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Useful Maps
Discover Thuringowa - a touring map of Thuringowa City
Walking Tracks of Paluma - detailed brochure on short walks around Paluma village
Great Tropical Drive - Townsville/Thuringowa - Paluma - Hidden Valley - Hervey's Range - Townsville/Thuringowa
Great Tropical Drive - Ingham - Paluma - Hidden valley - Mt Fox - Ingham
Paluma Range National Park (Mt Spec Section) - Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service visitor Information
Driving notes for Paluma to Heritage Tearooms, Hervey's Range
Paluma to Hervey's Range Road junction
This leg is approximately 98 kilometres (84km of gravel) and 2 hours driving time from Paluma to the junction with Hervey's Range Road (bitumen). There are not many creeks carrying water along this road, so you are advised to carry drinking water. Once you leave Hidden Valley and drive west, there are few properties close to the road. CDMA mobile phones don't work between Paluma and Hervey's Range. Take care, this is not a busy road.
- Paluma to turnoff into Lake Paluma – 5km
- Lake Paluma turnoff to end of bitumen road - 9.5km
- End of bitumen to grid gate and turnoff into Hidden Valley Cabins - 8.5km. Cabins are approximately 1km off the road.
- Turnoff to right – 1km. This gravel road heads north to take you to Mt Fox. From there you can access Ingham; or Undara Lava Tubes via Camel Creek and Valley of Lagoons; or Cardwell via Cashmere Station and Kirrama Range (check all roads are open before traversing). Go straight ahead for Townsville, Greenvale and Mingela via Hervey's Range Road. This road is marked by the Dalrymple Shire as suitable for 4WD vehicles only.
- Grid – 5km. Boundary between Hidden Valley Station and Zig Zag Station (No camping or Trespassing on Zig Zag). High voltage powerlines on your left.
- Grid – 2km
- Cattle yards on eastern side of road – 5km
- Grid – 4km
- Grid – 7km
- Road junction – 2km. Turn left to Laroona Station and Charters Towers, turn right to locality of Ewan and the top of the Burdekin River.
- Grid - 1km
- Grid bridge - 5km
- Grid – 3km. Boundary between Zig Zag Station (no camping or trespassing on Zig Zag) and Mt Zero Station (both Australian Wildlife Conservancy properties – wildlife sanctuaries)
- Grid and boundary of Mt Zero Station – 7km
- Lassie Creek grid bridge – 7km
- Grid bridge, grids and old Greenvale Railway line – 5km
- Grid – 3km. Turn left to Townsville.
- Power line overhead, white concrete watertank on your right – 2km.
- Grid – 7km. Gate to Laroona Station on your left, may not be visible once new work completed. Turn right.
- Cattle yards on left – 7km.
- End of gravel road – 2km. T Junction with bitumen road. Townsville/Thuringowa to left 114km.
Hervey's Range Road junction to Heritage Tearooms at Hervey's Range
This leg is approximately 64 kilometres and 35 minutes driving time from the junction of the gravel road across to Hidden Valley with the bitumen Hervey's Range Road to Heritage Tearooms.
- Bridge over Star River – 1km
- Bridge over Boundary Creek West – 7km
- Bridge over Boundary Creek East and airstrip (wind socks) – 7km. You are now driving through Department of Defence properties – note signs on fences.
- Turnoff to Mingela – 16km. Mingela is 68km away.
- Substantial bridge over un-named creek. – 16km
- Army Range Control on your right, heavy vehicle washdown area on your left – 9km.
- Junction with Thornton Gap Road – 8km. Turn left for Heritage Tearooms. Enjoy tea and scones. CDMA mobile phone reception.
Heritage Tearooms back to Bruce Highway at junction of Black River Road
This leg is approximately 27 kilometres and 18 minutes driving time from the Heritage Tearooms to the junction of Black River Road with the Bruce Highway (bitumen all the way back to Paluma).
- Junction with Black River Road – 10km. Go straight ahead for Townsville/Thuringowa. Turn left to rejoin Bruce Highway north of Townsville.
- Junction with Bruce Highway – 8km. Turn right for Townsville/Thuringowa. Turn left for Paluma (45 minutes away), Ingham and Cairns.
