Innisfail North Queensland

 

Innisfail where the tropical rainforest meets the sea.

Innisfail North Queensland is a major service hub for the Cassowary Coast, the region is named for the large flightless bird, The Cassowary, the town has shopping outlets including national retail and local businesses, government services and regional health and educational facilities. The township is built on the junction of the North and South Johnstone rivers and approximately 5 klms from Gladys Inlet, 25 minutes from the famous Babinda Boulders, Josephine Falls, Queensland’s tallest mountain Mt Bartle Frere and the Eubenangee Wetlands, a major hotspot for bird watchers is nearby. Walk in Tropical Rainforests at Wooroonooran National Park, view the Johnstone River George and the tops of the rainforest and native wildlife from the Mumu Canopy Walkway.

The town is surrounded by natural attractions and pristine beaches. Innisfail makes a perfect base for your tropical paradise adventure. This bustling centre is in a closer combined proximity to the Barrier Reef than most other North Queensland coastal towns, twice a year on the lowest tides of the year you can walk to Kings Reef from Kurrimine Beach, the beaches in the area are second to none with reef fishing, diving and snorkelling. Spend a perfect day, Island hopping on the uninhabited North and South Bernard Islands or visiting any one of the beautiful beaches on the Cassowary Coast.Experience the adrenaline of skydiving and ‘Jump the beach “at Etty Bay or Mission Beach, white water rafting on the Tully River is less than an hour away,  go bushwalking in the Tropical Rainforest at Misty Mountains.

Or take a one day trek on the Broken Nose trail up the side of Mt Bartle Frere, the more adventurous can test themselves on the strenuous difficult grade overnight hike to the summit of Mt Bartle Frere .With access to two world heritage areas the Great Barrier Reef and the  Wet  Tropics Rainforest. Innisfail has much to offer. Spend a day or a week at Etty Bay, one of the prettiest beaches you will ever see, in the early morning and late afternoon watch the resident Cassowaries come down from the surrounding rainforest and walk along the beach, occasionally the goannas will cross the road and  scurry up a tree, delighting all those who are visiting the beach at the right time, with white sand, shady trees, BBQ’s, beach showers, tables and chairs, public changing rooms, showers and toilets, and a children’s playground. The Etty Bay Kiosk and Caravan Park has cabins and powered slab sites and a grassed area with powered and unpowered sites for campers. Etty Bay Surf Lifesaving club members patrol the beach on weekends, school holidays, public holidays, and at Easter and Christmas. During the summer season the stinger net is operational and serviced throughout the day, the net enclosure is floodlit for those who enjoy an evening swim.

MIGALOO “WHITE FELLA”

Humpback Whales have been sighted all along the Cassowary Coast, and in August 2013 locals and tourists alike were amazed and delighted by the sighting  of the world famous Migaloo a rare all white humpback whale, until recent times Migaloo was thought to be the only all white humpback whale in the world, Migaloo is tracked every year during the humpbacks  northern migration from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to warmer waters off the east coast of Australia and on to their breeding grounds.  Migaloo stayed around the Bernard Islands breaching, playing and having a great time before continuing north, the North Bernard islands are very visible from the coast and only  15 minutes by boat from Mourilyan Harbour from late July to September whales have been sighted by recreational & professional fishermen, tourist charters, Island day trippers, and by locals and tourists just standing on the beach, the whales migration takes them between the Great Barrier Reef and the coast, and very close to Cowley Beach, Kurrimine Beach, Etty Bay, Flying Fish Point, Heath Point, Ella Bay, North & South Bernard Islands, Wongaling Beach, Garners Beach, Bingle Bay, North and South Mission Beach, Dunk and Bedarra Islands all within the Cassowary Coast region. Whale Watchers are expecting to see Migaloo again when the humpbacks migrate back past the Cassowary Coast. Migaloo is protected under Australian Law, as he is part of the Australian East Coast Humpback whale population, in 2011, a 100% all white baby calf was sighted, he is named MJ-Migaloo Junior. (Migaloo is an Aboriginal name for White fella)

Paronella Park:

Early Pioneer Jose’ Paronella’s Spanish Castle. Paronella Park is only an 18 minute drive from the town centre in the small township of Mena Creek. Paronella Park is a recipient of Queensland’s Tourism Awards and Voted R.A.C.Q #1 Must Do. The Park features a Spanish castle, waterfall,  lush rainforest with over 7,000 tropical plants and trees and is the home of Queensland’s first privately owned Hydro Electric plant built by Jose’ Paronella in 1933 the plant has been fully restored and is operating today. There is a caravan park at Paronella park.

The Innisfail Information Centre is on the Bruce Highway opposite the Conservatorium of Music on the southern entrance to town, call in and collect self-guided brochures for “The Town Walk” and “Bridge to Bridge” loop walk with exercise stations along the way, marvel at one of the best collections of Art Deco buildings in Australia and the beautiful parks and views of the North & South Johnstone Rivers, barbecue facilities and toilets are located in the parks on the banks of both rivers, at Anzac Memorial Park, (opposite Coles shopping centre) and on the beachfront at Flying Fish Point and the Coconuts.  There is parking for large RV’s on the waterfront near the public wharf, and in Grace Street at Anzac Park, dump site and water is located opposite the Information Centre, a 24 hour roadside rest area (3 klms from Innisfail) is on the Bruce Highway, at the turn off to the Atherton Tableland or you can continue your journey to Cairns, facilities at the rest area include a toilet block, covered area, BBQ, and a children’s playground.

The Australian Sugar Heritage/Museum is located at Mourilyan a 6 minute drive from the town centre. The Museum depicts the history of the Sugar Industry in Innisfail and houses The Barracks Café, post office and newsagent. A must see is “The Canecutter” monument made from imported marble from Italy, a tribute to the early canecutters who contributed so much to the Sugar cane industry in the district. The “Canecutter” is on the riverfront, in Edith Street next to the Post Office you will find the Innisfail Historical Society Museum and a rich history of the region.

The Innisfail Temple (Chinese Joss House) “all well-meaning persons   whether they be local residents or travellers, are welcome as worshippers at the Innisfail Temple irrespective of personal beliefs and ethnicity”, The temple is unique and a must see, it is situated in Owen Street, in the centre of town. A warm tropical climate and an annual rainfall of around 3500mm assures Innisfail the title  “Green like you’ve never Seen” average daytime temperatures in Australia’s winter range from 24 and 28 degrees Celsius in the dry season from May to October and in the wet season November to April around 30 degrees. Innisfail has a tropical Rainforest Climate with no month with a mean temperature below 18 C (64.4 F) or with less than 60 millimetres (2.4 in) of Rainfall.

An agricultural town Innisfail has well-established banana, sugar, and tropical fruit industries, the only commercially grown tea in Australia ‘Nerada Tea” was pioneered in Innisfail, there is a small prawn trawling fleet based on the North Johnstone River. Regional port Mourilyan harbor exports raw sugar from its bulk sugar terminal, molasses,live cattle and timber. The South Johnstone sugar mill is located in the small township of South Johnstone; a unique feature of the town is the cane train (Locomotive) hauling fully loaded cane bins through the main street to the mill at the southern end of the town. Sugar mill tours are available during the cane crushing season from late June to November.Innisfail is incredibly multi-cultural, with prominent populations of indigenous Australians, Mamu, and Europeans approximately 10,000 people today, the beginnings of the town started in the 1920’s with settlements by Italian immigrants and later with populations from Spain, Greece, Malta, Yugoslavia, China, India, the Philippines, and more recently East Asian and Hmong’s have settled in the area. Annual Festivals to celebrate the cultural diversity are Kultural Karnival, Festival Innisfail, Feast of the Senses, and Feast of the Three Saints.

Sport & Recreation

Innisfail Annuals 19th October 2013.Mission Beach Sailing Regatta 19-20 October 2013

Innisfail is the Hometown of Australian International Rugby League Players:

Billy Slater; Ty Williams; Kerry Boustead; Lionel Williamson and Trevor McDonald.

Sporting Facilities Include: The Billy Slater Oval (Rugby League) Innisfail District Tennis Courts.Innisfail Netball Courts. Innisfail Touch Grounds.Innisfail Cricket Ground.Innisfail Bowling Club.South Johnstone Bowling Club. Innisfail Golf Club Innisfail Turf Club. Innisfail Showground .Cecil Anderson Sports Complex-PCYC. Innisfail Game Fishing Club. Silkwood Pistol Club. Innisfail Pony Club. Innisfail Rowing Club. Outriggers Club. Etty Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

ACCOMMODATION

Hotels, Motels, Caravan Parks, and several large backpacker hostels, all backpacker hostels provide transport for their workers. There is a high level of local backpacker employment in the banana and sugar industries.

Clubs

Innisfail Brothers Leagues Club.Innisfail RSL Club Inc.Innisfail Bowles Club-Innisfail Turf Club.Innisfail Golf Club-Innisfail District Pony Club. Innisfail District Tennis Club.

Approximate Travelling Time via the Bruce Highway, Innisfail to Cairns 1 hour 15 minutes, Innisfail to Townsville 2 hours 59 minutes. Coach Service from Cairns International and domestic Airports.

Early History of the town reveals Innisfail was originally called Geradlton after pioneer Thomas Henry Fitzgerald who started the first sugar plantation in 1880.When a Russian steam ship arrived in 1910 and found they had sailed to the wrong Geraldton, their destination was Geraldton Western Australia, a special town meeting was called and on a suggestion from Fr Clancy the town was renamed “Innisfail” an ancient term for Ireland and it still lives up to its namesake to this day.  “Green like you’ve never seen”