Leeches, poison ivy and a dead body.
Larapinta Falls
Location: Lamington National Park, Christmas Creek Road.
Duration: 6 – 7hrs return
getting there
The hike begins at the end of the Christmas Creek Road, Lamington Qld.
As you drive further and further along Christmas Creek Road the road will turn to gravel and wind you through what feels like someone’s private property. keep driving. You will eventually run out of road and arrive at a carpark, where you will see a gate (pictured below).
the hike
Time to dust off the boots.
The hike can be broken up into 3 stages:
- to Christmas Creek (and crossing)
- to Westray’s Grave
- to Larapinta Falls
to Christmas Creek
Proceed to enter through the gate and follow the flat defined trail for about 10minutes. The trail will lead you to Christmas Creek (yes the waterfall is further upstream). Time to get there.
You’ll need to get across the creek. There is a marker on a large tree that has fallen across the creek. The trunk creates a perfect natural bridge. Scramble across.
to Westray Grave
Yep you’re heading to the site of a Westray’s Grave (a body from the 1937 Stinson Crash).
Once you’re on the other side of Christmas Creek, it is a fairly easy walk through the lush forest as you meander alongside Christmas Creek heading up stream (with the creek on your left).
As you proceed upstream the path will become less defined and the folge will become far denser making walking much more difficult and slow going. Watch out for leeches and poison ivy which await unexpected intruders in this often overlooked part of the forest.
After about an hour you will arrive at Westray’s Grave (see below image).
By way of background, in 1937 on a stormy Queensland afternoon a small 7 man ‘stinson’ aircraft left Brisbane for Sydney, but due to bad weather, crash landed in a remote part of the Lamington national park. 4 men were killed on impact, leaving 3 men stranded at the crash site, 2 badly injured (including the founder of Proud Jewlers, John Proud).
The plane (or what was left of it) had been swallowed whole by the forest. Leaving no evidence of its location to the outside world. The only man capable of finding his feat and seeking help was a man by the name of Jim Westray. He decided to leave the 2 injured men and seek help.
Aussie bushman Bernard O’Reilly (a member of the famous O’Reilly guesthouse in the Lamington national park) set out on foot to find the crash site, on a hunch that the plane has come down over the Lamington ranges.
After 10 days Bernard amazingly located and brought help to the 2 survivors, who were still at the crash site. Unfortunately for Jim, his lifeless body was discovered amongst the foliage on the rainforest floor a short distance away from the crash site. It is thought he fell off a large waterfall attempting to escape the grasp of the enchanting forest.
Jim’s body is now buried next to Christmas Creek in a marked grave. You have arrived at this site.
to Larapinta Falls
Do not follow the sign to the Stinson Crash Site (save it for another time!). Walk straight passed the sign (pictured below) and continue to proceed upstream and drop-down onto Christmas Creek (there will be an opening).
Once on Christmas Creek, it’s time for a scramble as you dip, dive, duck and drop your way upstream. This part of the hike is very very slow going and quite difficult, watch your step.
Keep heading upstream. It will feel like an eternity of scrambling, but keep heading upstream. After about an hour you will peer into the window of Larapinta Falls (see below).
Enjoy,
Brandon.
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