A walk in the rainforest

Looking up at the observation tower in Queensland's Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway.

One of the lush views across the rainforest.

With a photo, it's hard to show just how dense the forest was.

Ten years ago on our honeymoon, we stayed on the Barrier Reef”s Orpheus Island just off the coast of North Queensland and briefly visited the Mossman Gorge as well. We vowed then we had to come back to do some more exploring of this area, so it seemed appropriate to do so on our 10th anniversary.

Tropical North Queensland – the wet tropics – is warm and rainy and the combination helps to create gorgeous, lush rainforest. Along the coast, the rainforest extends all the way down to the beach and when you stop onto a trail, it feels like you are absorbed by the dense vegetation and almost overwhelmed by the damp earthy smells and the cacophony of birds. Robert’s Dad Kevin spent a lot of time in this area in the 1970s doing survey work and described cutting his own trail through the forest with a machete. I can not even begin to imagine what kind of hard, sweaty work that was.

To get our own up-close view, Robert and I visited the Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway in Innisfail. Located in Wooroonooran National Park, Mamu gives you a head to toe look at the rainforest, from the floor to the canopy. There are standard trails along the forest floor as well as a 350 meter elevated walkway, a springboard cantilever that goes out along the brink of the North Johnstone River gorge and a 37 meter tower that takes you up into the treetops. The views are gorgeous. But be prepared to sweat and get wet.

I loved the gnarly vines on the trees.

Getting silly on the elevated walkway.

This kookaburra was sitting on the walkway fence as we left the park.

And these had to be the craziest looking mushrooms I've ever seen. Oh my! Apparently, there are stinkhorn fungi and in addition to looking a bit "interesting," they also smell.

Tagged as: kookaburra, Mamu Rainforest canopy walk, Queensland, rainforest walk, Tropical North Queensland, wet tropics