Is this THE MOST Instagrammable spot in FNQ?

Explore FNQ

Nov 3

Windin Falls has been on our radar for a while before we actually made the journey to get there. Why?

Mainly because of the drop-dead photos on Instagram – often shared by Queensland Tourism and Australia Instagram accounts – of a person lying in the infinity pool with an amazing vista of a valley and mountains behind them. Once I got there though I had to ask myself, is this the most Instagrammable spot in Tropical North Queensland??

**Drop dead views from an infinity pool**

The journey, although long – a 2 hour drive from Cairns and an hour + walk in through rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest (dominated by casuarinas and towering eucalypts) – is totally worth it (look for the complete set of instructions at the end of the blog). Windin Falls really does have the most amazing view and there is a small infinity pool that drops over a breath-taking edge to the valley below:

We were lucky to share this Windin Falls with only one other couple when we first arrived there mid-morning –around 10ish on a weekday. BUT as time wore on other people just kept rocking up. Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t busy by other people’s standards – there must have been a dozen people when we departed and half a dozen more hiking in– but by Tropical North Queensland standards that’s packed!!! Particularly for a waterfall that takes so long to get to…. BUT don’t worry if the pool gets too busy ‘cause there’s plenty of spots for a dip further up the stream.

Because we hit the trail earlyish (@9.30am) the birds in the forest were still very active. We heard Wompoo Pigeons, Noisy Pittas and Whip Birds calling out constantly in the rainforest parts. We even saw a BIG dump of Cassowary poo along the track so keep your eyes peeled on your journey in.

Grass Trees

Cassowary Poo

Later I had a look at the Instagram posts taken over the weekend of Windin Falls and sure enough there were even more people at the spot. I would’ve counted at least a dozen people in the infinity pool alone – making that elusive shot with just ‘one’ person hanging out at the pool a difficult picture to get….. SO unless you’re prepared to set off in the dark to do the journey don’t be too disappointed to share this beautiful spot with others.

**Be prepared to share the infinity pool with others on busier days**

I would also suggest NOT doing this after/during a BIG rain. The falls would be scary (suck you over the edge), the rocks slippery and the walking track muddy and full of leeches…..just a warning folks. If you want the instructions on how to get to Windin Falls read on below.

The locked gate is where your walk starts

How to Get There

Head west (from Cairns) up the Dividing Range towards Atherton. I suggest you go the Kuranda Range Road if you get carsick – the Gilles Highway is a real test on your stomach.
Turn off at Lake Eacham onto Lake Barrine Road.
Follow Lake Barrine Road onto Topaz Road and then onto the Old Cairns Track. You can Google ‘Old Cairns Track’ for directions.
Once you’re on the Old Cairns Track stay to the left - make sure you don’t follow the signs to the Bartle Frere walking tracks – although you can hike to Windin Falls from this direction too as we met people that came in from this angle.
The Old Cairns Track is dirt and has plenty of potholes so be warned.
There’s a spot on the right-hand side to park your car in around 5 km in. Don’t worry about finding this as 5-minutes later you’ll hit the locked gate – this is where your hike to Winding Falls begins.
Go over the gate, stay to the right and follow the 4WD track until you get to the tree with the ‘falls’ sign on it. The road is undulating before this and not too taxing. It will take you around an hour to get to this sign.
Turn right onto the smaller track and follow for 900m until you hit Windin Falls. You’ll be taken directly to the spot.
The only real exertion will be getting back up the track to meet the 4WD track when you walk out…..

ENJOY!!!!

Distance: Approx 5km of undulating track.

Time: 1- 1½ hours to complete.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Good Things to Know:

The best time to do any climbing in Cairns is during the winter months (April – September)
During the wet season it is preferable to do any of the above activities early in the morning or early evening – ie. the cooler parts of the day.
Water and sensible walking shoes are recommended for any climb in the tropics.
Don’t forget to bring the insect repellent – March Flies, Mosquitoes and leeches LOVE the Tropics.

Have you enjoyed looking at Windin Falls on Instagram? Would you like to discover other Cairns walks with great vistas?

If you’re keen to do some other climbs near Cairns with some great views then check out my 4 Big Climbs around Cairns post.