Hinchinbrook Eco Experience Cardwell Animal Encounter

Northern Eco Tour
The 1 hr walk and the 30 min walk plus Eco Tour Approx 4hrs- Departs Cardwell or Lucinda
We depart from Hinchinbrook Cove in Cardwell and we talk about the damage from Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2012,
the traditional owner’s history and usage of the area when first settled, or if we leave from Lucinda we run down the length of the channel as we cruise towards the most north eastern tip of Hinchinbrook Island, Cape Richards
and disembark at the sandy beach at Macushla Cove, which overlooks Gould and
Brooke Islands.
This the start of our first and longest walk. A 1 hour round
trip to North Shepard Bay, where we cross the over island to the beach and walk
up to Cape Sandwich. It’s an easy walk and you can enjoy amazing scenery with
great diversity in flora. You’ll see mangrove forests, Melaleuca, Pandanus,
Comesperma, Blue Banksia and Sundew. Keeps.
In fauna, Orange Footed Scrub Hens nest in the area and Imperial
Pigeons, Honey Eaters, Stone Curlews, Rainforest Kingfishers and Mahogany
Gliders frequent the canopy. There’s a chance you’ll also see the island’s
marsupials, Melomys, Bandicoots and Agile Wallabies.
Hectate Point
Leaving Macushla we then cruise along the Hinchinbrook Island
shoreline for about 25 minutes and arrive at Hectate Point, the site of the old
failed Page Family sawmill, established in the 1880’s, then dismantled in 1887,
when the family moved to The Haven
The Haven
From Hectate Point, we cruise the shoreline again for about 10
minutes and arrive at The Haven, where we disembark again. We explore the day
use area, which is also the location of the Bandjin or Biyaygiri traditional
fish traps and middens.
The stone fish traps are possibly the largest and most complex
coastal fish traps in North Queensland. We’ll tell you about how they worked,
their middens and their rock shelters and other reminders of Aboriginal
people’s presence. We’ll also talk more of the history of the Page family, who
moved there from our previous location, Hectate Point. After their Hectate
Point sawmill failed, at the Haven, they grew small crops, grazed sheep and
extracted lime from midden piles. Page’s Creek is named after the family.
We’ll also tell you about the Lewis Family, who in the
1930-1940’s established an early tourism venture, building a guest house and
cottages and establishing a coconut plantation.
We then walk the 1km track which loops along Page’s Creek and
though beautiful rainforest and amazing rock pools. It’s also the only access
to the western coast of the island and Hinchinbrook Channel.
Flats
We reboard the boat and begin to cruise back to Cardwell. On our
way there, it allows a bit more time to embrace Hinchinbrook’s natural beauty
and eco systems and stop to observe any marine wild life we see, which could be
Stingrays, Snub fin Dolphins, Dugong, Turtles, Barramundi, and schools of
mullet.
Upon arrival at Cardwell, we disembark and say our goodbyes and
you can head back to your accommodation