Places and Drives - The Central Coast - Goldsborough Valley

This serene rainforest valley would have been a peaceful place for its Aboriginal residents - until the 1870's, when thousands of miners arrived to dig gold from the creekbeds. At one time, there were 17 hotels in the bustling shantytown of Goldsborough. The town disbanded when the gold ran out, but some of the miners stayed to carve canefields out of the dense forest. In the mid-1900's, the remaining forest became the Goldsborough Valley State Forest which now attracts thousands of visitors each year. School groups and locals come to picnic beside the river and camp on the grassy lawns.
Some intrepid hikers take on the historic Goldfield Track to the Babinda Boulders, 19km (12 miles) away. Check track conditions with rangers at the park before you attempt this hike.

How to get there
Goldsborough is 1-1/4 hour's drive south-west of Cairns. Turn onto the Gillies Highway at Gordonvale, 20km (12.5 miles) south of Cairns. Look for signs for Peets' Bridge and cross over the bridge. Continue along the partly sealed (paved) road for 15km (9 miles) to reach the entrance to camping and day use area. (Note, this road is unsuitable for caravans. Further information is available from (07) 4091-1844.

Gillies Highway

The Gillies Highway writhes for 19 km (nearly 12 miles) up the coastal range to the Tablelands. It roughly follows the historical Robson's Track, a packhorse trail described by Bishop Gilbert White in 1887 as "the worst road in the world". The current road was completed in 1926 and named after eminent local and one-time Queensland Premier, W.N. Gillies. These days the road requires care and attention but it is no longer the life-threatening adventure that it once was. However, its hundreds of sharp curves remain a challenge to the stomach! Even those who normally don't suffer motion-sickness can be overwhelmed by the unrelenting Gillies Highway.

How to get there

The Gillies Highway begins on the outskirts of Gordonvale, 20km south of Cairns. It climbs through dry eucalypt forest peppered with primitive, spiky cycads. As the altitude increases, panoramic views unfold far below. Soon the road is cloaked in dense rainforest, creating a cool, green tunnel before the road finally straightens out and emerges on the Tablelands.