Guide book for Cairns area...

[ofuros]

Can anyone recommend a off-track local guide book old or new, for the Cairns, Daintree, Cooktown & Atherton Tableland areas...could be up that way for work for a few months so would like to reward myself when my contract is up...say in June/July-ish. Cheers.

[lseries92]

I used a book called The Traveller's Guide to North Queensland when up that way in 1997 - its a bit old (published 1996) but it covered a broad range of things north towards Cooktown, west towards Chilligoe and Undara, south around Mission Beach and even covers some of the islands as well (all places you want to have a look at). Obviously there is more up to date information around but it may give you some ideas at least as well as potentially cover some places that others do not ...

You are welcome to borrow it if you are in the Brisbane area ...

[ofuros]

Thanks for the reply & offer, Iseries...tracked Paul Curtis down, his website still offers the book & pdf updates.
http://nqwildscapes.com/book.htm

I was thinking more along the lines of challenging & remote week long wilderness adventure in & around Cedar Bay NP, coastal walking around Cooktown, NP's traverses around Cairns, Wet Tropics great walk or maybe even diy walks in the Torres Straits islands...
But now you got me thinking...a local Road Trip...seeking out some shorter secret spots in the area plus knocking off a few peaks(Bartle Frere, Walsh's Pyramid, Mt Sorrow, Piette Botte, Thornton Peak, etc etc) along the way.

I'll drop the local Cairns & Tablelands bushwalking clubs a line & see what walks they have planned over the coming months.

...Digging a little deeper, found a couple of small ebooks for kindle users...search for 'day hike Cairns' & 'bushwalking Cairns' in the kindle app.

Ooroo,
Thanks again, Iseries.

[johnw]

I meant to reply earlier ofuros but got distracted. We were last in Cairns last June and I picked up the current edition of the Paul Curtis guidebook in one of the local book stores. At the time it seemed to be pretty widely available. Travelling with my wife and wasn't looking to do anything too adventurous with her. I did find the book useful for the type of easier things we were doing. Among your wish list I finally tackled Walshs Pyramid on my own after contemplating it over a number of prior visits to the region. Definitely worth doing. It's not technically difficult, just relentlessly steep. Great views from the summit but it can become obscured by cloud.

[eggs]

National Parks produce some pamphlets with info on some of the walks.
I can personally recommend
* Bartle Frere [a very long day walk - probably better as an overnight or through walk if you can arrange transport]
* Walshes pyramid day walk
* Kahlpahlim day walk [Lamb Range]
Lots of waterfalls to visit. [Nandroya, Wallaman, Emerald Creek, Davies Creek, etc]

I have not done any overnighters or long walks in the Daintree, but attached is an article on Thornton Peak.
I would take a lot of care up there as humidity and heat are high and sapping.
The lawyer vine is a nuisance and the stinging tree is to be avoided at all costs.
Even the extended walk down along the Herbert River on the Great Walk [make sure you look at Blencoe Falls - 4WD recommended] requires care re Saltwater crocodiles.

Thornton_Daintree_NP.pdf

(202.67 KiB) Downloaded 395 times

[ofuros]

Lovely stuff..thanks for your thoughts & info, johnw & eggs.

[nq111]

Not off-track, but covers a fair range of better walks from Mackay to Cooktown http://malcolmtattersall.com.au/wp/2016/07/walks-tracks-trails/

[ofuros]

Thanks for that link, nq111....it all helps.