Blue Arrow Circuit Walk Mt Whitfield Cairns

The Blue Arrow Walk is one of several colour coded walking tracks on Mt Whitfield in the heart of Cairns. Locally known as “The Blue Arrow”, it is officially called the Blue Arrow Circuit. The stated length of the Blue Arrow is 6km long, but this doesn’t factor in the Red Arrow connection or any deviation to Mt Lumley Hill lookout, which is a shame to miss. The Cairns Regional Council site suggests the walk takes 5 hours (return). This is a fair estimation for a family with younger kids, or if you’re a slowly meandering fungi-snapping photographer stopping every 100 metres for another mushroom shot. However, if you’re fit and sans children, and don’t take long or many stops, you should knock it over in a steady 4 hours, which is consistent with the time stated on the Department of Environment and Science, Parts and forests webpage.

Red Arrow track to reach the Blue Arrow Circuit.

As expected on a walk of this length that works its way up the ridge line of a rain forested hill, before plunging into the damp forest below, it is rugged and includes some steep climbs. If you’re not reasonably fit and healthy, try something easier. Thankfully the litmus test is really the first section of the Red Arrow walk. If you’re going to capitulate and require help, it’s going to be after this lung bursting ascent to the Red Arrow lookout over the airport. I’m serious.

Keep an eye out for wildlife. If you don’t come across at least a dozen bush turkeys in the first 10 minutes, phone home as the world has likely ended. Other creatures to spot are pademelons (small wallaby-like marsupials), birds, and echidnas.

And mosquitoes. If a wet-season bush walk around the Blue Arrow is your thing, take some repellent. The mosquitoes can be ferocious in their tenacity and number.

The start of the Blue Arrow Walk proper

Only about 100m beyond the Red Arrow lookout, which you’ll want to stop at briefly – if only to allow your legs and lungs to compose themselves, is the start of the Blue Arrow Walk. If you thought the Red Arrow steps were steep, you’re in for Round Two! Straight up an excellent asphalt path for several hundred metres will once again have your legs and lungs stretched, and once again, you are rewarded with a lookout spot at the end of this climb.

From this point on, the carefully maintained footpaths you’ve enjoyed thus far end. You’re into the bush, and apart from the sound of aircraft taking off and landing from Cairns Airport below, you wouldn’t know there’s civilisation nearby.

Close to the city, but be sensible

There’s a couple of diplomatic reminders from the Cairns Regional Council to be responsible and recognise that despite its proximity to the city (and it really is fantastically situated), this is a 4 (or 5) hour rugged hike though the bush:

“DANGER. Serious injuries and death have occurred when people have become lost and wandered off the track after dark.
– Never attempt this walk after 4pm.
– Always remain on the track.
Your safety is our concern, but your responsibility.”

Remaining on the track sounds easy, and for the most part it is, but be aware that after heavy rain, one part of the leaf-covered forest floor looks like another, and there are a couple of sections on the lower return section (remember we’re going clockwise here) that can be ambiguous. Take your time, look for the path, keep an eye out for cut branches and stumps and other signs of a trail and you’ll be fine.

Fallen trees

Another hazard is navigating fallen trees and vegetation. On our hike we came across at least 3 fallen trees that we needed to navigate. In one case there were two trees that had fallen directly across the trail, and we had to work our way above their uprooted trunks on the hillside and return down to the track. All good fun and added to the adventure.

Mt Lumley Hill lookout

The Mt Lumley Hill lookout isn’t world-shattering in its view, but the vegetation is refreshingly different to much of the rest of the trek. It’s somewhat drier and contains the strange looking Grass Trees. At the lookout itself is a small covered double table at which you may pause to unpack your picnic lunch. Within seconds, you’ll be packing it away again though, as the mosquitoes will overcome you. We found very few mosquitoes on all the other stops we took, but the sheer volume of obviously starving mosquitoes at Mt Lumley Hill was frightening.

Also, worth noting is that My Lumley Hill is the location for an aircraft hazard beacon and a telecommunications tower. The red beacon light can be seen flashing slowly as one drives south into the city along the Bruce Highway from the North. There’s a service track under the lines that presumably supply power to this infrastructure. It’s a pretty steep track, and I don’t know if it’s technically allowed, but it’s clear and heads straight down the spur to Stratford. Otherwise, return to join the Blue Arrow circuit some 400m along the way you came, and continue your hike.

Signage

Signage around the Blue Arrow Walk is good. There are regular posts to indicate distance in both directions, at least every 1km. These are new posts, clearly signed, and should be the ones to take note of. We noted smaller, older, plaques at the edge of the trail in some places that didn’t appear consistent with either the newer signage, or with our GPS. However, these older markers had also been defaced, so they were difficult to read. Ignore them. Go with the newer, blue signs on the posts.

As well as distance markers, there are several maps with the standard “you are here” pins to orientate yourself.

Is it worth it?

Now I should point out that I’ve had a raging argument with a mate over the boring nature of this walk. I don’t think it is. However, if you’re looking for the best views, the greatest challenge, an adventure that pits you against the elements and tests the very fabric of your existence, I agree – there are likely to be other expeditions that meet these criteria.

If, on the other hand, you want a 4 hour bushwalk in the heart of a city that the family can enjoy without 3 weeks of careful planning, this is the perfect hike. It only requires a day pack and a decent water bottle or two and you’re away! And as a bonus, if you’re a plane spotter, a fungi photographer, or haven’t seen a grass tree, this walk has ample opportunities for you.