Five-minute read: Fiona Owens find serenity and solitude whilst hiking on Hinchinbrook Island.
My friend Amanda and I have just returned from a truly magical experience of Hinchinbrook Island’s Thorsborne Trail in Far North Qld. On the boat ride over the sun shone glistening on the ocean and we spotted three dugongs passing us. We arrived on the spectacular, impressively yellow Ramsay Bay Beach and suddenly felt the exhilarating experience of feeling truly alone. Not a sign of civilisation anywhere to be seen and no other people to crowd our fantasy of being lost from the world. I will be 50 soon and with a double knee surgery I'm much slower than my younger, fitter friend but we knew there was no rush.
A leisurely hike took us to the first campsite Little Ramsay Bay with a croc warning sign leading us towards the most beautiful beach. We took some time to smash oysters on the rocks for a pre dinner snack (a technique taught to me by some Aboriginal women on Mornington Island). The campsites were all peaceful and secluded just off the beach. At night the sky was brilliant and alive with the brightest stars, the ocean surprised us as it came within inches of our tent roaring with large waves.
We enjoyed the next long and strenuous day hiking over rocks, up and down gullies on half-formed paths ever searching for the little red arrows. As we traversed the island we were aghast with its splendour and depth, constant changing environments and our ability to be naked in the wild. Enjoying a naked dip in the endless water holes was most peaceful (until being attacked by some rock lobsters!).
Never once meeting other people out hiking was bliss and left us feeling like we were the only people on the island. With the intense heat and humidity we would strip off and jump into every glistening crystal pool we came across. We have never been such clean hikers before!
The two unbelievable, breathtaking waterfalls Zoe Falls and Mulligan Bay Falls were cool and refreshing and provided those moments of sheer bliss similar to finding chocolate in your pack you didn't know was there. We only had a few wildlife encounters, a couple of crocs, some biting crayfish in the pool, fish that followed us around the pools, two frogs and a whip snake.
Reaching the end, the last 5km along the beach was wild and windswept, the insects had bitten us constantly and the inlet we needed to cross was filling up apparently awash with crocs. As I walked slowly along the beach picking up any stray plastic I looked back at the majestic wild and rugged mountains and thought to myself; 'Hinchinbrook Island is one of the best walks in the world!'