Whitsunday Cairn

The good thing about owning a boat in the Whitsundays is that you can get to all the island bushwalks; we can follow the Ngaro sea trail whenever we like. Last year we sailed on Lady Katherine to Cid Harbour and climbed Whitsunday Peak. In the new year we sailed to Hook Passage and climbed Whitsunday Cairn, the second highest point of the Whitsunday Islands at 386 metres above sea level.

Fabulous sail to Hook Passage on a south easterly breeze

The fringing reef from Cairn Beach to Scrub Hen Beach on the northern end of Whitsunday Island managed to come out relatively unscathed from Cyclone Debbie’s fury, so it’s a great snorkelling site on a falling tide. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority thoughtfully installed a couple of moorings near the reef protection markers, which now makes visiting a little easier.

After a superb sail from Abell Point Marina in a 15 knot south easterly, we arrived in Hook Passage in time for a snorkel. There’s a real variety of hard and soft corals; including an area that looks like a green football field, with plenty of fish swimming around and the odd green turtle or two. It’s also a great spot to watch the sunset. Well, anywhere in and around the Whitsundays is really.

Hook Island sunset

It was an early dinghy ride into Cairn Beach the next morning for the near 5km return hike to the summit. While the brochure says allow 3 or more hours, it can be done well inside that time if you are fit and keep admiration of the amazing views to a minimum. 

Dinghy drop off at Cairn Beach - best avoided at low tide as too much exposed coral for beach access

Sturdy footwear and insect repellent recommended

Strangler fig taking over its next victim

For the first third, the trail is very steep through the dry vine forest, and overall it was a bit overgrown and rugged in some places, so hiking boots are the recommended footwear. Passing through hoop pine, eucalypt and grasstree forests with fern covered rock formations, the views from the foot of the imposing volcanic plug are spectacular. The Whitsunday Islands are truly beautiful and a must see from the highest points.

Ostrich fern in abundance

Grasstrees and eucalypts

Highest point on Whitsunday Island

Looking west to Whitsunday Passage and the mainland

Looking north east

While it was tempting to linger longer, time and tide wait for no man. We wanted to be ready to catch the outgoing tide to Bait Reef so it was time for me to head back down to shore and meet my water taxi to return to Lady Katherine.

Sawn hoop pine - the Whitsunday islands were logged last century for this smooth, very uniform, straight grain multi purpose soft wood 

Not all plants are friendly. Dendrocnide moroides or Gympie Gympie, is a native rainforest plant, but do not touch! It really, really hurts for months on end.

Cairn Beach - notice the strong tidal movement at the end of the passage

I’m looking forward to doing this walk again, but this time in the winter months when the Southern Humpback whales are about. If you fancy coming along for a Whale, Sail and Trail trip, then give us a shout!