Hikers locked out of deadly Far North waterfall
A notoriously deadly Far North beauty spot that has claimed three lives since 2013 has been closed. Why QPWS have restricted access to the waterfall access track.
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A notoriously deadly Far North beauty spot that has claimed three lives since 2013 has been closed for safety reasons and to preserve the culturally significant area.
In 2013 French tourist Frederic Andre drowned at Kearneys Falls in the Goldsborough Valley after slipping on a boulder and falling into the water unconscious.
More recently in 2019, Townsville couple Simon Walker and Sherei Anderson were found dead at Kearneys Falls after going hiking.
“They’ve certainly made some effort to scale what is quite a dangerous precipitous bit of rock and it has ended tragically,” Acting Inspector Ed Kinbacher said at the time.
Based on police reports the three hikers died after attempting to climb steep, slippery rock formations leading to the top of the waterfall.
The falls track was closed for maintenance when Simon Walker and Sherei Anderson fell to their deaths in 2019.
According to a Department of Environment and Science park alert the Wajil walk (Kearneys Falls walking track) in the Goldsborough Valley section of the Wooroonooran National Park has been temporarily closed.
A department spokeswoman said historically, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service had experienced issues with visitors climbing over slippery surfaces to the rock pools at the bottom of the falls and beyond the track to reach the top of the falls.
“To prevent further serious incidents and fatalities, and to determine the best way to preserve this culturally significant area, QPWS and the Dulabed and Malanburra Yidinji People, who hold Native Title to this area, decided in partnership to temporarily close the track,” the spokeswoman said.
“QPWS and the Dulabed and Malanburra Yidinji People are working to determine the best alignment for the track that is as safe as possible for visitors and culturally appropriate while enhancing visitor experience to the area.
“Once these discussions and plans are finalised, the track will re-open to the public.”
The walking track to Kearneys Falls will be closed until further notice.
In January this year the Jawajawa Rangers of the Dulabed and Malanburra Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation with the help of QPWS officers installed an emergency phone at the Goldsborough Valley campgrounds where there’s no mobile reception.
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