Wooroonooran Waterfall Way - Trip Report

Date: 25-26 March 2023
Leader: Luen
Participants: 6

Six of us met at the car park early on Saturday morning and set off for a big weekend exploring one of Far North Queensland's most spectacular waterfall areas. From the start, the walk had that classic remote adventure feel - following an old, overgrown logging road before crossing the Upper Russell River and joining the flagged track deeper into the rainforest.

Our first major stop was ABC Falls, and it did not disappoint. We took in the view from the top first, then made our way down to the base for a swim. It was a magical spot, with three streams of water flowing over an old basalt lava formation, and it was hard not to linger there longer than planned.

After soaking it all in and taking plenty of photos, we continued on to Lower ABC Falls on Jampee Creek. A short creek exploration brought us to the base of the larger falls, and once again, we were reminded just how special this whole area is.

From there, we retraced our steps to the main rough track and continued on past a rock shelter, where some old gear had been left behind by previous hikers. After crossing a few more streams, we reached the top of Moochoopa Falls. We explored the old campsite there, including the rubbish left behind by a commercial adventure company that used the area decades ago, before heading down to the base of the falls to swim, drop off packs, and set up camp.

It was a truly memorable campsite. One person set up a hammock on a fallen but still-living tree above the stream, complete with a perfect view of Moochoopa Falls. It would be hard to imagine a more scenic place to spend the night.

With camp sorted, two people stayed behind to relax while the remaining four of us headed off for an afternoon side trip to Amphitheatre Falls. We climbed back up to the top of Moochoopa Falls, followed the track along the ridgeline, and then went off-track towards Amphitheatre. From there, we continued downstream to the top of Crossover Falls, then made our way down and around to the base. Two of the group sensibly stopped short of the final descent to the creek, while the two of us continued down to enjoy the falls from below.

Rather than retracing our exact route, we continued off-track across loose, bouldery terrain back towards Moochoopa Creek. We eventually dropped into the creek at Moochoopa Falls 2, also known as M2, and from there made our way back to Moochoopa Falls and camp. It had been a long and adventurous day, and we arrived back just before last light, tired but very satisfied.

On Sunday morning, we packed up and began the long walk back out. Still keen to squeeze in a little more exploring, we planned a side trip to Moochoopa Falls 3 (M3) and the lava tube pillar. By this stage, four of the group were feeling the effects of the previous day's effort and decided to continue out on their own. The remaining two of us turned off towards the lava tube, dropped down into the Russell River, and headed upstream to Coochie Falls before returning the same way.

On the way back, near the lava tube pillar, we left the track again and headed towards M3. This took us down into a small gully with a pretty little waterfall, after which we continued on to Moochoopa Falls 3 itself. After a few more photos and another quiet moment appreciating the area's beauty, we climbed back to the track near the lava tube and began the final walk out. Near the end of the ascent, we caught up with a couple of the others and finished the walk together.

It was a huge weekend of remote rainforest walking, basalt & waterfall exploring, creek crossings, rough tracks, and off-track navigation - what felt like close to 20 km each day.

- Luen