Waterfall Creek - Shay's Clearing - Bambaroo Track
Waterfall Creek to Shay’s Clearing and Bambaroo Track, June 1976: a scenic North Queensland hike with waterfalls, deep pools, rainforest ridges, and treacherous rocky descents via Mt Houston. Historic Shays guesthouse site and mango trees mark this rewarding Paluma Range bushwalking adventure.
26-27th June 1976
Party: Roland Gregory, Lee McBryde, Jim Dougall
Further description of the trip report by L. Darveniza 25/5/70 - see under heading of Mt. Spec.
Trip up - medium grade, very beautiful scenically.
Just (10-15 min) past the top of the largest broken waterfall is a magnificent deep pool - excellent spot for lunch. Shays is about 2 hrs beyond this. the track in to Shays crosses Waterfall Ck actually, the second creek to the left before this crossing would be a shorter route.
Shays to Bambaroo Track - crossed over the creek on the north side of the clearing and headed on a NE compass bearing until the track was met, (1 hr - 2 hrs) very close to the turnoff down Bambaroo Track.
Louis Lookout, a cluster of large rocks, is about ten minutes east of the turnoff. The track met on the NE course, follows a ridge top in an arc about the clearing. The Bambaroo Track is followed down for 1-2 hrs then after crossing the saddle & climbing to a small summit (765 m), a compass course was set N.W. & the descent made down a ridge over Mt. Houston.
Some lantana on the ridge, & long grass over steep rocky slopes lower down made going treacherous.
Excellent trip! In the clearing, on the site of the old guesthouse, planted 3 mango trees, 1 soursop, two jackfruit, 1 brazilian cherry & 1 avocado. May they flourish & be bountiful!
