Some islands immediately attracted me upon first sight. Sometimes on a picture, or by actually seeing their intriguing shapes on the horizon. One of those is Hinchinbrook Island, just off the coast of North Queensland in Australia.

Hinchinbrook Island features rugged mountains covered in lush jungle vegetation, broad sweeping beaches and meandering estuaries. Unspoiled wilderness that can only be explored on foot. It’s pure bliss! & definitely triggers a Natural High.

Of course a Wilderness Coffee has to be part of the essential survival gear too… 😉

Wilderness Coffee @ Mulligan Falls, Hinchinbrook Island.

Queensland wilderness island

Hinchinbrook Island looks deceivingly close to the coast. It’s almost attached to the Australian mainland between Lucinda and Cardwell. But the island itself is largely inaccessible. Big saltwater crocodiles live in the maze of mangroves and estuaries on the west coast and on both sides of the narrow Hinchinbrook Channel, that seperates the island from the Queensland coast. In the interior, huge granite mountains rise up dramatically.

The mountains of Hinchinbrook Island actually stand taller than most other peaks on the surrounding mainlaind. The highest one is Mount Bowen, with an altitude of 1121 metres.

Approaching the southern side of Hinchinbrook Island from Lucinda, across on the main land.

The Thorsborne Trail

The only accessible places on Hinchinbrook are along the east coast, where the 32 kilometre Thorsborne Trail follows a chain of secluded bays and sandy beaches. This hiking route meanders through thick tropical jungle with tangled trees and several swimming holes, with waterfalls tumbling down rocky outcrops.

The Thorsborne Trail is one of the most beautiful hikes in the world.

Mulligan Bay, on the southern part of the Thorsborne Trail.

How to get to Hinchinbrook Island

On Hinchinbrook Island there is no infrastructure, except for the track itself, and a few nature campsites with basic facilities along the route. Regular ferry services run from Cardwell and Lucinda to both ends of the track between March and November. Outside of this period they go less frequent, and sometimes on demand only.

Best time to hike the Thorsborne Trail (& when to avoid)

The dry season between April and September is the best time to plan your hike. May to August are generally the most pleasant months, with fresh sea breezes and average temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius. In October the hike becomes more challenging, with increasing heat and humidity. It gets quite oppressive by November, before the wet season in North Queensland from December to March.

There is a strict limit of the number of people allowed on the Thorsborne Trail at any one time. Currently it’s set at a maximum of 40 people per day, and you have to obtain camping permits before you can book a ferry. Permits for the Thorsborne Trail can be booked up to 6 months in advance. The Thorsborne Trail is closed in January and February, due to extreme heat and intense rainfall at the height of the wet (and cyclone) season.

North Queensland wet season

By the end of November, when the wet season is about to set off, the regular ferry services stop going. This was the time when I was in North Queensland. Fortunately, the Cardwell Visitor Information Centre helped me to arrange a daytrip with one of the boat operators from Lucinda. So I could still do a part of the track: the southern section between George Point and Mulligan Falls.

I will have to come back and do the full Thorsborne Trail some day!

The pristine coastline of Hinchinbrook Island.

Thorsborne Trail hike summary

Best hiking direction & where to start

You can walk the Thorsborne Trail both ways, starting either on the northern end (Ramsay Bay) or the southern end (George Point). In terms of difficulty it doesn’t make much difference which way you choose. Most people hike from north to south, to take advantage of the available fresh water from the creeks and waterholes. Especially towards the end of the dry season there is less available water along the northern sections of the Thorsborne Trail.

If you hike from north to south, you will also have the best part of the track as a reward near the end: the Zoe Bay area with the fabulous Zoe Falls ‘nature infinity pool’! A perfect opportunity to enjoy an extra day to chill around.

North to south

Route marked with orange arrows.

Ramsay Beach to Nina Bay and Little Ramsay Bay: 6,5 kilometres / 5 hours.
Little Ramsay Bay to Zoe Bay: 10,5 kilometres / 6 hours.
Zoe Bay to Mulligan Falls: 7,5 kilometres / 4,5 hours.
Mulligan Falls to George Point: 7,5 kilometres / 3 hours.

South to north

Route marked with yellow arrows.

George Point to Mulligan Falls: 7,5 kilometres / 3 hours.
Mulligan Falls to Zoe Bay: 7,5 kilometres / 4,5 hours.
Zoe Bay to Little Ramsay Bay: 10,5 kilometres / 6 hours.
Little Ramsay Bay to Nina Bay and Ramsay Beach: 6,5 kilometres / 5 hours.

You can find more information about the Thorsborne Trail (and the necessary preparations) on the Queensland Tourism website.

Hinchinbrook Island map

This handy interactive map shows the locations in the pictures above, as well as the Thorsborne Trail route. Zoom in for more details on the different sections of the track and Hinchinbrook Island.

Remote Islands – Hinchinbrook Island, Australia

This article was originally published as a NaturePic Challenge: pictures of epic nature with a specific theme, and places that will trigger a natural high.

@ Have you done the Thorsborne Trail? How was your experience? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you! Your questions, comments and suggestions are also helpful for other readers and travellers. Thank you for sharing.

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Golden beaches and lush mountains looming beyond the thick jungle.

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More to explore & discover

The opal fields of Lightning Ridge – The mesmerizing draw of luminous stone

The Hazards – Scrambling up to prehistorical views

Aurora Solaris – The sunset version of northern lights

The zen of Stafsnes – The hidden beach

Flower Art – Australian flowers & bushnuts

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© All photos and content on this website are my own, and subject to copyright (unless credited otherwise). Please contact me if you want to use a photo or quote a text from one of my articles. You’re welcome to share a link to my blog articles and photos on social media, with a tag and mention to Wilderness Coffee & Natural High.

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First published: 4 February 2017