Nature, culture and history
Natural environment
The origins of the Herbert River Gorge and Blencoe Falls are anything but humble. Several major geological events created the landscape that you see today.
About 50 million years ago, movement of the Earth's crust formed the edge of the continent that lies against the Coral Sea and the present-day landforms began to form. An earlier Herbert River flowed towards the west. It is not known when it reached its present east-flowing course.
Continuous erosion caused the Herbert River Falls to retreat by around 40cm every 100 years. As the gorge became longer, it passed tributaries, including Blencoe Creek, which were then suspended. This created waterfalls, such as Blencoe, which in turn eroded their own gorges.
Flood waters are powerful and plants growing in the Herbert River must withstand the force of up to 20m of water rushing down the gorge. Through time, they have developed strategies to cope with these extreme conditions. Plant roots entwine around rocks, anchoring them to the ground. Leichhardt trees can re-shoot if they are broken or flattened in a flood. The stunted appearance of other plants indicates just how tough life in the gorge can be.
Animals and their habitats
In the open forest, look for the elegant whiptail wallabies and gangly emus as they rest in the shade and listen for laughing kookaburras or screeching sulphur-crested cockatoos. Shags and cormorants can be seen along the banks of the Herbert River while sea-eagles and falcons soar high above.
In the creeks and rivers, freshwater turtles can often be seen basking on logs or peering through the surface of the water.
The Blencoe Falls Section of Girringun National Park boasts spectacular scenery and an array of plant and animal life. Open forest dominates the escarpments and she-oaks line the Herbert River. Along the gullies and upper slopes of the Herbert River Gorge, vine-thicket rainforest persists.
Standing tall and regal, hoop pines are a distinctive feature of the landscape around Blencoe Falls. A long time ago, when the world was warmer and wetter and dinosaurs roamed our land, hoop pines were abundant. Despite dramatic changes in the climate, they live on today. Sensitive to fire, they have found refuge in protected gorges and on steep slopes and rocky outcrops.
This country is rugged and one of extremes. During the dry season, the land is parched and vulnerable to fire. Grasses die back and some trees lose their leaves. Large granite outcrops add to the starkness, completing the appearance of a dying landscape. With the arrival of the wet season, the countryside is inundated with water and the plants spring back to life.
Estuarine or saltwater crocodiles are an important part of north Queensland’s wetlands, and fresh water and marine areas. They are often the largest predator in these habitats and help to maintain the overall health and balance of these ecosystems. Estuarine crocodiles live in the tidal reaches of rivers, as well as in fresh water lagoons, swamps and waterways up to hundreds of kilometres from the sea. They are most active at night.
Do not take unnecessary risks and remember to Be Crocwise in croc country.