Talaroo Hot Springs, Queensland: Thermal pools & camping

Off the Gulf Development Road in north Queensland, Talaroo Hot Springs is a highly unusual system of terraced pools heated by a spring deep underground.

Talaroo Hot Springs is a somewhat unusual natural springs complex, just off the Gulf Development Road in north Queensland.

The first thing that’s unusual is that Talaroo Hot Springs is part of a cattle station. The station was given back to the land’s traditional Aboriginal owners in 2012, and now the Ewamian people have restored a historic bathing pool, plus four private soaking pools.

Those pools are fed by what is known as a mound spring. The water, which fell as rain 20,000 years ago, is heated deep underground by hot granite rocks and emerges at the earth’s surface near the Einasleigh River.

How hot is the water at Talaroo Hot Springs?

Emerging as a series of terraced pools, the water at Talaroo Hot Springs reaches temperatures of up to 68 degrees Celsius. This, obviously, gets cooled down somewhat for the bathing pool and private pools.

Access to the communal bathing pool is via a guided tour. These tours, costing $36, include a guided walk along the elevated boardwalk around the springs.

On the way, the guide tells the back story of the station, the springs and the Ewamian people.

After the guided section of the tour, visitors are welcome to bathe or dip their toes in the historic, restored main pool.

If you’d prefer a bit more privacy, you can opt for one of the private pools. These cost $30 for around 40 minutes.

Where is Talaroo Hot Springs?

Talaroo Hot Springs is just off the Gulf Development Road, as National Highway 1 is known for much of its North Queensland stretch. The attraction is between Mount Surprise and Georgetown on the drive from Cairns to Normanton.

The turn off for the springs is 5km of the Einasleigh River. From there, it’s a 12km drive along an unsealed road that is fine year-round for conventional vehicles.

The distance from Cairns to Talaroo Hot Springs is 335km. Expect a driving time of around four hours and 20 minutes.

Camping at Talaroo Station

It’s also possible to go camping at Talaroo Station near the hot springs. The Talaroo campground and caravan park offers powered sites for $40, unpowered sites for $32, and eco tents for $120.

Visit the Talaroo site for further details.