Crystal Creek (also known as Saltwater Creek) is a creek in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[1] It runs for 17.5 km, beginning just below Paluma, flowing through the township of Mutarnee and emptying into the Coral Sea.[2] It forms part of the Paluma Range National Park and is known for its division into two tourist destinations, namely Little Crystal Creek and Big Crystal Creek.
| Crystal Creek | |
|---|---|
 Little Crystal Creek | |
| Location | |
| Country |  Australia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Paluma Dam |
| • elevation | ~ 192 m (630 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Pacific Ocean |
| Length | 17.5 km (10.9 mi) |
Little Crystal Creek is situated approximately two thirds of the way along Mt Spec Road, heading towards the village of Paluma. This location consists of a number of small swimming holes and waterfalls, as well as the Little Crystal Creek Bridge, an historical arch bridge of which construction began in 1932. Facilities here include a wheelchair accessible picnic area, barbecues and toilets.[3]
Big Crystal Creek is located a few kilometres downstream from Little Crystal Creek, at the end of Spiegelhauer Road. Facilities at Big Crystal Creek also include a wheelchair accessible picnic area, barbecues, toilets, as well as a designated camping ground. The most popular of the swimming holes at Big Crystal Creek is Paradise Waterhole,[4] which is substantially larger than that of the Little Crystal Creek waterholes, and can be accessed by a short walk from the picnic area along a bush track. Further down the road from the picnic area, the Big Crystal Creek Rockslides can be found, which is another swimming destination known for its natural waterslide formed by mossy rocks.[5]
Heritage listings edit
Crystal Creek has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Mt Spec Road: Mount Spec Road and Little Crystal Creek Bridge[6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Crystal Creek (Saltwater Creek) – watercourse in the City of Townsville (entry 8903)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ Map of Crystal Creek, Qld Archived 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 3 November 2010.
- ^ Discover Thuringowa: Paluma Archived 2009-06-01 at the Library of Congress Web Archives, accessed 3 November 2010.
- ^ Wet Tropics: Big Crystal Creek (Paradise Waterhole) Archived 2011-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 3 November 2010.
- ^ Wet Tropics: Big Crystal Creek (Rockslides) Archived 2011-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 3 November 2010.
- ^ "Mt Spec Road and Little Crystal Creek Bridge (entry 602652)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 16 July 2013.