Edmund Kennedy, Girramay National Park

This scenic part of Girramay National Park features lowland rainforest, open eucalypt forest, paperbark woodland, sedge swamps and extensive mangrove forests as well as secluded beaches with island views. The park's swamps are flooded by wet season rains flowing from coastal ranges, and, as the flood waters subside, the swamps become a tranquil setting, the water stained with tannin from the tea-trees. This diverse wetland park is in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Enjoy a relaxing stroll along the beach to the mouth of Wreck Creek (5 kilometre return). Birdwatch and have a picnic at Rockingham Bay day-use area with views of 13 offshore islands. Walk the newly-replaced boardwalk through a mangrove forest still recovering from a cyclone. Visit the Arthur Thorsborne Aboretum near the park entrance for a shady picnic and discover local rainforest plants along the short, wheelchair-accessible loop track. Image credits: Qld Govt