The best Qld island boat accessed camping destinations

[NAGG]

Garry's Anchorage on Fraser Island. It has water on-site. Good fishing in the straits. Have to pay camping fee.

Was recently shown some photos of Grarry's - looks like a nice place .
Fraser Island will be on my list ...... specially with the new boat on the way. Being so close to Brissy I can do several long weekenders over the coming years.
what I am after is something a little further afield ........ more exotic if you wish ( maybe a little more remote) - A place to spend a week or more that offers some variety (estuary for barra , jacks etc ...... then reef / Islands etc for both demersal species or pelagics). The first place that comes to mind is Macushla (Hinchinbrook Is) ...... In my mind , it's ideal & will be visited in April

apparently there are places near to Bowen & of course Stanage bay that offer the sort of stuff that i'm after

But hey , keep the destinations coming ........ It's all good !

Chris

[rosco1974]

naggs amity point is on north straddie island u have to book in the caravan park,wavebreak island is the island just inside the seaway down the goldie ,i think it is free to camp there

[googarra]

If your are venturing further north you cannot beat the Family Islands just north of Hinchinbrook Island. Google Earth between Mission Beach and Cardwell and look at the posted photos. Bedarra Island is private and the resort is $2000 a night for the elite. 500 metres away is Wheeler island with magnificient beach and toilet facitities, no one ever books with Nat Parks, locals just go there.

Try the other islands around this. Look at the pics on google earth.

My favourite is Hudson island, in a green zone, but is what picture postcards are made of and would envy.

All this area is protected by the reef and calm water can be found at any time around the islands.

Look at the camp ground at Hull Heads for $12.50 a night max 4 night stay. Local caravan park which allows a fire at the happy hour area. From here you have the reef, Hull river and Tully River.

My part of the world

[Chas & Clarry]

Hey Nagg, thanks for starting this thread...it is great, gets the holiday thoughts racing

[Horse]

Googarra, I remember passing the Family Islands on a trip from Innisfail and from what I remember they were much more spectacular than the Whitsunday Group. Nice country to call local.

[NAGG]

If your are venturing further north you cannot beat the Family Islands just north of Hinchinbrook Island. Google Earth between Mission Beach and Cardwell and look at the posted photos. Bedarra Island is private and the resort is $2000 a night for the elite. 500 metres away is Wheeler island with magnificient beach and toilet facitities, no one ever books with Nat Parks, locals just go there.

Try the other islands around this. Look at the pics on google earth.

My favourite is Hudson island, in a green zone, but is what picture postcards are made of and would envy.

All this area is protected by the reef and calm water can be found at any time around the islands.

Look at the camp ground at Hull Heads for $12.50 a night max 4 night stay. Local caravan park which allows a fire at the happy hour area. From here you have the reef, Hull river and Tully River.

My part of the world

I'm pretty certain I saw a video that Mal Florence did many years ago at the Family group ......... it did look good

thanks for the heads up


Chris

[NAGG]

Hey Nagg, thanks for starting this thread...it is great, gets the holiday thoughts racing

I reckon Island , bankside camping & fishing are just about the best way to spend a holiday ........ hopefully it inspires others - I know I'm jumping out of my skin to get going !

Chris

[Lucky_Phill]

I've done quite a few islands ( resorts ) and camping on beaches in the Whitsunday group.

My pick.......... well there is 2.

Scrub Hen Beach and Nari's Beach............... OK, throw in Joe's beach

Scrub Hen was a beauty as it was a 5 mintue ( 1.9k's ) boat drive to Hook Island for supplies etc. It is National Park and basically $5 a night per person and you get the beach to yourself. North end is Oyster covered rocks ( and great Land based fishing ) and to the south are mangroves.. = crabs. The beach itself is about 300 - 400 mtrs long. Soft sand that lets the boat sit high and dry at low tide ( GT's inhabit this beach in the shallows ), and there is fringing reef in the deep water... which can be walked at low tide to look for you lures you lost to Trout when fishing 8 hrs before

Scrub Hen beach is located on the inside of Whitsunday Island and is South East of Hook Island. Google earth co-ords 20.10.36.89 148.57.31.06

Nari's beach is a little further south on the same island and is protected by Cid Island. 20.16.04.84 148.56.27.69

Around the top of Whitsunday Island, you have Dumbell and Border Islands......... OH, crap. just checked... they are now in a Marine Park... bugga ! They were some of the best GT fishing places I have ever visited

Well, it's only about 15k's to Nari's beach from Shute Harnour ramp and about 30 to Scrub Hen.

FYI... in tinnie 80 mtrs from beach ( SH )... seven casts with slug..... severn different species................ and from the rocks, you sit and est as many oysters as you can fit in, then use them for bait. Cast from where you sit and hang on. Parrot, Trout, Cod, Trevally and Macks... jeez i miss that place.

good luck.

LP

[NAGG]

I've done quite a few islands ( resorts ) and camping on beaches in the Whitsunday group.

My pick.......... well there is 2.

Scrub Hen Beach and Nari's Beach............... OK, throw in Joe's beach

Scrub Hen was a beauty as it was a 5 mintue ( 1.9k's ) boat drive to Hook Island for supplies etc. It is National Park and basically $5 a night per person and you get the beach to yourself. North end is Oyster covered rocks ( and great Land based fishing ) and to the south are mangroves.. = crabs. The beach itself is about 300 - 400 mtrs long. Soft sand that lets the boat sit high and dry at low tide ( GT's inhabit this beach in the shallows ), and there is fringing reef in the deep water... which can be walked at low tide to look for you lures you lost to Trout when fishing 8 hrs before

Scrub Hen beach is located on the inside of Whitsunday Island and is South East of Hook Island. Google earth co-ords 20.10.36.89 148.57.31.06

Nari's beach is a little further south on the same island and is protected by Cid Island. 20.16.04.84 148.56.27.69

Around the top of Whitsunday Island, you have Dumbell and Border Islands......... OH, crap. just checked... they are now in a Marine Park... bugga ! They were some of the best GT fishing places I have ever visited

Well, it's only about 15k's to Nari's beach from Shute Harnour ramp and about 30 to Scrub Hen.

FYI... in tinnie 80 mtrs from beach ( SH )... seven casts with slug..... severn different species................ and from the rocks, you sit and est as many oysters as you can fit in, then use them for bait. Cast from where you sit and hang on. Parrot, Trout, Cod, Trevally and Macks... jeez i miss that place.

good luck.

LP

Thanks Phil

I will drag out a 100 magic miles and have a look
I hated sawmill on whitsunday island ... .......
circumnavigated Hook and it does look to have some good spots .......... did you get supplies from the resort an hook (southern end) ?

Chris

[Lucky_Phill]

Yes.

Supplies were mainly water and ice. But we could have got fuel if requested. But the fishing grounds were so close, no need to top up.

We used the front bar to re-charge mobile phones.

We also had lunch there a couple of times, swam in the pool, visited the underwater observatory and played snooker. Just pretended to be guests or day trippers.

Best part is watching sunset over water from the beach at Scrub Hen... listening to the Trevors smashing baitfish in the shallows at our feet.

I don't have any pics in digital form, but could convert some if requested.

cheers Phill

[NAGG]

Yes.

Supplies were mainly water and ice. But we could have got fuel if requested. But the fishing grounds were so close, no need to top up.

We used the front bar to re-charge mobile phones.

We also had lunch there a couple of times, swam in the pool, visited the underwater observatory and played snooker. Just pretended to be guests or day trippers.

Best part is watching sunset over water from the beach at Scrub Hen... listening to the Trevors smashing baitfish in the shallows at our feet.

I don't have any pics in digital form, but could convert some if requested.

cheers Phill

Spent an afternoon at the resort during our circumnavigation ......... had a swim & hung out at the bar - quite good really

I have a feeling that we stopped off at Nari's - is it the one with coconut palms ...... looked like a tropical oasis

Chris

[Jarrah Jack]

Just reading this thread takes me to heaven. Thanks Nagg, I'll show it to the Mrs, you never know.

There could be an aligned thread on what to take that would fit in a 5mtr boat. Isn't that a nice coincidence, I just brought a 5.2 mtr boat.

[NAGG]

Just reading this thread takes me to heaven. Thanks Nagg, I'll show it to the Mrs, you never know.

There could be an aligned thread on what to take that would fit in a 5mtr boat. Isn't that a nice coincidence, I just brought a 5.2 mtr boat.

Depending on the boat ...... you can get quite a bit of gear into one - years ago I did a camp out on the Islands around the whitsundays (Armit , whitsunday & hook) from a 5.35m CC. now we had to take everything , but the main concerns were water & fuel - from memory we took 40lts of fuel & 40 lts of water (4 days away) - a fairly small tent & air mattresses ........ some cooking gear , 150lt esky ( it was basic - but easily done)
I've loaded up my 480 hornet and putted around the front of Curtis Is ......... so much gear that we couldn't plane the boat (should have changed the prop) - it was a nightmare trip ........ some 35km but we made it - that trip inspired me to buy another more suitable boat.

I think the key is to take what you really need .......... My list for 6 days camping at hinchinbrook would be 60lt water , 40lt of fuel (additional) , A dome tent , 80lt Engel , Deep cycle battery , 0.7kva Kipor gennie , 60lt esky with block ice , a couple of chairs ,small table , Tarp and poles , a couple of bunk beds , 12v light , cooking gear etc ........ FISHING GEAR & some food and drinks - I've got all these into my 480 Hornet..... so there should be no issues with a 5m topender

Chris

[waterbouy]

Great thread, keep the destinations coming. I will have alot more knowledge after I come back from my trip around this great Southern Land. Dunno what the rules r with gennies in nation parks nagg?

[FNQCairns]

Googara beat me to it, I like very much this area stayed on one of the islands just north of hinchinbook years ago need nice weather, if not then one can instead haunt the Hinchinbook channel .

Just don't forget planing well a plan B, needs to be almost just as good as plan A LOL.