05/10/2026
Exploring and reading the Mulgrave River from the air.
Yesterday I used the drone to explore the Mulgrave lowlands. It’s easy to see a broad patchwork of cane fields, river, rainforest and wetlands. But there is another story in the landscape.
The mountains around the Mulgrave are the source of much of the sediment that has gradually built the lowlands. The river carries that material downstream, depositing and rearranging it as it goes. The broad flat country around Gordonvale is therefore not simply a valley floor — it is a landscape built by water.
From the air, some of the clues become easier to see.
The mountains build the lowlands — The sudden change from steep mountain country to broad, flat land marks a change from bedrock to the younger sediments deposited across the valley.
The river is still building the landscape — Look closely at the river and you can see sand bars, benches and islands — places where sediment is being stored and rearranged.
The floodplain isn't all the same — Subtle differences in elevation and drainage create different channels, wetlands and areas of vegetation. What looks flat from the ground can be surprisingly complex from above.
Vegetation can reveal what lies beneath — Changes in rainforest, riparian vegetation, palms, Melaleuca and wetlands aren't random. They can tell us something about the soil, drainage and flooding of the land.
Then we changed the landscape — Much of the fertile lowland has been cleared and drained for sugar cane. From the air, the regular geometry of agriculture sits in striking contrast to the irregular patterns of the river and wetlands.
And eventually the river meets the sea — Further downstream, freshwater lowlands give way to tidal wetlands and mangroves. The river is becoming an estuary.
So when you look at these images, try looking beyond the obvious.
Don't just ask “What am I looking at?”
Ask: “Why does the landscape look like this?”
That question is often the beginning of understanding a place.
