East Coast of Australia 2021/ 2022

28
September, 2021October 21, 2021

Hiking on Dunk Island

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September 2021

The morning we left the Hinchinbrook Channel we had dreary overcast skies and drizzly rain but we were on a mission to reach Dunk Island by that afternoon. To make most of the day we had decided to catch the morning tide out of the channel however it wasn’t long after weighing anchor and on our way out the Guyundah Creek that we had one small hiccup. When we had left the tide had only just started to rise so the water level in the creek was still fairly low and as such we managed to find an isolated mud flat while passing another boat anchored mid channel. Since it was only mud Allagai came to a very gentle stop but with our little engine refused to budge further. Although seeing that the tide was rising we weren’t too concerned and so within half an hour, by use of a kedge anchor, we were off and floating once more. Following this we paid closer attention to the depth and stayed in the middle of the channel to avoid any more incidences.

That day we did more motoring then we would have like and ended up stopping at Goold Island just north of Hinchinbrook for lunch. Originally we were going to spend the night here due to the lack of wind however over lunch the wind picked up and unable to resist a good sailing wind when the forecast for the following day was a calm we decided to continue on. That afternoon we were aiming for Dunk Island which was about 15nm away. The overcast skies from the morning had cleared up by now and with a nice 10-15kts we had a lovely afternoon sail, dropping anchor a little before sunset in Brammo Bay on Dunk Island.

The following day we woke to beautiful weather and decided to use the good day for a hike around Dunk Island. When we arrived on the beach we found yet another derelict old resort and a walking track up to Mt Kootaloo which could be continued in a loop around the island.

So naturally we decided to climb to the top of the mountain, which was only 243m above sea level, and then continued for the full lap of the island. This track was a stunning walk on a well worn path with a fairly mild gradient through an amazing rainforest. From the moment we left the beach we were engulfed by more shades of green and then you could count in a thriving wet rainforest. We could hear birds calling in the trees all around us and the scuttle of lizards or insects in the undergrowth.

The first third of the walk was all about ascending the mountain and so was continuously uphill. However once we reached the top and after enjoying a short break to take in the view the rest of the walk was an easy stroll downhill. The descent occurred over nearly 9km and went via two beaches, Coconut Beach and Pallon Beach, and left us wishing we’d brought bathers to swim in the clearer waters on this side of the island. That day we walked a total of 12km over three hours, the longest walk we had done in months.

Following our walk we headed back to Allagai and spent the rest of the afternoon resting after our hike. However the next day with our energy recharged we were ready for another adventure. Since leaving Townsville we had been using our folding dingy with the sailing rig as our outboard was currently out of action due to a damaged prop. So on the day following our walk we decided to use this dingy to sail across to the nearby Mound Island which lay only half a mile off Brammo Bay. With a light wind we were quickly racing across the gap and arriving on the beach on Mound Island in less then half an hour.

This little island was maybe 50m tall and the inside of the island a small rainforest. On arrival to the island we attempted to fish off the beach. However after half an hour of trying and not a single bite and a lost lure we decided to call it a day. Instead we walked around the island beach combing the shore for interesting shells amongst the massive heaps of washed up coral rubble. Following our beach walk we decided it was time to head back to Allagai with a quick detour via Muggy Muggy Beach on Dunk Island. Back on Allagai we spent the rest of the day on board getting the boat ready for sea as the following day we intended t keep heading north with one more stop at Fitzroy Island before reaching cairns.

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