The rainforest around Mission Beach is a delicate and diverse eco system and home to thousands of plant types and animal species, some of which are not found in any other area of the world.
Mission Beach has one of the best ranges of publicly available walking tracks in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. There are 5 principal rainforest walks available to visitors:
Lacey Creek
Licuala Forest
Bicton Hill
Cutten Brothers
Kennedy
They are of varied length and each has their own distinctive examples of Wet Tropics World Heritage vegetation. There are also a number of rainforest walks on Dunk Island but here we focus on the Mission Beach walks.
Lacey Creek Forest Circuit
1.2 klm long or around 45 minutes walking time.
This pathway is located in the Tam O'Shanter Forest and is of the highest standard. Situated on the northern side of the El-Arish - Mission Beach Road about 7 kilometers from Mission Beach, it is quite an easy walk. There is a sealed car park, BBQ and toilet facilities.
The Mission Beach area has one of the highest populations of Cassowaries in Australia. Signs are placed along the way detailing further aspects of the cassowary and some plant species. The pathway crosses Lacey Creek in several places. Stand quietly on the fish viewing platform or near any of the beautiful clear water holes and you can often spot many freshwater fish, turtles, crayfish and eels. Remember this is World Heritage area and nothing can be removed except your photos and memories.
Licuala State Forest
Rainforest Circuit Walk
1.25 klm and approximately 30 minutes
This track may be accessed from the Tully - Mission Beach Road by car along 1 klm of unsealed road and the walk commences at the car park.
This is a spectacular walk featuring a 10 -15 metre high canopy of Licuala Fan Palms. Mission Beach has approximately 50% of the remaining Fan Palm Forest in Australia. Their fleshy orange fruit is a favourite food of the elusive cassowary and this flat and easy walk has numerous interpretive signs explaining many of the features of the rainforest including cassowaries, vines, epiphytes, strangler figs, ferns, water and nutrient cycling. At the southern end of the loop there is a special 536 metre Fan Palm Boardwalk.
Children's Walk
350 m approximately 10 minutes
Access as for the rainforest walk.
A very easy children's walk through the rainforest. At the beginning of this walk, children can pick up a brochure on 'Cassowaries for Kids'. Following Cassowary footprints along the walk children are able to find eggs in a Cassowary nest.
Bicton Hill Walk
The walk - This shady rainforest path leads to magnificent views of the coastline and is a great way to get your bearings when arriving in the region. A well maintained 4km (1.5 - 2 hrs) loop winds up to the top of Bicton Hill, with an easy downhill stretch for the walk back.
How to get there - The track begins 5km (3 miles) from North Mission Beach on the El Arish-Mission Beach Road.
Edmund Kennedy Walking Track
The walk - In 1848, the Tropical North's first European explorer Edmund Kennedy landed at Tam O'Shanter Point to begin his ill-fated expedition north to Cape York. Take a walk in his footsteps south of Mission Beach. The full track length is 7.8km (nearly 5 miles) round trip but walkers can turn around and retrace their steps whenever they're tired. The track is narrow and rough in places and there are some sandy stretches and rock hopping along the beach. There is a picnic area at Kennedy Bay (distance 3.9km, 2 hrs).
How to get there - Park at the boat ramp on the southern end of South Mission Beach.
The canopy of the rainforest
The Green Tree Frog - a popular inhabitant of the rainforest
The Ulysses Butterfly calls the area in and around Mission Beach home
Cassowary Birds can be seen wandering their way through the rainforest
