“This 76km trail will provide walkers and mountain bike riders with a bushland and coastal experience showcasing the beauty of the Wet Tropics and giving breath-taking views of the Great Barrier Reef,” she said.

And Douglas Shire Council has welcomed the State’s $950,000 commitment under the tourism infrastructure program to verify the dream project’s economics.

Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said the proposed 76km trail could spark a new wave of tourism growth and economic activity in the region.

“This has potential to become a really historic and treasured world-class attraction,” she said.

Ms Morris said Tropical North Queensland’s greatest assets are its two World Heritage areas and we need to showcase these spectacular landscapes by allowing better access.

“The support of government to develop public infrastructure becomes a catalyst for private investment showcasing best practice management, which in the case of the Wangetti Trail is innovative trail building techniques.

“Ecotourism experiences are very much a part of Tropical North Queensland and we need more development in this area if we are to fulfil our vision of being the world’s most inspiring nature-based destination.

“Projects like this unite so many groups, in this case the Yirrganydji Traditional Owners, Cairns Regional and Douglas Shire Councils, the State Government, tourism industry, Wet Tropics Management Authority and the private sector,” she said.

“Partnerships such as these are what we need to sustainably grow the region’s tourism industry and deliver lasting economic benefits to the economy.

“This project aligns with TTNQ’s strategy to master our story as a nature-based destination, unite and partner to grow the tourism industry, and use Instagram-worthy experiences as digital leverage to market our destination.

“Walking and mountain biking trails are attracting growing interest and being used to successfully revive ghost towns in many regions.

“The Wangetti Trail will link Palm Cove and Port Douglas, two iconic Tropical North Queensland regions, giving national and international visitors yet another reason to explore our destination further.”

Situated in the mountains beside the Great Barrier Reef Drive, the Wangetti Trail is expected to take six days and five nights to walk or two days and one night to ride.

Accommodation nodes along the trail will offer camping facilities and luxury accommodation with visitors able to drop in and out of the trail. Construction is anticipated to start in 2019 and be completed by 2021.

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