Wairuna, Girringun National Park Townsville | Tropical North Queensland

Lake Wairuna, Girringun National Park. Photo credit: Andrew Millerd © Queensland Government

About Wairuna

    Park features

    Wairuna has a varied landscape of open forest and woodland on its western margin through to tall wet forest on the elevated range to the east. It boasts the headwaters of the Burdekin River, fed from high rainfall on the rugged ranges above Cardwell. The river has long ago carved out a wide plain which now has abundant waterholes and lagoons that are seasonally full of water attracting a rich diversity of water birds.

    The Traditional Owners of the area are the Warrungnu Aboriginal people. The area also has a rich history of early European settlement by the Atkinson family including their work on Brahman cattle breeding and grazing.

    Looking after the park

    • Protect creeks and lakes. Do not allow your waste or any chemicals or detergents to enter the watercourse.
    • Wash at least 50m from the creek. Use gritty sand and a scourer instead of soap to clean dishes. Scatter water so that it filters through the soil before returning to the creek.
    • Toilet facilities are not provided. When toileting, dig a hole, at least 15cm deep, well away from camp sites, watercourses and drainage lines. Failure to do this leads to unsightliness, unpleasant odours, pollution of creeks and potentially dangerous hygiene problems. Sanitary pads, tampons and condoms should not be buried.
    • Rubbish facilities are not provided—please take your rubbish home with you.
    • Check your clothing and shoes regularly for seeds and dispose of them in your rubbish to avoid the spread of weeds.
    • Domestic animals are not permitted in national parks.
    • Camp only in designated camp sites.
    • To avoid trampling vegetation, disturbing wildlife and causing erosion, please keep your four-wheel-drive vehicle on marked tracks. Failure to stay on the track may incur a penalty.
    • Remember, this area is a national park—everything is protected.

    See the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

    Park management

    Girringun National Park was gazetted as part of Lumholtz National Park in 2000 before a name change in 2003. Girringun National Park is managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for the purposes of nature conservation and nature-based recreation.

    Tourism information links

    Atherton Visitor Information Centre
    Corner Silo Road and Main Street, Atherton QLD 4883
    Phone: (07) 4091 4222
    Email: athinfocentre@trc.qld.gov.au
    Website: https://www.trc.qld.gov.au/explore/visitor-centres/

    Ravenshoe Visitor Centre
    24 Moore Street, Ravenshoe QLD 4888
    Phone: (07) 4097 7700
    Email: info@ravenshoevisitorcentre.com.au
    Website: https://www.trc.qld.gov.au/explore/visitor-centres/

    For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see Queensland Holidays