Araluen Cascades (Araluen Falls)

Finch-Hatton Gorge / Eungella National Park, Queensland, Australia

About Araluen Cascades (Araluen Falls)

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Araluen Falls (sometimes called the Araluen Cascades) was a remote waterfall and swimming hole in the Finch Hatton Gorge area of Eungella National Park.

Generally, we’ve treated a detour to this part of the Mackay Region of the Central Coast of Queensland as an excuse to break up the long drive between Rockhampton and Airlie Beach.

Araluen_017_05122008 - Araluen Falls or the Araluen Cascades
Araluen Falls or the Araluen Cascades

Indeed, this attractive 10-15m cascade was where Finch-Hatton Creek spilled into a naturally carved rock pool making it both attractive to look at as well as a place to cool off.

It also helped that this was quite an accessible waterfall in the remote gorge, which made this place surprisingly popular despite how out-of-the-way it was.

To further drive home the point of about its accessibility, the park literature said that the walking track to Araluen Falls was 2.8km return taking about 1-1.5 hours to complete.

When Julie and I first did this excursion back in May 2008, it took us about an hour and 10 minutes to do it so we pretty much went at a pace that the park authorities had expected.

Finch_Hatton_129_07012022 - Wheel of Fire Falls required a bit of an adventure to reach, especially if Finch Hatton Creek is running high
Wheel of Fire Falls required a bit of an adventure to reach, especially if Finch Hatton Creek is running high

But in addition to Araluen Cascades, there was also the neighbouring Wheel of Fire Falls.

However, that waterfall required a bit of an adventure, which we delve into in a separate write-up.

Trail Description of the Araluen Cascades Hike

When Julie and I first walked to the Araluen Falls in May 2008, we endured some fairly humid and warm conditions as there seemed to even be the threat of thunderstorms.

Even though the rainforest provided ample shade throughout the easy-to-follow track, it didn’t seem to provide much in the way of relief from the heat and humidity we had experienced.

Finch_Hatton_041_07012022 - The walking track leading towards both Araluen Cascades and Wheel of Fire Falls was in a remote and lush rainforest setting
The walking track leading towards both Araluen Cascades and Wheel of Fire Falls was in a remote and lush rainforest setting

Conversely, when I came back in early July 2022, the experience was a bit different because there were some unseasonable cold front rain storms that hit the Mackay Region.

So even though the hike wasn’t as humid, the everpresent risk of flash flooding was always on my mind.

Nevertheless, the trail was well-developed and even had a toilet facility early on before continuing another 1.2km towards a signed trail junction.

Along the way, most of the track passed through a monsoonal rainforest with some interesting granite boulders as well as glimpses of the rushing Finch-Hatton Creek.

Araluen_008_05122008 - Walking by some very large boulders that seemed out-of-place in the rainforest on the way to Araluen Falls
Walking by some very large boulders that seemed out-of-place in the rainforest on the way to Araluen Falls

The trail was also naturesque and quiet enough to even hear some interesting and unusual birdsongs (e.g. one bird sounded like a flute while another sounded like it was shooting lasers).

Once we got to the trail junction, we then kept left to continue towards the Araluen Cascades (while the path on the right went to Wheel of Fire Falls).

After a hiking for about 250m along a mild descent, we eventually reached a lookout with a nice view of the Araluen Falls.

There were steps leading down to a rock outcrop, where it was possible to go for a dip provide the currents in Finch-Hatton Creek to be too dangerous.

Finch_Hatton_062_07012022 - Context of the large and deep plunge pool fronting the Araluen Falls or Araluen Cascades
Context of the large and deep plunge pool fronting the Araluen Falls or Araluen Cascades

Apparently, given the remoteness of this area, it was said that it might be possible to spot the endangered platypus in Finch-Hatton Creek (though we didn’t spot any in either of our visits).

So for all intents and purposes, this was the end of the out-and-back hike taking in the Araluen Cascades.

However, there was the option of extending a visit to reach the Wheel of Fire Falls, which we’ll get into in a different write-up because of how involved it was.

Just to give you a taste of what you’re in for on that excursion, the trail was actually closed during our May 2008 visit.

Araluen_009_05122008 - Julie encountering a closure barricade preventing us from continuing to Wheel of Fire Falls as a result of flood damage
Julie encountering a closure barricade preventing us from continuing to Wheel of Fire Falls as a result of flood damage

This was due to Finch-Hatton Creek running too high and the creek fording at the Callistemon Crossing was deemed too dangerous, especially since the bridge that was once there had been washed out.

It wasn’t until I came back in early July 2022 did I finally make this crossing, but it was definitely one of the sketchier unbridged stream crossings that I’ve done, and I even had a leech extract blood from me for my efforts…

Authorities

Araluen Falls resides in the Eungella National Park near Mackay, Queensland. It is administered by the State of Queensland Department of Environment and Science. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: finch-hatton, eungella, national park, mackay, queensland, australia, waterfall, wheel of fire



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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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