Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail

Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail Follow in the footsteps of the Ngaro people, the traditional owners of the Whitsunday area, and undertake a journey through a region of unsurpassed natural beauty and rich cultural history. Blending seaways with a range of walks, the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail will be truly unique. Great Walks information information Walks Great

What are Great Walks? What to see The Great Walks of Queensland is a State The Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail will Government initiative to develop a series of highlight many iconic features that have extended walks. These will provide visitors made the area famous. Walk across pure with new and exciting ways to explore white sands, sail over turquoise waters, Queensland’s natural areas as well as see ancient rock art, rugged headlands, provide future economic and commercial dry rainforest, rolling grasslands and opportunities for the regions. experience the breathtaking views.

After successfully building and opening The trail six great walks from 2004-2007, the Take in all of the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Department of Environment and Resource Trail — travel from sea to summit with Management (DERM) is planning an varying grades of difficulty and length additional four Great Walks that will across South Molle, Hook and Whitsunday highlight more of Queensland’s most islands, as well journeying its sea paths for valuable natural assets — our parks a different and refreshing perspective. and forests. Planning and construction commenced early in 2008 for the The Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail can be following walks: accessed by private, charter or commercial boat. The area is also kayak friendly and • Carnarvon within easy reach using hire vessels or • Conondale Range bare boats. Commercial boats depart from • Cooloola Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach. Bare boats • Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail. can be sourced at Hamilton Island, Shute Harbour or Airlie Beach. There are also The Whitsunday Ngaro numerous public boat ramps in the area. Sea Trail Ngaro cultural site, Hook Island The Whitsunday islands and their 170m one way surrounding waters have long been a centre Short and initially moderately steep, the for recreation and nature-based activities. track climbs the banks of Nara Inlet, to a Annually, more than 1.4 million people visit rock shelter filled with Ngaro art motifs this region, making it one of the most popular and extensive cultural deposits. The site tourist destinations in the Great Barrier Reef has been upgraded with improved access, World Heritage Area. The Whitsunday Ngaro a new boardwalk, viewing area and Sea Trail will add another facet to an already interpretive displays. outstanding region, providing visitors with the opportunity to experience a remarkable journey over both land and sea. Whitsunday Cairn, Whitsunday Island turquoise waters and the sweeping sands of Sawmill Beach picnic area at Cid Harbour, Scrub Hen Beach to Whitsunday Cairn – Whitehaven Beach. An alternative is to walk the Great Walk project will define the 3km one way over the ridge and along the cycad-lined Whitsunday Peak track and upgrade the Steep and challenging, this track will be boardwalk to the extensive white sands Dugong-Sawmill track. created for the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail. of Lookout Beach. Improved circuit access Breathtaking views over Hook Island and tracks to the lookouts and a possible circuit Spion Kop and Mt Jeffreys, beyond to Border Island are the reward for track to Lookout Beach will form this section South Molle Island the more serious hiker. of the Great Walk. Sandy Bay to Spion Kop – 5.5km extension to Mt Jeffreys – 1.5km Tongue Point, Whitsunday Island Whitehaven Beach – Chance Bay, Winding its way through open forest, Tongue Bay to Hill Inlet lookout Whitsunday Island grasslands, dry rainforest and stands of – 630m one way Solway circuit – 1.1km hoop pine, the track starts at the boaters’ Track junction to Lookout Beach Chance Bay – 2.5km one way camp at Sandy Bay and traverses the length – 250m one way From Whitehaven Beach, the Great Walk of South Molle Island. Culturally significant This moderate, winding track travels through project is creating a short circuit track that sites can be visited en route to Spion Kop, woodland and dry rainforest communities climbs through impressive grasstrees, and once again spectacular views are a to lookouts and beach. Visitors can walk cycads and rock fern, with viewing highlight from the higher elevations of uphill to take in the vistas over Hill Inlet — a opportunities over Solway Passage, the track. The Great Walk project has now highly significant area for the Ngaro people; Pentecost and Haslewood islands. The track upgraded these tracks, and its access the islands emerging from the surrounding then descends through coastal forest back tracks from Paddle Bay camp and South to Whitehaven Beach. For those with more Molle Island resort, providing an extensive Scale time, a branch track off the circuit will wind and accessible island track network of 0 10km 20km through some of the best of Whitsunday’s around 12km. Dryander Molle National Park Islands forest and woodlands to Chance Bay. Dryander National This secluded bay on the southern side of State Park Walkers’ and boaters’ To Bowen Airlie Whitsunday Island is also a great anchorage Forest Beach Whitsunday Bruce Highway Islands option for boats during northerly winds. camps National Park 3HUTEå(ARBOUR Walkers and boaters may access a number of Conway Whitsunday Peak, Whitsunday Island State camps if overnight island stays are required. Proserpine Forest Whitsunday Peak track – 3km one way Camps close to the proposed trail heads are Conway Lindeman Dugong-Sawmill track – 1.5km one way National Islands Sandy Bay and Paddle Bay on South Molle Park National Park The Whitsunday Peak track will be one of Island, Dugong Beach, Whitehaven Beach the most challenging of the Whitsunday and Peter Bay on Whitsunday Island and Ngaro Sea Trail. Reaching an elevation Curlew Beach on Hook Island. Camps have Cairns of 437m, this track offers spectacular various facilities and are managed by DERM. To Mackay Townsville views over the Whitsunday islands and Whitsundays Mackay surrounding mainland. Accessed from the Consultation Brisbane The Department of Environment and Resource Management have consulted Hayman Island Legend

Butterfly National park community and stakeholders about the Great Langford Island Bay State forest Black Walk. Community are being kept informed Bird Island Island Ocean Camping area and involved throughout the project. Stonehaven Great Walk (proposed) Anchorage Walk track Walk track (in development) Ngaro Cultural Site When? Sea path Construction commenced in April 2008. Nara Inlet Whitsunday The project has been staged so that sections Curlew Cairn Whitsunday Passage Border Beach Island of the walk will be started and completed outside the wet season. Peter Bay Pioneer Rocks North Molle Dugong Almora Islet Cid Harbour For more information Island Beach Tongue Point Daydream Tongue Pioneer Island Bay Visit us online at www.epa.qld.gov.au/ Bay PaddleSpion Bay Kop South Cid Whitsunday Peak Whitehaven Molle Island Beach greatwalks Island Sawmill Airlie Mount Jeffreys Beach Beach Sandy Hill Inlet Bay Phone 1300 130 372 Shute Island Whitsunday Island Haslewood Shute Harbour Island Henning Photography: Lisa Scott, DERM East Island Conway Rock Solway State Forest Passage Chance Disclaimer: Bay The materials presented in this fact sheet are Long Island Scale Conway Dent 0 4km 8km distributed by the Department of Environment and National Park Island Hamilton Island Resource Management for information only. The project is at concept stage and the location of the final track and infrastructure depends on environmental and cultural heritage impact assessment.