Early works have begun on the first section of the 94km Wangetti Trail in Far North Queensland.
The early works in the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ road corridor will help pave the way for the trail, and the creation of a world-class ecotourism offering for Queensland.
This first section of Wangetti Trail South - from Palm Cove Jetty to Ellis Beach foreshore - is a 7,850m multi-use mountain biking and hiking trail.
It will provide walkers and mountain bike riders with a unique experience to traverse through natural areas of north Queensland covering bushland and coastal areas, including the Wet Tropics of Queensland and National Parks.
The trail starts at Palm Cove Beach, where users can enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery before embarking on a trek through the Macalister Range rainforest.
At the 6km milestone, trail users will have the opportunity to soak up the spectacular views of Double Island, Trinity Beach and Cairns.
The trail concludes at Ellis Beach foreshore, where users can relax and enjoy the pristine coastline that leads all the way up to Port Douglas.
Throughout the planning of the project, we have worked closely with Traditional Owners the Djabugay, Yirrganydji, Buluwai, Nyakali, and Guluy groups, who are members of the Djabugay Nation Claim.
The Wangetti Trail has been supported by and co-designed with the Traditional Owners from Djabugay Nation following extensive consultation and collaboration, and will create sustainable employment and business opportunities for Traditional Owners and protect culture.
This trail is an extremely complex project – in fact it is the most technically complex and longest walking trail development ever delivered in Queensland.
Once completed, it will span a World Heritage area, three national parks, two local government areas, three separate registered native title claims, and also numerous freehold and reserves held in trust landholdings.