Dunked and dusted

The high point of our travels into north Queensland so far has been our day trip to Dunk Island.

Right: Dunk at dusk on a full moon.

There we did a 12 kilometre-plus walk through luxuriant tropical rainforest topped off with a “dunking’ for me in a most deliciously cool and inviting sea.

Carol preferred to put her feet up at the island café with a cup of tea and a copy of Marcus Clarke’s For the Term of his Natural Life (the tea at $4 and the book $1 at Vinnies give an insight into the local economy).

Right: Dunk jetty, with the cafe at left.

Dunk, right opposite South Mission Beach, the location of our van park, is one of 20 islands in the vicinity.

Right: South Mission Beach.

Mission Beach is a pretty tropical strip closer to the Great Barrier Reef than any other part of the mainland.

It’s a bit like Noosa 30 or 40 years ago – before the developers hit their straps.

Right: Downtown Mission Beach.

We chose a 27-seat water taxi to make the passage, which was an experience in itself. The taxi drops anchor and reverses towards the beach, letting out the slack, then lifts its twin 250 hp outboards prior to grounding the stern.

Super skipper

Passengers wade knee-deep into the water and climb aboard through a stern gangway. The boat is then winched into deep water via the anchor rope before the motors are lowered and fired up.

Above right: arrival at Dunk Island.

Our skipper was Nathan, a man-mountain who could have been a sumo wrestler in another life (I’m sure he was chosen on weight to keep the bow down during acceleration) yet he welcomed us aboard with a soft, velvety voice not unlike that of the late Michael Jackson.

Right: Dunk Island, with the resort obscured by coconut trees at left.

Anyhow, it took only 10 bumpy minutes to make the crossing. We then put on our sneakers, donned our backpacks and headed off past the resort and into the rainforest.

The longest walk is a 9.2-kilometre circuit through dense forest that climbs to a ridge and then cuts across the island to Coconut Beach south and back past the airport runway to the resort.

We added another three kilometres at the start by diverting to Muggy Beach and then via a steep climb to Mt Kootaloo, a lookout 250 metres above sea level.

Right: time for a break on our trek.

I have to say the trek, though no easy stroll was most stimulating. The lush canopy, alien tree shapes, vines and
sounds of the forest made for a different world.

We unpacked our sandwiches and lunched at the remote and peaceful Coconut Beach about two-thirds along the way before heading home.

Above right: atop Mt Kootaloo. Right: at the end of our walk, I can't resist 'getting dunked'.

Carol said she was worn out at the end, and I have to give her full marks for fortitude.







The abominable cassowary

The Mission Beach region of north Queensland is known as the Cassowary Coast because it has the most intensive populations of cassowaries in Queensland.

Everywhere there are signs warning motorists to slow down and look out for cassowaries.

But we didn’t see any.

I suggested to Carol that to see one we should go on one of the recommended forest walks.

The walk that never was

At the entrance to one of these walks was a sign that said if you encounter a cassowary, be 'cass-o-wary'. Cassowaries weigh up to 60 kilograms and can stand as tall as a human.

If one approaches you, back off slowly and if it continues, hold up an object like a backpack between you and the animal, and continue to back way. Do not turn your back.

That was it. There was NO WAY Carol was going into the bush looking for cassowaries. That walk ended before it began.

I did follow up on a couple of walks on my own and although I saw cassowary footprints and dung heaps, as far as I was concerned they may as well have come from the abominable snowman.

Aviation antics
at Tully tee-off

Tully, a sugar town about 20 minutes’ drive from Mission Beach, has a great nine-hole, 18 tee-points golf course that, like Cardwell, is very good value ($15 for 18 holes).

Naturally we took advantage of the opportunity to sharpen our shots.

The region is also famous for its skydiving. At any time a plane is likely to fly overhead and you’ll hear the crackle of parachutes opening and skydivers floating down to Mission Beach or nearby.

The planes take off and land at Tully airport from a grass runway that runs adjacent to and parallel with the 6th (and 15th) fairway.

The way I have been slicing lately I thought I would hit one as it screamed past only 90 metres away.

The locals told us no one has ever hit a plane but they do come close, as you can see by these pictures taken just after we teed off at the 6th.

These pictures show how close the airport runway is to the 6th fairway at the Tully Country Club.







We’d stay longer and
play more golf, but it’s time to leave Cardwell Shire for Cairns. In the meantime, here’s a terrific picture that Carol took at dawn off the beach just before we left Cardwell.