Places and Drives - The Southern Tropics - Blencoe Falls 4WD Route

This 217 km (135 mile) drive is rough and there are few facilities, but it is an experience few will forget. Coastal vistas, the outstanding Blencoe Falls and the stark beauty of the dry country to the west make this one of the most interesting drives of the region. The road is accessible from Mt Garnet (past Ravenshoe) and from the coast near Kennedy. There is a boardwalk and lookout at the former loggers village of Society Flats (30km from Kennedy) with great examples of Rose Gums and Kauris. Blencoe Falls Lookout is 62km from Kennedy and it is worth every minute of the drive to see this stunning three-tier waterfall tumble through a gorge lined with hoop pines.

How to get there
If you are travelling from the coast, turn inland at Kennedy (33km/20 miles) south of Tully) and follow signs to Kirrima Road, an unsealed Forestry road which climbs 20km/12 miles to the top of Kirrima Range. There are a number of lookouts with spectacular views to Hinchinbrook Island. Then the road enters open eucalypt forest and, in a further 17km/10.5 miles, arrives at a signpost for Blencoe (16km/10 miles) and Mt Garnet (160km/100 miles). From Blencoe Falls, the road becomes rougher, passing through several cattle stations for another 100km (60 miles) to Mt Garnet. This road is not recommended during the wet season. In the dry season, make sure you and your vehicle are prepared. For the latest road conditions and recommendations, contact DNR Cardwell on (07) 4066-8779.