| Author | Content |
tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:19 AM Post #7143523
| Just thought I'd share some photos of the trek I did a couple of weeks ago when over in Queensland.
Hinchinbrook Island is Australia's largest island national park covering 39,900 hectares and falls within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. It's part of the continent separated from the mainland by rising sea levels.
The island's protected from overuse by an access permit system which allows only a maximum of 40 people on it at any one time, and a maximum number of 6 in a group.
There's a rough but marked trail running along the eastern side of the island for 32 kilometres called the Thorsborne Trail. This is usually done in 4 days with part of the first and last days being taken up with getting to and from the island.
There are designated campgrounds with pit toilets, water is obtained from running streams.
Use of the park is subject to "minimal impact bushwalking" and "no-trace camping" principles. No open fires are permitted but small portable liquid or gas fuelled camping stoves are allowed. There's no rubbish bins on the island and all rubbish must be carried out.
The first photo shows the start at the southern end of the island, George Point.
Photo 01
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:21 AM Post #7143526
| From George Point it's an easy walk along the sandy beach of Mulligans Bay for a number of kilometres.
Photo 02
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:22 AM Post #7143530
| Scenes along Mulligans Bay
Photo 03
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:24 AM Post #7143532
| Scenes along Mulligans Bay
Photo 04
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:27 AM Post #7143534
| Leaving the beach the trail goes through the rainforest which provides a shady canopy, along with multitudes of mosquitos.
Photo 05
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:28 AM Post #7143536
| Campsite was near Mulligan Falls which, being late in the dry season, were only slow flowing.
Photo 06
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:30 AM Post #7143538
| Camp for the night
Photo 07
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:32 AM Post #7143543
| Day two the track kept more to the interior of the island. There was an initial climb up to 260 metres altitude in a pass between two peaks 400 metres one side and nearly 1000 metres the other side. Along the way we crossed Diamantina Creek which flows into Mulligan falls.
Photo 08
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:35 AM Post #7143547
| A lot of the upper parts we crossed were old volcanic rock which didn't hold water and only supported a short scrubby vegetation. These are Grass Trees - Xanthorrhoea johnsonii.
Photo 09
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:36 AM Post #7143549
| New foliage on Blue Banksia - Banksia plagiocarpa. Was a pity it wasn't flowering, I'd loved to have got photos of a blue flowering banksia.
Photo 10
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:37 AM Post #7143550
| View southwards, across Mulligan Bay to the mainland.
Photo 11
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:38 AM Post #7143552
| View eastwards across Sunken Reef Bay.
Photo 12
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:39 AM Post #7143554
| Native Lasiandra - Melastoma malabathricum
Photo 13
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:40 AM Post #7143555
| Helena Brown Butterfly - Tisiphone helena
Photo 14
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:41 AM Post #7143556
| Above Zoe Falls looking across to Zoe Bay.
Photo 15
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:43 AM Post #7143557
| Zoe Falls
Photo 16
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:44 AM Post #7143558
| Afternoon, sun sinking behind Zoe Bay
Photo 17
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:45 AM Post #7143560
| Sunrise lighting up the front of Zoe Bay. We camped at Zoe Bay.
Photo 18
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:47 AM Post #7143566
| The ubitiquous Crinum pedunculatum in flower at the back of mangrove and Melaleuca swamps.
Photo 19
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:49 AM Post #7143569
| Cymbidium commencing flowering in a tree at the back of mangrove and Melaleuca swamps. Most likely Cymbidium madidum.
Photo 20
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:51 AM Post #7143570
| A timely reminder where there are creek crossings. Although, I only saw one set of croc tracks, at Little Ramsay Bay near the campground. But they would have only been from a 1 to 1.5 metre animal.
Photo 21
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:52 AM Post #7143574
| Approaching Little Ramsay Bay from the south.
Photo 22
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:54 AM Post #7143576
| Golden Orchid - Dendrobium discolor - at Little Ramsay Bay.
Photo 23
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:56 AM Post #7143578
| A very common flower along beaches and on boulders and cliff faces along the coast. It even grows in coral rubble washed up at the back of beaches.
Photo 24
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:57 AM Post #7143579
| Northern end of Little Ramsay Bay.
Photo 25
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:58 AM Post #7143581
| Sunrise over Little Ramsay Bay.
Photo 26
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
01:59 AM Post #7143584
| Lagoon behind Little Ramsay Bay (where I saw the croc tracks).
Photo 27
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:00 AM Post #7143585
| Approaching Nina Bay from the south.
Photo 28
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:02 AM Post #7143586
| Hoya australia ssp tenuipes, Dendrobium discolor and Scaevola taccada growing amongst shoreline boulders.
Photo 29
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:03 AM Post #7143587
| Nina Bay Beach
Photo 30
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:04 AM Post #7143589
| Nina Bay Beach
Photo 31
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:05 AM Post #7143590
| View southwards from headland north of Nina Bay
Photo 32
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:07 AM Post #7143591
| View from headland northwestwards to Ramsay Bay Beach.
Photo 33
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 07, 2009
02:09 AM Post #7143593
| Southern end Ramsay Bay Beach looking southwards.
End of trail.
Photo 34
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Braveheartsmom
Kihei, HI
(Zone 11)
October 07, 2009
11:32 AM Post #7144434
| Aloha Tropic,
Thank you so much for taking us along with you on your trek - the pictures are wonderful! I thought that some of the shots look very much like the coast and mountains here in some parts of Hawaii.
Is the flower in pic 24 an orchid of some type? - it sure is beautiful.
Very glad you only saw the croc tracks and not come face to face with the croc itself! Would they be what you call "Salties" in that area?
I always enjoy your treks, thanks for posting.
Jenn |
extranjera
Mérida
Mexico
(Zone 11)
October 07, 2009
12:55 PM Post #7144669
| Beautiful island and pictures, thanks for taking us along. It looks like you get quite high tides. Also, what were the temps like? |
tbmontserrat
Isles Bay
Montserrat
(Zone 11)
October 07, 2009
03:27 PM Post #7145102
| Looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing.
Tina |
RachelLF
Rural Retreat, VA
October 07, 2009
09:09 PM Post #7146296
| I enjoyed viewing your trek in Queensland tropicbreeze as well. Just beautiful and thank's for sharing them.
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tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 08, 2009
12:37 AM Post #7146887
| Hinchinbrook Island is a bit closer to the equator than your Big Island (Hawaii). But it sits right close to the mainland so has weather influences from that. It was very late in the dry season and the temperatures would have been in the mid to high 20's (celcius). There's only the "salties" (crocs) there since they live in fresh and salt water. Photos 23 and 24 are the same plant - Golden Orchid, Dendrobium discolor. I love trekking, only wish I had the time (and money) to do it more often. |
extranjera
Mérida
Mexico
(Zone 11)
October 08, 2009
01:26 AM Post #7146936
| Beautiful! "Salties" = scary to me. High 20's = perfect weather. Beautiful trek, someday I'd love to visit your continent. |
westraad
Xai Xai
Mozambique
October 13, 2009
01:24 PM Post #7165064
| Hi tropic Breeze,
i so enjoyed your photos and notes, thank you for taking the time to post. some of the pictures of the ocean really remind me of here, though we don't have mountains.
i agree, Extranjera, crocs sound a little scary to me! i have a terrible fear of sharks, which is why i never go deep sea. i don't even think i will go on a boat, because if the boat sinks, where will i be? in the ocean with all those pretty sharkies! no thank you, i feel quite safe in our lagoon here, which is surrounded by a reef. there hasn't been a shark attack here in 30+ years.
Isaac |
lourspolaire
Delray Beach, FL
(Zone 10a)
October 14, 2009
01:49 PM Post #7168561
| Great trek and wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Sylvain. |
pogonantha
el arish, FNQ
Australia
October 18, 2009
11:33 PM Post #7184728
| Hey! That's my neck of the woods :) We take our boat over to Hinchinbrook sometimes.
Ann |
tropicbreeze
noonamah
Australia
October 19, 2009
08:27 AM Post #7185462
| Extranjera and Isaac, it's a sobering thought that more people are killed or injured by other people than are killed or injured by salties (crocodiles) or sharks.
Sylvain, there are some really beautiful parts of this planet. Hopefully we'll learn to look after them properly.
Ann, over many years I've driven past and looked across to Hinchinbrook and thought "I've got to walk over there one day". And the day I walked there it met my greatest expectations. |
