A Queensland Waterfall Palooza: The Millaa Millaa Waterfall Circuit

The Millaa Millaa Waterfall Circuit in the Atherton Tableland Region in Northern Queensland is a total waterfall extravaganza. There are 3 easily accessible and outrageously beautiful falls conveniently located on a nice loop, making it a top tourist destination out of Cairns. 

We are always looking for a good waterfall, so we checked it out!

Tips:

• Hit the circuit  early and on a weekday; it gets crowded!
• The water is brisk, but you’ll regret not going for a swim.
• End with Millaa Milla falls instead of starting with it. There are changing rooms available meaning you won’t have to drive home in your wet swimsuit!

1. Ellinjaa Falls

Ellinjaa Falls has a 12m drop into a lovely swimming hole that’s perfect for a refreshing dip. Be careful of the rocks! They are slippery!

2. Zillie Falls

Zillie Falls is the second stop on the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit, and it features an impressive 15 m drop. While the path will take you to a viewing platform from the  top, there is a hidden path to the side that leads to the base of the falls. I always find that the true power of a waterfall can’t really be realized unless you can marvel at it from the bottom, so you better believe we headed down for the different perspective.

The walk took us around 15ish minutes. It’s a bit slippery and the giant rocks are tricky to navigate, but well worth the view.

3. Millaa Millaa Falls

Millaa Millaa falls is the most well-known fall on the circuit and it’s arguably the most picturesque. It has a 18.3  m drop into a big swimming hole surrounded by dense green jungle. The highlight was floating on my back staring up at the water coming down.

We hit it once on a Sunday afternoons. It was super busy, shocker. So we visited it again the following morning and had it all to ourselves. Millaa Millaa is a little piece of paradise you need to see to believe.

Here’s the things about the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit…

These three falls are stunning, but they are handed to you on a platter. The walks are all short and you don’t have to put in any work for the views. This is great for some travelers, particularly those with mobility issues, but it does get my dopamine pumping and travel high buzzing.

“It’s the journey, not the destination” is a hackneyed phrase suitable for a throw pillow that rings true. When it comes to travel, I live for the unexpected surprises an adventure can have. Our Wallaman Falls trip, for example, included a road full of cows, an abysmal day, and stinging nettles.

The end destination is only as gratifying as the journey it took to get there.

All three falls in the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit are visually appealing and worth seeing because, well, why not? But if you’re an adventure seeker looking for a more intense journey, I’ve got an alternative waterfall circuit that is right next to the Millaa Millaa circuit….

Stay tuned for the next post!

Here’s a sneak peak 🙂