Chasing Waterfalls: A Rainy Day at Millstream Falls
Braving the Elements
This morning began with promise as I drove south from Mareeba under clear skies. However, nature had other plans. Around the ranges, particularly towards Atherton, clouds gathered ominously. The closer I got to Atherton, the lower and darker those clouds became, eventually enveloping the landscape in a fine drizzle.
I continued my journey south through Atherton towards Upper Barron. Briefly, the sky brightened and the clouds lifted, offering a momentary reprieve that didn't last. As I ascended into the ranges, the drizzle returned, more persistent than before. I contemplated turning back but decided to press on, hoping conditions might improve. By the time I passed the wind farm outside Ravenshoe, I was driving through wind and steady rain.
Solitude at Little Millstream Falls
My first destination was Little Millstream Falls. Fortunately, as I arrived, the rain eased to a light mist. I had the entire place to myself—a rare treat that meant I could fly my drone without worrying about disturbing other visitors.
The walking track to the falls wound through lush vegetation for a couple hundred meters. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, the scene that greeted me was worth the journey. The falls were flowing more vigorously than during my previous visit, making this a perfect opportunity for some long-exposure photography with a neutral density filter.
A Vibrant Landscape
What struck me most was how the recent rainfall had transformed the surroundings. Everything appeared more vibrant—the vegetation surrounding the falls was richer greens, while flowering bushes added splashes of colour to the scene. Even the rock face had come alive with specks of orange lichen that hadn't been as noticeable during drier conditions.
Battling the Elements
I positioned myself on the track directly overlooking the falls to maintain visual contact with my drone as I explored different angles and compositions. The overcast sky provided soft, diffused light—ideal for capturing the landscape without harsh shadows or blown-out highlights.
The conditions, however, presented their own challenges. Every few minutes, a brief shower would pass through, forcing me into a routine of flying the drone back repeatedly to wipe moisture from the lens. Despite my efforts, I later discovered during processing that several images were affected by water droplets and had to be discarded.
Worth the Effort
Looking back on the expedition, I'm glad I didn't turn around when the weather deteriorated. The moody atmosphere and enhanced water flow created photographic opportunities that wouldn't have been possible on a clear, dry day. Sometimes the most memorable images come from embracing challenging conditions rather than waiting for perfect weather.
Next time, I'll bring additional microfiber cloths and perhaps a small shelter for my takeoff area—lessons learned for future rainy day adventures.
Warwick Willmott, the author of Rocks and Landscapes of the National Parks of North Queensland, Geoscience Australia (Qld Branch) gives a great description of the geology of this area.
The town of Ravenshoe is almost on the western edge of the basalts from the Atherton Volcanic Province, and just to the west, older rhyolite lavas of the Glen Gordon Volcanics (of Carboniferous age) can be seen in cuttings of the Kennedy Highway, beneath pale shallow soils. However, some basalt flows continued further west down an old valley of The Millstream which flows past the town. The park covers a strip of these basalts along the present stream valley below the town.
The basalt flows are believed to have come from the Windy Hill Volcano, whose summit was near the present wind farm east of the town. After the valley was filled by the basalts, the stream had to carve a new course. Usually it cut down along the margin between the flows and the older surrounding rocks, but in places it cut a course in the basalts themselves.
There are two entrances to the national park. The Little Millstream Falls are reached along Tully Falls Road and Wooroora Road to the south of Ravenshoe. A short walking track leads to the base of the falls from the car park. These are cascades and slots cut into hard rhyolite of the Glen Gordon Volcanics, where the present stream has been forced to erode along the boundary of the rhyolite and the basalt flows. Just downstream from the pool at the base of the falls, the edge of a black basalt flow can be seen in the cliff to the south, on top of the rhyolite (photo opposite). Looking down the gorge from the walking track, you can see light grey rhyolite outcrops, pale soils and eucalypt forest on the right-hand side of the valley, and dark basalt outcrops red soils and denser vegetation on the left.
Big Millstream Falls are just off the Kennedy Highway 3 km west of Ravenshoe, where a walking track leads from a car park to a lookout over the falls. Three basalt fows have been identified, and the uppermost, on which the car park is situated, has been dated at 1.24 million years old. However, a soil profile has developed on top of the next next underlying flow, so this and the lowermost flow may be considerably older The falls plunge in a wide curtain over the horizontal, lowermost lava flow showing how ecology can influence the appearance of streams and falls The lower flows show prominent vertical cooling columns, formed as the flows cooled, contracted and cracked downwards in a regular pattern.
On the way from the Kennedy Highway into Big Millstream Falls, I take a detour via a narrow and rough track to the north to another set of cascades between Little and Big Millstream Falls. Lush tall grass and open forest with contrasting colours. The track is definitely 4 wheel drive. I had to park and walk a few sections before returning and advancing with the Mazda.
Not as impressive as the falls but an interesting section of the river.
On returning to the potholed road into Big Millstream Falls, it was a short distance to the carpark where only a few cars were parked. Good, the weather was probably discouraging visitors. No-one to annoy with the drone. The weather was on the verge of light showers with very little wind (good for attempting long exposures). I have used the drone before at this location and thought to look for different perspectives. Again, the vegetation was more lush than last time, and the water level - a little higher. I took shots covering the usual perspectives and then focused other ideas. There were interesting and beautiful trees I could use in the foreground of shots.
I suspected a few of the shots will come out nicely but would have to wait till I got home and processed them. All in all, an interesting and productive day! The overcast weather worked to my advantage, offering a soft light. On leaving Ravenshoe, I drove into rain again which remained with me till near Atherton. How lucky was I to avoid the worst of it?