Redlynch is where Cairns folds into the rainforest: a fast-growing valley suburb pushed up against the ranges, ten minutes’ drive from anywhere useful, whose great civic asset sits at the end of its westernmost road. That asset is Crystal Cascades, and on any hot weekend, half the city’s utes are pointed at it.
Crystal Cascades
A free rainforest swimming hole at the end of Redlynch Intake Road, with a sealed creekside track, a chain of clear pools, toilets and barbecues. It is the suburb’s great civic asset and the city’s default answer to a hot Sunday. Full details, the safety rules and the no-dogs policy are in our guide to Crystal Cascades.
Why anyone comes to Redlynch
Crystal Cascades, essentially. Redlynch is a valley suburb about fifteen minutes from the Cairns CBD, and it is the way in to the freshwater swimming that locals use when the beaches are closed to stingers or too hot to bother with. If you are staying in the city without a car, this is one of the few genuinely good free things that is close enough to reach cheaply.
Swimming at the Cascades, and the safety part
A sealed walking track follows the creek up to the falls and the swimming holes, and on a hot weekend the whole of Cairns appears to be there. Two rules that are not negotiable in this country. Do not swim after heavy rain, because creek levels in the ranges rise fast and the water that looked calm an hour ago is not the water you are standing in now. And read the signs at the entrance rather than following whoever went first. Our swimming safety guide covers the region properly and is worth the ten minutes.
Parking, and when to go
The car park fills early on weekends and in school holidays, and the road in is not built for the overflow. Go on a weekday, or go before nine on a Saturday. Early is also when the water is clearest and the light through the canopy is worth the phone coming out.
The other reason to know Redlynch
Barron Gorge National Park comes down to Kamerunga next door, and the walking tracks there are the ones almost nobody does: the Douglas track runs from Kamerunga up to Speewah, the Smith track runs the same country the other way, and the Stoney Creek Garndal Garndal weir track sits near Kamerunga too. These are proper walks in serious country, so check the park alerts before you go, and take the crocodile and cassowary warnings for the park at face value.
The suburb
Redlynch itself is family territory: a shopping village, sports fields, and the Red Beret, the valley’s long-serving pub, holding down the corner it has occupied for generations (bistro seven days, does the job well). For visitors it’s mostly the gateway to the Cascades and the pleasant green drive in, which is exactly enough.
Things to do in Redlynch
Redlynch is the way in to the freshwater side of Cairns, and the walking country behind it goes a long way further than most visitors realise.
- Crystal Cascades. Where Cairns Actually Swims.
- Best Walks Near Cairns, Sorted by How Hard They Really Are.
- Lookouts in Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands.
- Swimming in Cairns and Far North Queensland. Where It Is Safe, and Where It Is Not.
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Where to stay near Redlynch
Ten minutes from the swimming hole
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FAQs
How do you get to Crystal Cascades? Drive through Redlynch to the end of Redlynch Intake Road, about 25 minutes from Cairns city, where a car park and sealed track lead up the valley. Free entry; weekends fill early.
Is Crystal Cascades safe to swim? Yes, with the local rules: swim at the popular designated pools, never jump or dive (submerged rocks), and skip it after heavy rain. Generations of Cairns kids learned to swim here, but no authority certifies it as crocodile free; the Queensland Government’s Be Crocwise guidance says “No waterway within their natural range can be considered crocodile free.”
Are there crocodiles at Crystal Cascades? Nobody can promise that. The Queensland Government’s Be Crocwise guidance is that “No waterway within their natural range can be considered crocodile free.” and that “the absence of a sign does not mean there are no crocodiles in the area.” Read the signage on the day. The hazards that actually injure people at the Cascades are current and submerged rock.
When is the best time to visit Crystal Cascades? Weekday mornings for near-solitude, early weekend mornings otherwise. In the wet season the cascades are spectacular but swimming often closes; the dry season offers the clearest, calmest pools.
What’s at Redlynch besides Crystal Cascades? A local shopping village, the Red Beret pub for a bistro lunch, and the green valley drive itself. It’s a locals’ suburb, and that’s rather the charm.
Nearby
Header photo (colour adjusted): Korkut Tas via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
