The headwaters of the river rise in the Great Dividing Range and flow in a north easterly direction along the northern border of the Apudthama National Park.

The southern end of the catchment holds the white silica sand dunes of the Shelburne Bay area with perched freshwater lakes.

[2] The hilly areas at the tip of Cape York are made up of Carboniferous volcanic rocks, while further south the geology is Jurassic-Cretaceous sandstone.

The lower lying country of the Apudthama National Park is made up of Cainozoic sands and gravels.

[5] A total of 31 species of fish are found in the creek, including the glassfish, Pacific short-finned eel, kabuna hardyhead, treadfin silver biddy, mouth almighty, concave goby, coal grunter, barramundi, oxeye herring, mangrove jack, eastern rainbowfish, Obbe's catfish, spotted blue-eye and gulf saratoga.