Devil's Pool | Victoria Olt

In Aboriginal legend, the place now known as Devil’s Pool near Babinda in Queensland is tied to a tragic love story. Long ago, a young woman named Oolana belonged to the Yidinji people and was given in marriage to an elder from her tribe. Though respectful of the union, her heart belonged to a younger man named Dyga. The two lovers could not bear to be apart, so they fled into the rainforest together.

Their escape was short-lived. The elders pursued them, and when they were finally caught near a fast-flowing creek, Dyga was taken away. Heartbroken and desperate, Oolana broke free, crying out for her lost love as she threw herself into the waters. Her spirit is said to remain there, restless and calling for Dyga.

The swirling currents and sudden drops of Devil’s Pool have claimed many lives, and local lore warns that Oolana’s spirit still lures young men into the depths. For the Yidinji people, it is a place of both beauty and danger, where love, grief, and the power of the land are forever intertwined.