Glass House Mountains and Waterfalls

As you drive up to the Mary CairnsCross rest stop, you can see the famous Glass House Mountains. As the story goes, they were first recorded and named by Captain James Cook in 1770. He thought that they looked very much like the glass furnaces back in England, hence the name.

The mountains have massive, jagged peaks, rising above the landscape. The mountains have had a spiritual significance to the Aboriginal people of the region, and though tourists can explore some of this beauty, it is still home to traditions, burial sites, and rock art.

We headed up the mountains for some extensive waterfalls and hikes along the gorgeous waterways. The first falls we headed for was the Kondalila Falls, an aboriginal word meaning "rushing waters". Well, I'm really not so sure where the rushing water has rushed off too - I believe "trickling water" would be a better term for it. The location of the falls were easy to identify, and I bet they would be gorgeous when they live up to their name but at this moment, the small pools represented the sum total of the water.
That said, the hike through the forest was spectacular and enjoyable and watching the kids playing in the water at the top pool was a lot of fun.