Manjal Jimalji Trail | Devils Thumb
Daintree National Park
Directions - Located near Mossman, to reach the start point of the Manjal Jimalji Trail, head north on Mossman Daintree Road for 7.7km then turn left onto Miallo Bamboo Creek Road. Turn left onto Whyanbeel Road, then left onto Karnak Road, eventually reaching the small parking area for the trail near the obvious wooden sign.
The Hike - With a visit to Port Douglas to escape the Perth winter, my research had indicated that the Manjal Jimlaji Trail (aka Devils Thumb) would be right up my alley. Climbing up into the steep hills a short distance inland from the coast, it would provide a good chance to explore the tropical rainforest of the Daintree National Park, along with some stunning views overlooking the Coral Sea, Port Douglas and the surrounding landscape. That was the plan but as with some things in life, the reality was a little different...
Picking a free day where there were no family activities booked, the weather wasn't looking great, with the forecast showing a chance of rain in the afternoon. Hoping to be finished by the time the rain rolled in, I was up relatively early and driving to the start point about 30 minutes from the centre of Port Douglas. Driving through the countryside near Mossman, it got me thinking that the Gang Gajang song "Sounds of Then" should really be reworked to say "out on the patio we'd sit, and the humidity we'd breathe, we'd watch the lightning crack over cane fields, laugh and think, this is Far North Queensland". It's a very specific description to represent the whole of Australia but I digress. The moody weather driving past the cane fields with the mountains in the background caused me to stop a few times to try and capture the scene, and didn't fill me with confidence that I'd be getting clear weather at the summit. Onwards I pressed and was soon at the small car park in front of the wooden sign for the trail.
Gathering up my pack and finishing the breakfast I had bought in Port Douglas, I was ready to tackle what is a pretty strenuous climb, with over 1100m of elevation gain over the full 10.6km there and back hike (spoiler alert but I didn't make it the full length). Having not done much in the way of tough hikes in the past couple of months, I was still confident of making it to the top in good time. The start of the trail sees you walk along a wide track, before joining single trail to cross a small creek. I spotted a couple of bright flowers along the creek but my suspicions were confirmed later on that these are not native to the area. Passing a private property that gave off Hawaii vibes to me, you see an old car that made me think The Phantom was going to come trapsing out of the jungle soon. You then enter Daintree National Park and it felt more like the hike I was expecting. Arriving at a crossing of Little Falls Creek, I could see the path and marker on the other side but no way of getting there without getting wet boots.
There is a collection of rocks downstream that you can use and I managed to cross with only a couple of steps in ankle deep water. The scene at the creek crossing is some of the best along the walk, with the gentle trickle of the water, bright green ferns overhanging, and mossy trees all combining to make for some stunning photos. On the other side of the creek you will find an official QLD Parks sign telling you all about the trail, and this is where the climbing begins. Gentle to begin with, the gradients settle into 15-20% as you hike up a relatively wide trail compared to later on. The rainforest down here felt a bit drier but there was always a sea of green in the dense undergrowth. Huffing and puffing a little, the temperatures were quite cool but the humidity was starting to make me sweat. Luckily there was plenty to stop and look at, including lots of fungi of various shapes and sizes. Having to be careful, I soon found out that not all the plants in the rainforest were friendly, with a long vine of Hairy Mary grabbing hold of me with its sharp spikes that were not pleasant to pull out.
Having to be a little more careful with what I was touching and how well I ducked under fallen branches, this was just the first thing the rainforest threw at me today. Eventually the gradients increased into the 35-40% range, and this really tested my lack of fitness. Soldiering on, I passed the intersection where you can take a side trip to Fish Tail Falls on the left, deciding that I would visit on the way back given the rain had not yet arrived. The trees up here were starting to get a lot more characterful, with some of the larger root systems twisting and winding into beautiful shapes. As the elevation continued to increase, every now and then you'd get a sense that you were high up, with narrow sections of the ridge providing limited views down the forested slopes. Starting to see more boulders, it felt a world away from the coastal flats near Port Douglas. Around this time my luck ran out and the rain arrived. Thinking it was a good time to have a break, I made the rookie mistake of sitting down on the damp trail while fishing out my rain jacket.
I'm not certain if this was exact spot that it happened but soon after I got going, I felt a bit of an itch on my legs that I thought nothing about. Eventually I checked under my pants and I had gained a lot of passengers that were after a free feed, with my blood being on the menu. I'm not a fan of leeches and am very thankful we don't really get them in WA, so this was not ideal. I left the ones that were already feasting, thinking they would drop off when they were done, and tried my best to get rid of the rest. This was a constant battle of flicking them off my pants as they did their weird jiggle trying to find bare skin. Trying not to think about them too much so I could enjoy the rest of the hike, the scenery as I continued to climb was a great distraction. Ducking under fallen branches, walking through thick tunnels of ferns and grasses, and climbing up tangles of roots, this was some of the best walking of the entire trail. The fungi through here was also impressive, with some fallen logs housing a great collection of different species, competing with mosses and dicots for space. Climbing through boulders, past massive tree trunks and trying not to slip on the jumble of roots, the canopy started to thin out as I reached the area known as the "Bracken Patch", an open section of Coral Fern. Popping out into the exposed air, it was clear that there would be no views for me today.
While I had been rained on, the canopy protected me somewhat, but out here it wasn't as easy to keep myself and my camera lens dry. Deciding to press on, I walked through the ferns where my pants and boots went from damp to soaking wet as they brushed up against the vegetation. I made it past the metal staircase and up to an exposed rock before deciding to call it quits on the hike. With drenched clothes and lens cloth, it was hard to keep the camera lens clear, plus I wouldn't see anything from the Devils Thumb lookout that is a 2km return journey from where I was. The hike back down was still good fun, although it was mainly flicking leeches off me (including some around my face and eyes), and trying to stick to the trail. At one point I lost the trail for about ten minutes, trying to retrace my steps and find the next piece of flagging tape, which I eventually did but it's easy to take a wrong turn coming down. Reaching the creek crossing again, I was still soaking, so just walked right through the water, hoping some leeches would abandon ship. Back at the car, I used my coffee cup lid to extract the remaining passengers, and did a thorough check of my shoes, clothing and socks to rid myself of any hidden friends.
Final Thoughts – With limited time in Port Douglas, there was always a chance that I wouldn't get the right conditions for this hike, and that's exactly what happened. I've been super lucky over the past 10 years in getting 99% of my hikes in acceptable weather, so it kind of rare where I have to pull the plug before the end.
That being said, the 8km return hike was a fun challenge with some great rainforest along the way. The steep and relentless gradients mean this hike isn't for everyone, but for those that have the fitness, it is definitely worth the effort.
The leeches weren't a great experience, and I really should have read the Woodslane Cairns and Tablelands counterpart to my guidebook more thoroughly before setting off, as it does warn about the leeches.
Perhaps one day I'll return to the Daintree and get better weather for some more mountainy adventures. In the meantime, I still enjoyed my time on the Manjal Jimalji Trail, and I hope you do too.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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