The Russell River is a river in
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
, Australia. The -long river flows towards the
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...
and is located approximately south of .
Location and features
The Russell River rises in the
Wooroonooran National Park sourced from drainage of the
Bellenden Ker Range
The Bellenden Ker Range, also known as the Wooroonooran Range is a coastal mountain range in Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range it is located between Gordonvale and Babinda.
The whole of the range falls within t ...
, below
Mount Bartle Frere
Mount Bartle Frere (pronunciation mæɔnt̥ ˈbɐːɾəɫ ˈfɹɪə Ngajanji: Choorechillum) is the highest mountain in Queensland at an elevation of . The mountain was named after Sir Henry Bartle Frere, 1st Baronet, Sir Henry Bartle Frere ...
and
Mount Bellenden Ker
Mount Bellenden Ker is the second-highest mountain in Queensland, Australia, with a height of . It is named after the botanist John Bellenden Ker Gawler. Located south of Cairns, Queensland, Cairns near Babinda, Queensland, Babinda, it is adj ...
.
In its upper reaches, the
course
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
of the river meanders highly as it flows south by east and exits the Wooroonooran National Park. The river flows north by east, joined by the Josephine Creek and it has descended over the
Josephine Falls
The Josephine Falls is a tiered cascade waterfall on the Josephine Creek located in Wooroonooran, Cairns Region in the Far North region of Queensland, Australia.
Location and features
The falls are situated at the foot of the southern face of ...
. The river flows east of and then due north, bounded on both its east and western flanks by the
Russell River National Park
Russell River is a national park in North Queensland, Australia, 1352 km northwest of Brisbane. The park protects a coastal strip between the sea and the Russell River. It is part of the Coastal Wet Tropics Important Bird Area, identified ...
. The river reaches its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with the
Mulgrave River
The Mulgrave River, incorporating the East Mulgrave River and the West Mulgrave River, is a river system located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The -long river flows towards the Coral Sea and is located approximately south of .
Location ...
in an
estuarine
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
state, with the Mulgrave flowing east for a short distance to empty into Coral Sea via the Mutchero Inlet. Water from the river is used to grow
sugar cane on the coastal plains surrounding the Russell River's lower reaches.
The Russell River
catchment area is estimated to be of which is
wetlands.
The river descends over its course.
[
The river is a popular location for whitewater rafting.]
See also
* Rivers of Queensland
References
External links
*
{{Rivers of Queensland
Rivers of Far North Queensland