Thorsborne Trail - Hinchinbrook Island |
Getting There |
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Mangroves to Little Ramsay Bay (8.5 km - 350m ascent - 350m descent) |
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About to set off from Hinchinbrook Marina |
The forest-fringed edge of Hinchinbrook |
Passage into the mangrove swamp |
The boardwalk through the mangroves |
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On the beach at Ramsay Bay - ready to set off |
Heading south towards Nina Peak and Mt Bowen |
Looking back along the broad sandy beach of Ramsay Bay |
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Black Sand Creek ..... |
... and its deep sandy mouth lined with giant paperbarks |
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Into the rain forest ... |
... followed by drier sclerophyll .... |
.... and rocky heath |
View from the climb up Nina Peak |
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The sheer face of Nina Peak |
The route ahead - Nina Bay from Nina Peak |
Channels in the mangrove swamps of north Hinchinbrook |
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View north from Nina Peak over Ramsay Bay |
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Crossing the wave-rippled beach of Nina Bay |
Pink boulders on Nina Beach |
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Forest and mountains backing Nina Bay |
Nina Peak rises high above Nina Bay |
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Looking down onto Boulder Bay |
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Little Ramsay Beach next to the campsite |
Tidal sculpture |
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Little Ramsay Lagoon and Mt Bowen |
The beauty of the lagoon |
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Campsite at Little Ramsay |
Time to relax a little |
Now we could brew a cuppa, followed by a swim in the calm refreshing water of the lagoon. The wind had dropped to a breeze and the sun had broken free of the cloud for a perfect end-of-day relax in this delightful spot, wedged between the Coral Sea and the rugged peaks of Hinchinbrook. |
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The lagoon from the campsite - by day .... |
.... and at sunset |
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Little Ramsay Bay to Zoe Bay (11.5 km - 150m ascent - 150m descent) |
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The sort of river crossing we like |
Climbing up onto the red rock headland |
Rain out to sea |
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The rocks of Little Ramsay |
View back over Little Ramsay Bay from the headland |
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Descent to Banksia Bay
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Cloud-covered mountains framing the beach at Banksia Bay |
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The lagoon at Banksia Bay |
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Scrubby heathland on the saddle |
View over the rainforest flats and Zoe Bay |
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Big boulders in the descent gully |
Nello adds a touch of colour to the greenery |
In the lowland rain forest |
Orange-barked giant in a sea of green |
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In the more open paperbark swamplands |
Mud, mud mud ..... where I filled my boot with mud |
The setting of North Zoe Creek |
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The camp goanna |
A sheltered spot in the coastal forest |
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The lovely green pool of Zoe Falls |
Time for a refreshing swim |
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Zoe Bay to Mulligans Falls (6.5 km - 310m ascent - 310m descent) |
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Mt Bowen with its plume of cloud |
Sunny morning at Zoe Beach |
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Farewell to Zoe Falls |
A bit of ropework on the climb to the top of the falls |
Looking up the rocky bed of South Zoe Creek |
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Pool at the top of Zoe Falls and Zoe Bay |
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On the somewhat overgrown track |
A final glimpse of Mt Bowen above the heath |
Back into the rain forest on the southern slopes |
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The blue of the Coral Sea |
Looking inland toward Mt Diamantina |
The Palm Islands on the horizon |
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Looking down to Shipwreck Cove |
View south towards the mainland |
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View out over the Coral Sea and the Palm Islands |
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Mulligans Falls to Georges Point (6.5 km - 10m ascent - 30m descent) |
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The upper pool |
Sunlight on the lower pool |
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A last walk in the rain forest .... |
... past one creek .... |
.... and another .... |
.... and another |
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Reaching the beach at last |
Looking north along Mulligans Bay |
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Crossing Mulligans Creek (not as deep as expected) |
The mouth of Mulligans Creek |
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Afternoon light on Mulligans Beach |
Trunks of trees ripped out by Cyclone Yasi in 2011 |
Beach campsite at Georges Point |
Sea-horse driftwood |
Looking over Hinchinbrook Channel to the mainland |
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The ferry arrives to take us back to the mainland |
Hinchinbrook Island from Lucinda marina |
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