Hinchinbrook Hike

•          Cardwell
•          Hinchinbrook island

Arrived at Cardwell and set up the van at a caravan park.  This site is about 20 mt from the Bruce Highway so when the B doubles go past the whole van shakes. We have resorted to watching TV with dual head phones so we can hear and don’t have to lip read a movie.

I wish I could say that you get used to it, NOT.

The reason we have arrived in Cardwell is to have a holiday from a holiday……..

We are going to leap over to Hinchinbrook Island to walk the Thorsborne Trail a 32 km hike over 5 days (we wanted a rest day).

Hinchinbrook Looking Threatening (looking from Cardwell)

There's our lift over to Hinch Day 1

Day 1

So it was nice boat trip in a water taxi (little tinny – Di boats and water not a good mix but all was good) around to the northern end of the island and up an estuary, our boat driver gave us a stack of detail on where its ok to swim and where not “otherwise you’ll get eaten ey”, we could get eaten!!  The dreaded thought that it would take the next 5 days to reach our pick up at the southern end came to a reality check that this could be harder than I anticipated, can’t turn back now.

I'm thinking " those Mt's are looking a bit  tough to hike over" Day 1

The day typically Northern Qld warm, a bit of sun and cloud, very still in the forest and really high humidity. We started well our packs where heavy and we passed some younglings,  we felt chipper.  When we reached our first water crossing we thought ‘this is different ‘, but  by the end of the trip we would have crossed numerous rivers, fast running creeks, dry creek beds, tidal estuary’s, bogs , swamps and marshes. The novelty wore off pretty quick especially with “danger salt water croc habitat this area” signs.

One of the many creek crossings Day 1

We had a spell at the foot of Mt Nina then up we went to see the northern end of the island from a great vantage point.

Great views looking out from Mt Nina  Day 1

Looking back towards the mainland Day 1

Our first camp spot at Nina Bay, nice breeze off the water, camp a couple of meters off the beach, coconut trees and tropical forest down to the beach sand. The National Parks provide big steel bins with lids to keep your food in, it was advised that the white tail bush rats will chew through your gear to get to anything with a scent, that night I was hoping Di’s deodorant was not rat berley!  So all tablets, toothpaste, hand sanitiser, sunscreen, even perfumed toilet paper had to go in the bins).   No midnight snacking unless you wanted to get up and feast with the rats.

Truly a tropical Paradise sunset Day 1

Day 2

Woke to a bright day with the sun rising over the Coral Sea, nice! Off we trot, a little bit sore from yesterdays hike.  First obstacle Boulder Bay,  a beach made up of various sized rock marbles, challenging to walk/climb with loaded packs and trying to keep your footing.  At the end of Boulder Bay you have to scale up cliffs along the headland, (not fantastic for height challenged Di ey!!!).

Yep this is the track Boulder Bay the original Rolling Stones Day 2

May be that was the hard bit ,  not.....

We opted to walk through our previously planned second night camp Little Ramsay Bay , so we made up two days walk in one - what were we thinking!  Not realising that we had to walk through swampy bogs  (I’ve never seen croc habitat before but it looked like croc’s world to me),  we  got into our camp at  Zoe Bay right on dusk , ( nine hours of trudging through you name it) we must have rung the mozzie dinner bell. “ Looks like hiker on the menu tonight – and Vic blood too”.  Had the lowest feeling  at that moment and felt for Di as she tastes better than me or smells worse  ”ey”. Total exhaustion set in so bed real early.

Day 3

We regained our composure as we gained a day to not have to hump up it along the trail. It turned into a reasonable day and we had a swim at Zoe Falls.  Best swimming hole I’ve ever seen.  I’ll try and set the scene, water fall cascading into an aqueous blue tropical pool, the odd bright blue butter fly flying in(Ulysses) and native fish, (jungle perch) quite happy to swim amongst you. Water was cool but it was good to have a swim to get rid of hikers stink for a bit. All to ourselves we felt quite spoilt.  Back at camp we chatted with other hikers and boaties (soft!  park the yacht and check the water falls out ).

With refreshed bodies we looked forward to the next day.

Fantastic Tropical pool

Look yowie

Day 3 schedule

Swimming with jungle perch special treat ( biggest shower head )

Day 4

"#@*% ! creek's"

Our neighbors in their  hammocks , which are all the go here in Qld

On to Mulligan’s Falls camp, we were aware that this day was likely to be a wet day hike and it didn’t let us down. The vegetation changed to open heath at the highest point on the trail. Good views back where we came from. The showers were on and off for the day so there was less pics to take. Got into Mulligans in plenty of time to set up, had a swim at the falls but as the day was overcast it was just a swim to get clean before getting in to the tent for the night. Heavy rain on and off all night.    Dinner – dehydrated Spag Bol  with a hit of ant and custard for dessert.  Bad light helps make the ants go down.

Day 5

The boat was due for pick up at 4:00 pm so rather wait in the rain forest(mud everywhere) we made our way to the pickup point.  Mulligans is a camp within thick rainforest and  the air is still, damp and not looking to improve , as our gear was so wet  we made for the coast to dry  out while waiting for the boat.  As we were just about to head out of Mulligans camp I was gathering my thoughts before another days hike when I noticed that the massive 7 ft tree root moving across the track that would be as close to the biggest snake that wasn’t behind glass that I have seen. (we think a scrub python) It lifted its head towards us before moving on, it was in no hurry. It’s funny how your mind works, after that so many tree roots were looked at a little more cautiously.

Not too hard of a hike out -  6 more creek crossings , one being a  tidal estuary that we had to make sure we were on the low end of the tide and a 5 km beach section to Georges Point for our ride out.  Had plenty of time so we were able to dry the tent and clothes out before the water taxi arrived.  Then a 45 minute mini bus ride from Lucinda back to Cardwell.

''Ohh come on'' ( this is the track ,its either boots off or circus act so you don't get wet )

Summary

It was a hard hike.  The water crossings carrying packs and climbing over rocks that had slime on them made it easy to slip if you weren't concentrating.  Parts of the track were just dry rocky creek beds that either went up or down.  We had to swap our hiking boots to sandals at some crossings and both suffered in walking in just sandals to the next crossing over wearing boots.  The track had vegetation all over it and very narrow in many places with trees, branches and roots everywhere.  Only one area had a rope to assist in getting up the steep rock .  The track was no walk in the park.

There is a vine up here called the Lawyer vine as once it gets you it won’t let go (sorry Robbo  ey). The ups weren't the worst I've done but the muddy sections were a little concerning as you couldn’t tell whether you would sink into black ooze or not.

We sore 5 snakes over the hike but given the environment I say more sore us. I am glad we sore the python on the last day rather than the first! 

Di says that she has never stunk or sweated so much in her whole life – she had to peal the clothes off at night only to peel them back on the next day – you could wring the sweat out of them.  After using a whole can of Rid she still has at least 40 mozzie bites on each limb not to mention the rest of her body, two nasty bites from some flying insect that are like bruises the size of 5 cent pieces and massive scratches  on the ankle from a Robbo vine but all in all a great hike which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

So if anyone wants a 4-5 day hike on a tropical island I would thoroughly recommend it.  I might even be enticed to go as your guide, (carry your own stuff though).

We missed some birthdays whilst of the air – so happy birthday to Jan Brunswick, Shelley Grabasch,  Steve Mosetter , Di Lamb and Tyler Guan– hope you all had a lovely day.
Hooroo

Mulligans Bay 5 km beach hike

Our last crossing  a tidal estuary day 5

Here's our lift

Day 5 walking out to pick up

                                     

All done (Lucinda)

The butterflies just add to the islands beauty