One of the last and most natural trips I did in Australia before I had to leave, due to my visa running out was to see what waterfalls I could find in the rainforests around Cairns. I wasn't disappointed.

When you picture Australia, the colour orange pops into your head. Desert and maybe a few kangeroo's hopping along the sand with a sunset in the background. However Australia is far more lush and green then you'd ever expect, it's not simply "just a desert" like many will tell you. Funnily enough the people that tell you this, haven't been.

I was amazed at what I found on my short road trip south of Cairns. I'd already seen a few waterfalls on an organised trip with waterfall wonderers which by the way was a good trip and well worth checking out. Our guide in particular was an absolute legend and made the trip that extra special. For example he'd ask "Is everyone having a good time?" then proceed to hit the brakes repeatedly so everyone's head nodded. It was hilarious!

Let's start with the most famous waterfall in the area -

Milla Milla Falls

This waterfall may look familiar to you if you grew up listening to 90's music. Not the crap we have to endure now. IIt was filmed in a particular music video from a classic one-hit wonder. Can you guess it?

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

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Time's up!

It was Peter Andre's Mysterious Girl - what a tune!

The waterfall is famous for the ever growingly popular hair flick too. It looks best when girls do it obviously but anyone with long hair can pull it off. You also need the right camera set up and skills. Be warned though, the water is absolutely freezing!

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Josephine Falls

(Here's my claim to fame)
Another cool place to visit is Josephine falls which is also included in the Waterfall Wonderers tour. As you can see the waterfall itself isn't that much to look at, however this place is not so much the waterfall, but more to do with the natural rockslide into the freezing cold water below. It's one hell of a wake up call but really refreshing on a hot sunny day.

We bought and inflatable shark along... I couldn't resist

Spotting a Platypus

At first I didn't really think this was much of a big deal, I mean I'd already seen Koala's and Kangeroo's so this doesn't compete right? Wrong. Although I'd never seen one in the wild before, I was still keen on seeing one. What I didn't realize was just how rare these creatures are and according to our guide at the time there is an 80-90% chance that you won't see one in the wild, even if you know exactly where to look. They are extremely rare and very shy animals that spend most of their time underwater only to pop up for air. Luckily for us we saw one pop up a couple of times. They're very odd looking with a duck bill at the front, a beaver tail at the back and a slim furry body kind of like an otter.

Did you know they're venomous? They have a spur on the back of their hind feet which links to a venom gland. They give birth to live young yet they still lay eggs? A trully remarkable creature and you'll fully respect why they're so protectected if you ever see one.

Lake Eacham

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Another activity stop for the young travelers and the good swimmers. It's a lake with a small pier which you can jump off if your into that kind of thing.
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I personally didn't as I knew it was the last stop before an hour or so on the coach back to Cairns. Not to mention crocodiles are sometimes spotted in the lake so you better be a good swimmer! You see, I know alot about animals and preditors and I know by making alot of splash and noise, they'll come and investigate treating you as a hostile. No thanks.

But don't worry, if you keep an eye on the shallows you'll be able to see the turtles skimping across the floor.

Off tour

Now for the real gems! These waterfalls were not included in any tour that I knew about and I think you'll agree, they're pretty spectacular. If you've made it this far down the post, you won't regret it!

The Crystal Cascades

First up is one that is just outside of Cairns yet most tours don't visit this fantastic location! It's about 15 minutes or so from the main town and an absolute must if you visit.

It's not exactly a small waterfall either which is why I'm so far away in order to get the whole enviroment in. That's just it. This waterfall is a way of life, not just something to look at.

Here's a closer view of this beauty

Apparently you can jump from the top if your a thrill seeker but the water level constantly changes so in my view it's not worth the risk. It is however worth climbing up to the top where you'll find another hidden waterfall and a swimable area.

Zillie Falls

We stumbled upon this almost by accident, there wasn't a big car park or anything so we weren't inspecting much.

We were wrong.

Unlike the previous waterfall, this isn't one to go swimming in as the water is very shallow and litered with rocks. Who would of thought that rocks and mud would make a picture stand out so well?

As far as I know, this next one doesn't seem to have a name and we couldn't figure out a way to get closer. But in my opinion a picuture with the overgroth acting as a frame is just a good.

Secret Falls?

Probably the most spectacular waterfall i've ever seen was when we were heading back to cairns. It certainly wasn't the biggest waterfall in terms of height or width, nor was it the widest and in terms of popularity, no one really knows about it...

Yes, that is a rainbow at the bottom and no this photo is not edited in any way. This is exactly how I saw it, but in motion. I think you will agree, it's a stunning waterfall and one that hopefully won't become too popular in the future. The actual name of this waterfal is unknown. If you Image search it, the closest match you'll get is *"secret falls" which looks simular but certainly not the same.

It's a mystery.

Since then I've seen some pretty spectacular waterfalls in New Zealand but this one still remains my favourite and now that i've finally had the time to write about it, I'll remember this journy for years to come.

Thank you for visiting, please leave a like if you enjoyed reading my post. As I've mentioned before, I've covered nearly everything I've done in Australia but it was then I made a decision that truly changed my life...