General News
29 October, 2025
Trail stage 2 ‘will go ahead’
MEMBER for Cook David Kempton is backing a decision by Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell to take a more realistic approach to stage 2 of the Wangetti Trail.
This comes after many complications that initially slowed done the completion of the 7.8km stage 1. This part of the trail, which currently runs between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach, came at a cost of over $2.5 million per kilometre for a walking track.
The highly-designed and engineered track also suffered significant damage following the 2023 flooding and will be costly to repair.
“The Wangetti Trail has the potential to be a significant tourism drawcard to the region, so Minister Powell and the department must get stage 2 right from the start to ensure we do not see another debacle,” Mr Kempton said.
“For stage 2, work will commence from Ellis Beach through to Wangetti in early 2026, but that still doesn’t get us through to Port Douglas,” he said.
“In consultation with Minister Powell, we’ve had a good look at all the options and we are going to open the two bridges from Wangetti down to the top of the Bump Track, through to Port Douglas, which at least gives that connectivity in place really quickly, while we look at what can be done with the rest of the design.”
Mr Powell said residents have been crying out for the reopening of their much-loved Twin Bridges Track for years.
“Reopening the Twin Bridges Track brings the future stage of connecting Wangetti to Port Douglas forward, while we continue to explore additional routes to showcase this stunning part of Tropical North Queensland. This is a win for the community, the environment and tourism,” he said.
Mr Powell has handed over the task of constructing the next stage to the Queensland Park and Wildlife Service (QPWS), who are experienced in trail design and construction. The minister has also listened to stakeholders and locals and made alterations to the design and location of the track. The project will be managed from Cairns with far greater local input.
A development application will be lodged with Douglas Shire Council at the appropriate time as part of the construction.
Read More: Wangetti Beach
