The Wallaman Falls are notable for their single-drop of 268 metres, which is Australia's highest permanent waterfall.
The Wallaman Falls section of Girringun National Park is within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA). Proclaimed in 1988, the WTWHA extends for about 450km between Cooktown and Townsville. Consisting of nearly 900,000ha, vegetation is primarily tropical rainforest, but also includes open eucalypt forest, wetlands and mangrove forests. The WTWHA meets all four natural criteria for World Heritage listing. These criteria recognise the area’s exceptional natural beauty and the importance of its biological diversity and evolutionary history, including habitats for numerous threatened species. The WTWHA also has cultural significance for Aboriginal people who have traditional links with the area and its surrounds.
The origins of Wallaman Falls are anything but humble. Several major geological events created the landscape that you see today.
About 50 million years ago, uplift of the Earth's crust formed the edge of the continent that lies against the Coral Sea and the present day landforms began to form. An earlier Herbert River flowed towards the west. It is not known when it reached its present east flowing course.
Continuous erosion caused the Herbert River Falls to retreat continously. As the gorge became longer, it passed tributaries including Stony Creek, which were then suspended. This created waterfalls, such as Wallaman, which in turn eroded their own gorges.
Wallaman Falls is part of the traditional lands of the Warrgamaygan Aboriginal people.
The Warrgamaygan people walked this land and cared for this country, long before the concept of sustainability was developed. They moved with the changing seasons, enjoying a lifestyle based on hunting, gathering and fishing.
For the Warrgamaygan people, this country was not only the home from which they harvested their food and other resources, but it also sustained their spirituality. This connection continues today.
How to claim this find
Look around at the viewing platform and read the educational displays. Answer the following question in an email to the owner:
- How fast does the erosion cause the Wallaman Falls to retreat?
- Please post a picture of you and your GPS visible infront of the falls.