Dunk Island (part one)

After a relaxing holiday at Airlie Beach we drove to Cairns - a drive of 623 kilometres. Next day we flew on a small plane to Dunk Island.

The weather on the flight from Cairns had been overcast but through the break in the clouds the coastline and numerous islands could be seen.

When the small Hinterland aircraft landed on the Dunk Island airstrip bordered by lush tropical vegetation, a staff member from the resort carried a tray of drinks as he greeted the twelve passengers arriving on the island.

A sign depicting the island’s logo, the Ulysses butterfly, welcomed the guests to Voyages Dunk Island. After registration the guests were provided with an introductory tour of the resort before being taken to their rooms.

It was soon obvious that we were in a tropical paradise.

The balcony, part of our rooms provided a view of the beach as well as parts of the resort.

Many of the rooms overlook Brammo Bay providing views of the beach and neighbouring Purtaboi Island. There was easy access to the beach from our rooms.

The accommodation blocks were set amongst tropical vegetation.

It was an idyllic location for a holiday.

Dunk Island (part two)

Our first afternoon at Dunk Island was spent exploring the resort and generally relaxing. 

The weather was warm, but cloudy, and there was some drizzle which developed into rain by the evening. However it was peaceful watching the tide come in and also watching the brush turkeys wandering across the lawn outside our building. 

Dinner was at the Beachcomber Restaurant and we were glad of the large umbrella that we had found in our room as we made our way in the rain to the restaurant.

A feature of the resort was the food. We had breakfast and dinner at the Beachcomber Restaurant and lunch by the pool overlooking the beach.

Breakfast was a buffet with a variety of cereals, fruit, bread and pastries as well as a selection of eggs, bacon sausages etc for those who are that way inclined. Dinner on some evenings was a la carte while on the other evenings a themed buffet was provided. While we were there we experienced the seafood buffet, an Asian buffet and an Australian buffet. The food was good and we enjoyed sitting in the open sided restaurant overlooking the pool and Brammo Bay as we ate our meal. Each morning we were visited by a small honey eater who hopped along the wire of the balcony.

Sunset over the beach.

Lights on the edge of the footpath helped us find our way back to our rooms at night.

Dunk Island (part three)

The resort offered a number of guided walks explaining aspects of the island. On the first morning we went on a walk looking at the birds and butterflies near the resort while in the afternoon we went on another walk looking specifically at the different types of island vegetation. Most of Dunk Island is a National Park and when we went on longer walks during the following days we found the information provided by Holly during these introductory talks useful in helping us appreciate the environment. I also went on a walk where the Holly outlined the history of the island

Muggy Muggy Beach is around the corner from Brammo Bay and we walked there on a number of occasions at different times of the day.

During our stay the tide was out during the middle of the day so the beaches looked very different towards evening compared with around lunchtime.

The beaches on this side of the island had yellow sand and some rocks, unlike some of the beaches we had visited recently on the mainland which consisted mainly of stones.

On another occasion we walked along Brammo Beach to the jetty and then around The Spit and along Pallon Beach, returning via the airstrip.

Views of Pallon Beach at Low Tide.

Beach near the airstrip.

The walk to Coonanglebah Farm took us through green paddocks and on to the farm lookout providing views of the nearby water.

Edmund Banfield became interested in the reef near Dunk Island and set up a holiday camp on the island. He and his wife, Bertha, established a holiday house on the island before moving there permanently where they cultivated four acres of land for growing vegetables and fruit and for keeping a few cows, goats and chickens.

In later years 160 acres were cleared for a dairy farm but the land is now used to graze a few cattle, keep some chickens and ducks and a pig and to provide accommodation for the horses used for riding tours of part of the island.

Edmund Banfield wanted a national park established on the island and recommended that steps should be taken to protect the reef near Dunk Island and surrounding islands for the future. He corresponded with Australian scientists on this topic until his death in 1923.

Banfield Memorial Reserve and Grave on Dunk Island.

Dunk Island (part four)

On the Saturday we undertook our major walk – the climb to Mount Kootaloo and then on to the circuit walk via Coconut Beach.

Mount Kootaloo which provides good views of the neighbouring islands

also has the remains of equipment used at the No 27 Radar Station manned by members of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.

During the walk the vegetation changed from trees with vines to palms and other tropical vegetation.

We had been warned to watch out for the wait a while, a rapidly growing vine with small sharp spikes designed to attach itself to other plants.

Fungi also abounded in a variety of shapes and colour and a number of the plants had coloured flowers, standing out from the many shades of green.

There were a number of small birds, usually high in the canopy, but on the path to Mount Kootaloo we were entertained by a female brush turkey wandering in front of us and we also saw an orange footed scrub hen in the distance.

  Snakes also inhabit the island and beside the path we saw, on two occasions, small brown tree snakes.

The previous day we had seen a small green tree snake in the garden at the resort.

The beach at Coconut Beach has many large round boulders which look quite dramatic contrasting with the flat stretches of sand and the water.

This ten kilometre walk was a great way to view the vegetation and wildlife on the island.

Dunk Island (part five)

Dunk Island also provided a range of sporting activities for those who feel that way inclined. Swimming pool,

tennis courts, a squash court, volleyball court, gymnasium and a nine hole golf course were some of the facilities available.

Being an island there are also opportunities for exploring via the water with a range of boats available for use by guests including small blue boats for paddling, motor boats, catamarans and jet skis.

Robin and I went paddling around Brammo Bay which was fun though I seemed to scoop water over myself each time I used the paddle which demonstrated a major flaw in my paddling technique.

On our last evening Robin went on a nature kayak tour to Kumboola Island which he enjoyed.

On the Monday we visited Beaver Reef and Coral Cay on the catamaran, QuickCat IV. The trip to the reef took one hour. The boat anchored near a small island of sand. When we arrived there was a welcoming party of large birds waiting on the island to greet us. Beaver Reef is a great location to view the reef either by scuba diving or snorkelling. On the trip to the reef we had been provided with snorkelling gear, including flippers, and a wetsuit.

As I had previously avoided opportunities to snorkel we initially went in a small motorised boat to the island where I could practise in shallow water.

Despite what the experts tell you snorkelling without taking on water is not that easy. Never the less some attempts were successful and it was fascinating to have a close view of the fish and coral near the island. We got a lift back to the main boat – I resisted the suggestion that we swim back – and after selecting our lunch to have later in the afternoon we got ready for a guided snorkel tour of the main reef.

Fortunately Robin was with me and held my hand during the swim to direct me because, although I could hear our guide, when I had my face in the water I had no idea which direction we were going in. I decided to concentrate on seeing as much as I could without taking in too much water and trust that Robin knew where we were headed.

Snorkelling on the reef was a great experience – lots of colour and shapes with a variety of coral, starfish, sea slugs, giant clams and many different fish. I am glad that I had the experience but I was definitely not born to snorkel. When we were back on the boat I was shivering so much that a staff member brought me a blanket and a hot drink. 

Beaver Reef images from Bossa Nova website.

Dunk Island was a great place to get away from the routines of our increasingly busy lives. In our five days on the island we enjoyed the opportunities to explore the beaches and the national park, to visit the reef and view its wonderful underwater world and in my case to test the comfort boundaries as I attempted paddling and snorkelling – at least I can tick them off the list of things that I have done (even if I did not do them very well). 

There was also the opportunity just to relax and read a book, to watch the tide come in and out, to appreciate the varieties of colour that abound in tropical vegetation and to watch the antics of the birds at the resort. 

There was also the added bonus of good food prepared by someone else – and we didn’t have to clear up afterwards. We also appreciated the warm, though often cloudy, weather with maximum temperatures 25 degrees to 28 degrees. 

On the Tuesday morning we left on the QuickCat to return to the mainland at Mission Beach for the bus and plane trip home. 

In March 2006 Dunk Island was in the path of Cyclone Larry which caused much damage to the infrastructure and to the vegetation. In some places in the national park we saw clearings in the canopy where trees had been brought down during the storm. Other plants were taking advantage of the additional light and the vegetation was growing back. Apart from photographs showing the cyclone damage kept in the Activities Centre there was little indication of the damage caused by the storm.

However worse was to come. In 2011, Cyclone Yasi destroyed the resort at Dunk Island plus other communities in the region.

Decisions are yet to be made as to the future of the island as a holiday destination.

Great Barrier Reef

In 2005 we visited the reef from Port Douglas on a Quicksilver catamaran which took us to the Quicksilver platform moored at Agincourt Reef.

Most of the passengers elected to snorkel to view the reef and after donning wetsuits and snorkel gear they explored the designated reef area.

The glass bottom boat provided another way to view the masses of coral and fish and clams in the blue waters of the reef.

When holidaying at Dunk Island in 2007 we visited the Beaver Reef and coral cay aboard a smaller catamaran, the Quick Cat IV.

This time I went snorkelling which was a great experience – lots of colour and shapes with a variety of coral, starfish, sea slugs, giant clams and many different fish. I am not sorry that I had the experience but I was definitely not born to snorkel.