Hike the Thorsborne Trail

Here's a chance to get properly "off the grid" in a tropical wilderness. Protected since 1932, Hinchinbrook is one of Australia's largest island national parks, and lies within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Hikers on the island are strictly limited to 40 a day, so chances are you won't have to share your camp spot under the stars with anyone.

On the trail you'll pass through dry open forest, rainforest, and mangrove swamps, boulder hop and walk along spectacular ocean beaches, and cross crystal clear mountain streams. There's plenty of wildlife to see along the way - we found a turtle hiding out in the rock pools at Boulder Bay! Off the trail, you can hike up to Nina Peak (leave your heavy pack at the bottom) for breathtaking views, and plunge into safe, freshwater swimming holes and waterfalls.

The 32 kilometre (20 mile) long Thorsborne Trail follows the east coast of the spectacular Hinchinbrook Island, off the North Queensland coast. The trail can be walked from either direction, with most walking north to south and completing the trail in 3 nights & 4 days. That schedule only requires 4-5 hours walking per day, so there's plenty of time to explore! There's a map of the trail here.

It's best to go between May to October, when it's not too hot or wet, but there's still enough water flowing in the creeks (many of the smaller creeks dry up in the warmer months). Camping permits are required, and you need to book in advance for peak season, since numbers are strictly limited. Oh, and the largest group size is six.

Since the little resort closed, there are NO facilities on the island whatsoever, so you need to be entirely self-sufficient. There's very little phone signal, so you might want to consider hiring a sat phone or EPIRB in case anything goes wrong.

You also need to arrange a small ferry to transport you from Cardwell to the start of the trail, and to pick you up at the other end. For more info, visit this link.