Field notes from the Thorsborne Trail

Sharing my nature journal from Hinchinbrook Island.

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Hinchinbrook (or Munamudanamy to the Bandjin and Girramay people), located off the coast of North Queensland, is one of Australia’s largest island national parks.

It’s home to the Thorsborne Trail, which is surely one of the country’s most beautiful hikes.

This 32-kilometre trail is renowned for its beautiful (and can I just say somewhat challenging) terrain. It’s named for Australian naturalist and conservationist Arthur Thorsborne. The feminist in me questions why the otherwise excellent informational pamphlet the Queensland Government have produced for the trail doesn’t also name it for his wife Margaret, whose life efforts in protection and conservation were equally as notable. Wtf, Queensland. Come on

The trail runs from Ramsay Bay in the north, to George Point in the south, although it’s possible to hike it in either direction. We chose to go from north to south, crossing rocky headland, climbing a ‘small cliff’ (as described in the pamphlet and repeated in disbelief by me when I finally saw it), tramping through rainforest and across countless rivers.

You can complete the trail in three days, if you’re super fit and keen (and a trail runner did the whole thing in just over three hours, omg). Most people take four or five days.

We went the extra mile, spending six days on the island; staying at a campsite most people bypass, and allowing ourselves a rest day in-between.

Each multi-day walk is summed up in a mini-series, where I first share how I prepared for the trail. This week is all about the trail itself, as I publish my diaries from this time. As such, this week’s edition will be for paid subscribers only.

Honestly did not think we would make it, at one point.

Day zero

Melbourne to Cardwell - 2.45 hour flight, 2.15 hour bus ride.

Why start on day zero? Well, they say it’s the journey that matters, not the destination and sometimes the journey is a story worth writing about in itself.

Getting from Melbourne up to Tropical North Queensland should have been somewhat straightforward. We’d booked a flight leaving at 6.25am, then a bus leaving Cairns at 3pm. Public transport options are limited in this part of town, but if all went well, we’d have hours between landing in Cairns and leaving for the town of Cardwell, where we could catch a boat to the island.

I’d planned my life in the lead up to leaving quite badly (this is nothing new) and was perhaps still organising myself at 11pm the night before; so greatly looking forward to a 330am wake up. Then, an email dropped in from budget flight provider Jetstar, who we were most unfortunately flying with.

Your flight has been delayed to 10.45am. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Sure you are, Jetstar.

Well, yay for a sleep-in, but yikes. So much for all our careful planning – now we’d be getting into Cairns at 2pm and be very lucky to make our bus.