Cairns Cattana Wetlands — Attraction in Smithfield

Really beautiful wetland location, and an absolute must for birders visiting Cairns.

It's broken into two main types of wetland: well-maintained tourist friendly walks around the major lakes. These routes allow you to see most of the major water birds (pygmy geese, spoonbills, jacanas, etc), but don't have all that much else. Facilities along this route are great. There a bird huts, picnic tables, toilets, plenty of chairs overlooking the lakes, and several places to drink and refill water bottles.

There is also a less easily walked set of paths (easily accessible from the main paths or from the main road that runs alongside the wetlands) that go through other parts of the wetland including the Fairy Wren Billabong, through woods and shrubby areas. These paths are not always not well maintained, and at times are more like animal tracks than human paths (prepare to be pushing through branches). Here you're more likely to see birds like orioles, pheasant coucals, lovely fairy wrens and others. Note that some of these paths will take you very close to the creek which is fairly stagnant and when I went had a truly Amazonian number of mosquitos. Insect repellent isn't just recommended, you might get sucked dry without it.

It's only easily accessible by car. It does have a large car-park directly out front, but if you're not driving there's not even a footpath that'll take you to the entrance. Depending on where you're coming from it will be anything from a 15-40 minute walk to get to the wetlands from the nearest bus.

As an aside, the council really needs to get their act together and station a ranger at this location for a while. I visited twice in November and during those visits I encountered both people fishing (not just disruptive to wildlife and against the signed rules of the place, but extremely dangerous as I have it on good authority from a local that there are fairly regularly crocodiles found in the lakes and close proximity to the water's edge is just a really bad idea), and astonishingly someone taking a joyride on a dirtbike along the paths. The individual on the dirtbike had torn right through the middle of prime bird habitat and left quite a...

Cattana Wetlands started out as a sugar cane farm and sand mining quarry and has since been rehabilitated to form an enjoyable 80ha nature conservation park with a 420m boardwalk through feather palm forest, freshwater and salt water lakes and abundant plant and birdlife.

Opening hours: 5.30am-7pm daily

Facilities: bbqs, picnic areas, toilets, bird hides, boardwalk

Location: Dunne Road, Smithfield, about 20km from the Cairns CBD. Access from Yorkeys Knob Road or McGregor Road

To preserve wildlife and plants, dogs are definitely not permitted at any time.

Cattana Wetlands is wheelchair accessible and a 'must see' for everyone. You won't be disappointed. Just a reminder though, insect repellent is definitely required especially during the...

Amazing place to walk through. Wether it be for education, exercise or a tourist visit stop. The wetlands has great history and is split into two or three areas really well to experience what Cairns wetlands can offer and they have great little bird watching hutches too. My friend and I took our 6 kids with scooters and it took us about 2 hours of a visit to go around, stop a few times, we saw butterflies, birds, different plants and edibles (if you know what you're looking for) and the kids had a great morning out. There is BBQs, toilets and water bubblers here and after you're walk you can drive down the road into Yorkey's Knob for local cafes, beaches and playgrounds!

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