Paddling in Wooroonooran National Park

Wooroonooran National Park sits in the wet tropics of Far North Queensland, roughly half an hour south of Cairns, protecting a stretch of rainforest-draped ranges and the river valleys that drain them.

The paddling here is freshwater and river-focused — moving water cutting through dense tropical country, with the Goldsborough Valley as the clearest entry point for canoeists and kayakers. The Goldsborough Valley is where most paddlers start.

Canoeing and kayaking are explicitly supported there, and the window the locals point to runs March through May — the tail end of the wet season, when water levels are up and the valley is at its most alive.

The 8 km Goldfield Trail runs parallel to the river corridor, which gives paddlers a sense of the terrain they're moving through.

Babinda Creek is the other named water with a paddling track attached to it; the Babinda Kayak Paddle is a documented route, and paddle sports including canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding are permitted on it.

The Russell River, Mulgrave River, South Johnstone River, and Johnstone River all drain this landscape, along with smaller tributaries like Behana Creek, Christmas Creek, and Weinert Creek.

Treat them as context rather than confirmed routes until you've done your own reconnaissance. Camping in Queensland's national parks requires a permit booked through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service — that applies here.

Kayak hire is available locally through Babinda Kayak Hire, which operates without a website but can be found through reviews and direct contact. This is tropical rainforest country.

Water levels shift fast with rainfall, and the wet season that makes the paddling good also makes the rivers unpredictable. Come with local knowledge, check conditions before you launch, and treat the park as the working ecosystem it is.