We visited Eyrie Lookout, a long-forgotten Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) lookout perched high above the Tully River Gorge. The old walking track that once led to it has been closed for many years, and nature has largely reclaimed it. Faint traces of the original path can still be followed with some effort, and remnants of the concrete stairs and bridge's steel handrails hint at the lookout's former accessibility. The lookout itself still stands, guarded by its rusty wire fence, and rewards the determined visitor with a spectacular view deep into the gorge below. This side trip serves as extra recon for our next trip in the area.
After taking in the view, we returned the same way before visiting Tully Falls Lookout, which, even without flowing water, remains one of the most impressive gorges in North Queensland.
The day's exploration started with stops at Crawfords Lookout, Tchupala Falls and the historic Old Palmerston High and Jordan Goldfield & Battery along the Palmerston Highway and finished in the afternoon, with a recon of Eyrie Lookout, Red Road, and Wall Creek Road, exploring the lesser-known tracks and viewpoints around the upper Tully Falls area near Ravenshoe.
Though we didn't complete the planned off-track gorge ascent, the day offered a rewarding mix of history, scenery, and discovery - a reminder that even detours can lead to memorable adventures.
- Luen
