The first time we saw Dunk Island it was from the coast. We were experiencing a walk known as the Kennedy Track. It is a 7 kilometres return walk (3 to 4 hours) starting at the boat ramp at South Mission Beach.

The trail follows the beach, low cliffs and headland. The track is probably not the easiest one we had the opportunity to do but it is one of the best coastal walks in the Wet Tropics. It is a good opportunity to see a variety of wildlife and enjoy some magnificent views on the Family Islands group. Some parts can be quite exhaustive for occasionally bush walkers as we are and it is advisable to avoid the hottest part of the day.

During this walk your are walking along the beach of Lugger Bay, and skirt behind a patch of mangroves.

You will enjoy several lookouts before your descent to Turtle Bay and finally to Kennedy Bay. Reaching Kennedy Bay, surrounded by all the mangroves, could be a little bit disappointing but the reward was already provided by the several lookouts you passed on your way.

A picnic area with all the facilities is available near the beach but take care, swimming at any time of the year is not advisable because Estuarine Crocodiles can be found in the Hull River area. It is anyway a good place to enjoy your picnic, have a rest and relax before returning.

Remembering the islands we saw from the Kennedy Track, during a second trip in the region we decided to dedicate some time to discover the Family Islands group and more specifically Dunk Island.

There are several possibilities to reach Dunk Island. Using the services provided by local Water Taxi is one of them. As the island is equipped with a small air strip, it is also possible to reach it by air.

But these options are not the only ones. Another easy way to get there is to benefit from the service offered by Dunk Island Ferry. Dunk Island Ferry is offering several options at very reasonable costs. You can simply chose a return ticket option or some more complete package that includes 'Dunk Island - Lunch on the boat - Cruise around some of the other local islands'. This last option includes a tour around Bederra Island (the place where rich and famous are coming to rest) and a free 'Boomnetting' experience on the return. In case you are interested by more details on these options, I can only invite you to have a look to Dunk Island Ferry web site.

We decided to do it in two days. We chose the full package for the first day and the Dunk Island only option for the second one. Going two days on the same island is offering some advantages. On the second day, when you arrive on the island, you are not loosing time to discover the place, the local facilities, and other possibilities offered to the day tripper. You already know all this and you can immediately start to enjoy your day.

But let's start with the first day. Staying at Mission Beach, thanks to the free pick-up offered by Dunk Island Cruise, it took only few minutes to reach Clumb Point Jetty, the boarding place.

After a quick stop by the ticket office, we are boarding on the Lawrence Kavanagh ferry. A boat with some history. The Lawrence Kavanagh was built in 1975 by the Sullivans Cove Ferry Company. The container vessel, the Lake Illawarra bumped one of the piles supporting the span of the bridge across the Derwent River in Hobart (Tasmania). The span fell in to the river and the bridge could not be repaired for several years so the Tasmanian Government commissioned the Sullivans Cove Ferry Company to build three ferries. They were all named after Tasmanian bushrangers, who were robbers and murderers and were eventually hanged for their crimes. Their names were Mathew Brady, Martin Cash and Lawrence Kavanagh. The ferries operated across the Derwent until the bridge was reopened in late 1979. The three ferries were sold and the Lawrence Kavanagh started its operation between Mission Beach and Dunk Island.

It will only take around 45 minutes to travel from Clumb Point Jetty and Dunk Island. So a very short trip that gives you the opportunity to enjoy some of the scenery offered by the Family Island group.

Dunk Island, the biggest island of the group, is 6 kms long and 2 kms wide at its widest point.

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Three quarter of the island is a national park with something like 13 kms of excellent walking tracks. This is one of the aspects of the island but it is also offering quite a range of water based activities such as paddle ski, boat hire, jet ski, ...

There are also several very good sandy beaches located at walking distance from the jetty. Some of them, located further can anyway be reached by walking or alternatively, by using a small boat that you can hire for half a day.

The diversity in the choice of your activities is one of the biggest advantages of this island and make Dunk Island a paradise for the day tripper.

When you reach the island, if you simply want to enjoy the beach, you can just walk to the nearby beach located on the left of the jetty and chose a nice quite and shady spot.

If you are looking for something a little bit more isolated, it is up to you to take one of the walking trails to reach one of the other beaches spread around the island. As I previously said, you can alternatively rent a small boat to reach your spot via the sea.

If you are more interested by some of the available water sports or beach activities, you will get all information required from the office located near the jetty.

If your expectation is to experience snorkelling, Dunk Island is probably not the best spot for coral or fish viewing, but at least you can practice.

Included in our day package was a BBQ on the boat. (Alternatively you can also have a lunch on the island). So we eat on board before leaving for the cruise around the islands.

A real opportunity to learn more about Dunk Island and the surrounding islands including Bedarra Island, one of the place known to host rich and famous personalities. The commentary provided on board are very interesting and provides a very good information on the local history.

Another experience included in the package is the Boomnetting experience. For about 20 minutes, for those who wish so, the Boomnet is out. Great fun ... when the weather permits it of course.

Back on Dunk Island, you will just have the time for a refreshment before boarding again and heading to the main land. Arrival to Clumb Point Jetty around 4:30 pm.

... Next page, the second day on Dunk Island, walking track up to Mt. Kootaloo ...