South Molle Island whitsundays, QLD

                       Scamper water taxi. 60$ return

                                 View south

View  from Spion kop rock

A superb island with history - a family grazed sheep then it was sold and a resort was built.
Great, easy walks. Excellent coral when the water is clear. Cheap nat park campsite. All within 15 minutes by water taxi from Shute Harbour. Or 1hr by kayak.
Very relaxing place.

BEST BUSH WALK - The ‘Spion Kop’ walk on South Molle Island is voted #1 by Australian Geographic for Queensland’s best bush walk

History of South Molle Island

Around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, glaciers melted and the Coral Sea rose over the coastal plain, leaving only mountain-tops and ridges exposed as the rocky Whitsunday islands we see today.

The Whitsundays are the traditional home of the Ngaro Aboriginal people. Archaeological research shows that the Ngaro inhabited the Whitsundays, including South Molle island, for at least the past 9,000 years. The evidence includes stone axes and cutting tools found in a stone quarry on South Molle island, numerous fish traps (stone structures made for catching fish) throughout the Whitsundays, and cave paintings. Two Ngaro caves have been found on South Molle island, but only a handful of people in the world know the exact location.

Ngaro men were skilled navigators. European seafarers reported seeing Aboriginal people paddling from Double Cone island to South Molle island, a distance of 21km. Their canoes were made of sturdy three-piece bark capable of journeys on the open sea. The Ngaro Sea Trails are still being used as commercial routes.

Ngaro women collected vegetables, seeds and fruits, and prepared them for cooking and eating.

A great variety of tools, utensils and weapons were used for fishing, hunting, gathering plants and cooking. The most effective and simple tools were broken pieces of rock used for cutting, crushing grains and as axe heads. Other tools included animal teeth and twists of bark.

A quarry of these Aboriginal people on South Molle island can be seen when walking the Spion Kop track.

Airlie Beach National Park area

Top Photos: Cedar falls near Conway beach
Last photo: Conway beach 

A rainy and windy week discovering Areas around Conway Nat Park which is adjacent to Airlie Beach. Hiking and running a few hours of kayaking. Very nice area with a few wild beaches - eg Conway beach. Rather pricey campgrounds for a single camper.  Wild camping possible at Cedar falls but not near Airlie Beach thanks to a zealous council...

This is where France comes in front with municipal campgrounds run at little or no profit by the council. No fancy pools or landscaping, but that's not why I go camping...
However France does not have the 5$ per night National Park campgrounds that put you smack in the middle of a National park, USA style. 

Eungella Nat park Nth Qld

A steep windy road above Finch Hatton to get here. Very nice rainforest walks and creeks. Some Nat park campsites. The text above is a quote from famous naturalist John Muir who visited the area. Very true. I must say that the puritans at the Qld EPA don't encourage Tent camping by prohibiting fires... a fire when outdoors, especially after a days walk is natural and the one little bit of comfort people can have. I have to wonder how often the EPA bureaucrats actually camp in the wild.

NSW which is drier, allows campfires for tent campers in the wild, and so should QLD. Another example of how Universities melt people's brains and turn them into conformist drones for the Party and the Cominterm 5 year plan. .

A few quotes from John Muir:

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.


from wiki:

John Muir (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914^[1]) was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the most well-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, was named in his honor.^[

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt accompanied Muir on a visit to Yosemite. Muir joined Roosevelt in Oakland, California, for the train trip to Raymond. The presidential entourage then traveled by stagecoach into the park. While traveling to the park, Muir told the president about state mismanagement of the valley and rampant exploitation of the valley's resources. Even before they entered the park, he was able to convince Roosevelt that the best way to protect the valley was through federal control and management.

After entering the park and seeing the magnificent splendor of the valley, the president asked Muir to show him the real Yosemite. Muir and Roosevelt set off largely by themselves and camped in the back country. The duo talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open air of Glacier Point, and were dusted by a fresh snowfall in the morning. It was a night Roosevelt never forgot.^[31]

During his career as writer and while living in the mountains, Muir continued to experience the "presence of the divine in nature," writes Holmes^[7]:5 From Travels in Alaska: "Every particle of rock or water or air has God by its side leading it the way it should go; The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness; In God's wildness is the hope of the world."

Finch Hatton Gorge Near Mackay QLD

Very cute nat park 80km West of rather over-civilized and materialist Mackay. 
I crossed a 20m ford, 30cm deep water to get to the Platypus Bush camp. Run by a Wizzened old character. small camp with basic facilities. But right next to the roaring river. Met a French couple there and had a good time chatting and talking re work and life in Australia. 

A few minutes up the dirt road are 2 walks to waterfalls. I took the shorter one. Very wild jungle... misty mountains and steep inclines.  

Magnetic Island Circumnavigation

Photos:

• Huntingfield Bay campsite;
• Florence Bay camp,
• From another trip, Parrots being fed at the YHA, Horseshoe bay.
• Thuraya Sat phone coverage.  (No I am not sponsored By them...) 

A rather offbeat way of spending the New Year: I did a solo circumnavigation of Magnetic Island, Just off Townsville, QLD.
Left the afternoon of Dec 31, strong winds, stormy. Crossed in the rain, then HEAVY tropical rain - the island would dissapear from view for minutes and I had to use my compass to keep on a bearing. Battling the winds, I made it across to the Mangroves and the weather cleared.

I paddled North, with the island on my right and went around the point , coming into some strong winds and swell, especially before Huntingfield Bay, where the kayak was crashing over 4m swell... and I had to work hard to make any headway against the gale force winds.
I decided to make a landing on the bay, where I set up a tarp against the rocks and relaxed.

I explored the beach that I had entirely to myself (no road access or tracks). Found some nice rivers, including one that was flowing freely with small cascades due to the drizzle. And watched Sea Eagles. real Robinson Crusoe feel... should do this more often I thought...

In the evening I got out my Sat phone, pointed it roughly NW to get reception from the Thuraya geo-stationary satellite over Singapore, and called up family and a friend or 2.
That was my New year's eve.... and one of the best I've had.... a lot to be said for real wilderness, but you need rain protection , long trousers and some good mossie repellent for the sandflies.

Day2:  weather fine with winds . paddle to Horseshoebay, have a beer and some icecream. Then to Florence Bay in strong winds - arrive 1hour before dark and set up the tarp with half a dozen ropes to stop it from flapping... a pyramid tent would be better. Magnificent bay...

Day 3: paddle to Alma bay where there is quite a few people, get approached by a man interested in my trip, talk about the logistics etc. relax in shade out of sun... and then paddle back to Townsville.

The best things in life are definitely free... although a bit of time and sweat may be involved in enjoying them.
Free Time... being the asset which us moderns often do not know how to create or enjoy. The trick being to use our prosperity to have "slack time" or time where nothing specific is planned, and sunsets and the company of people can be enjoyed...
In my humble opinion, Better than paying working extra to pay off that wide screen TV (to watch documentaries of people Kayaking... )  or whatever.. piece of stuff we were encouraged to buy.