Places and Drives - Cairns / Kuranda - Mangrove Walk

Not far from the entrance to Mt Whitfield is the Mangrove Walk, located halfway between the Sheridan Street turnoff and the entrance to the airport on the right hand side of the road. Two boardwalks provide the opportunity to see the inside of a mangrove forest without getting your feet muddy. (But do make sure you bring your insect repellant!)
The left hand boardwalk is 700 metres (nearly 1/2 a mile) and takes you through the landward side of the mangrove system. It includes a viewing tower and an observation platform by a saltwater creek. From this platform, large mudskippers (fish that can sit out of water for long periods), Telescope Mud Whelks, garfish and Anthouse plants can be seen.
The right hand boardwalk is 600 metres (1/3 mile) and terminates at a viewing tower which overlooks Cairns and the seagrass beds in the harbour. This walk features the taller mangroves of the seaward side of a mangrove forest. Between both walks, 11 species of mangroves can be found with at least four types of root systems. (See our mangroves page for some information about how mangroves live in their specialised environment.) Take your time wandering along these boardwalks and you will see the 'small details' of life in the mangroves including land snails, spiders, bird life, etc.

How to Get There
Turn onto Airport Road and drive about 2 km (1.2 miles). Look for some parking bays and a covered picnic table on the right hand side of the road. More information is available from the Cairns City Council Customer Service Centre on (07) 4044-3044.