Dunk Island

We left Fitzroy at the crack of dawn, believing the weather reports that the south-easterly wind would ease.  Some of us are gullible!

At least we weren't the only ones.  Cam and Collin on 'First Contact', who had been waiting at Fitzroy as long as we had, headed south as well.

Two days later, we met up at Dunk Island.  

Hot showers and picnic tables were waiting for us.  After our first real shower for over a week (during which time personal hygiene consisted of snorkelling), we decided we smelt presentable enough to make social contact once again and had 'sundowners' with Cam and Collin.

The next day, some of us had a headache.

That day, after doing a quick run over to Wongaling Beach (near Mission Beach) for fresh food supplies, Ian had the bright idea to do a walk.

It was a hot day and Ian's bright idea took place around midday.  As I didn't want to use the excuse of self-inflicted afflictions, I was forced to go.  Besides, the view from the top of Mt Kootaloo was spectacular.

Well, I found my thongs which I purchased this morning to be very comfortable, so at least one end of me was feeling well.

Alas, it wasn't to last.  The path was steep, Ian was fast, I was slow.  I had lots of time to think about 'mad dogs and Englishmen'.

Finally, we got to the top.  Ian looks at a nice picture of the view.

Lucky, by now Ian had abandoned the idea of the long walk around the island. 

Not far down the track I am dismayed to learn that Ian had forgotten to get a GPS fix from the top.  He had brought the GPS all the way up and now hadn't got the reading.  I suggested he go back up and get the reading while I kept going.  Good plan.

I secretly stepped up a gear as soon as he was gone to get a bit of headway on him, after all, it was all downhill now for me.

Just as I was getting worried about him getting bitten by a snake, or falling down the steep hill to his death, he showed up again.  

He informed me that Mt Kootaloo was 256m high.  Another useful bit of information was that he ran at 5kn.

The view looking west from Mt Kootaloo over the jetty which leads to the campground and picnic area.

The jetty is being renovated by 'Oompa Loompas' who wear hard hats at all times in case something falls out of the sky.

The resort is still in tatters after Cyclone Yasi wreaked havoc in 2010, however the grounds are kept immaculate.

A Metallic Starling feeds nearby, giving me a bird to aim my camera at.  There are a few birds here but nowhere as many as I expected.  

That evening we enjoyed the BBq facilities with Cam and Collin.  Tomorrow we would head off a little further south and visit some islands on our way to Hinchinbrook.

Ian was doing a bit of fishing, when I said to him to come and look at a short movie Cam had given us to watch.  Not wanting to abandon his fishing, he passed the rod through the hatch so he could continue fishing while watching the movie.

:(   no, he didn't catch anything