Mission beach-Dunk and/or Heron island???
Jan 24th, 2007, 05:34 PM
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Mission beach-Dunk and/or Heron island???
We are travelling to Queensland in Mar/Apr with a 4 yr old and are wondering which would be the best options for snorkelling. Was planning to stay in Mission beach/Dunk and considering going to Heron island. Are there any places to snorkel off the beach- we are a little reluctant to take a long cruise with a small one in tow.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
Apr 28th, 2009, 03:44 AM
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Paul...Sorry, but I'm thinking your statement that "Dunk Island is surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef" is somewhat of an exaggeration, as it is a continental island set well apart from the reef proper further out to sea. Also,I do not recall any good snorkeling opportunities close to the resort (on the mainland-facing side) when we visited the island in 1994. That's not to say I don't believe what you say about snorkeling opportunities on Dunk. I wish I'd known about the reef you mention. Is it easily accessible, e.g., by walking along the beach to the south side?
Heron Island would definitely be my pick as a snorkeling destination - it literally is the Great Barrier Reef.
Heron Island would definitely be my pick as a snorkeling destination - it literally is the Great Barrier Reef.
Apr 28th, 2009, 07:16 PM
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Hi Ralph.
The south side of Dunk Island is easily accessible - in fact one of the walking tracks on Dunk heads around this side. I took the kids snorkelling on a deserted beach which is sorrta opposite Timana and Bedarra Islands. The only snorkelling I know of any good ont he resort side is on Purtaboi Island which is a little off Dunk Island. If you head up around the headland on the eastern side of the island then snorkelling is OK off the rocks there.
However, suprisingly enough as with a lot of things, local knowledge is very hard to beat. I have snorkelled with the kdis off Bingil Beach ( about 10 minutes north of Mission Beach ) and the southern corner of the beach goes from sand to a rocky headland ( with 2 rainforest creeks flowing into the ocean - it's gorgeous! ).
Swimming off this headland even in just waist deep water ( which takes you out a fair way ) there are amazing coral gardens with a huge variety of marine life. Is it as good as the outer reef? Probably not, however, I have taken 2 trips out to the outer reef both on tour boats and to be honest, off the beach at Bingil Bay is as good for me. Everyone is different and some are going to say it is way better on the outer reefs. So be it. Ditto for Dunk Island being a contental island set well apart from the reef proper out to see. I'll take that as fact as I haven't checked the scientifics on it. Definitely spent heaps of time under and over waters all around Dunk and the surrounding islands so I can tell you what I saw!
On my reckoning, it's about 30km to reef from mainland and 10km to Dunk Island from mainland( that's from the boat ramp! ).
As to my claim that it is surrounded by reef - OK, perhaps exaggerated as you are dead right there is not much reef on the resort side. The southern side is low water and low reef everywhere right across to Timana Island ... it's hard to even get one of the resort tinnies through there.
Mission Beach has a few patches of reef and the closest reef proper apart from pathces around Bingil Bay is at King Reef opposite Kurrimine Beach. My boys were there with their mates in their little boats on the weekend and I called in to see if OK before I went to Dunk. I saw a dugong ( there appears to be sea grass at the ocean side of King Reef ), dolphins, turtles and huge amount of marine life over that reef.
I'll take what you say as fact about Heron Island - haven't been there!
Cheers!
Paul Toogood
The south side of Dunk Island is easily accessible - in fact one of the walking tracks on Dunk heads around this side. I took the kids snorkelling on a deserted beach which is sorrta opposite Timana and Bedarra Islands. The only snorkelling I know of any good ont he resort side is on Purtaboi Island which is a little off Dunk Island. If you head up around the headland on the eastern side of the island then snorkelling is OK off the rocks there.
However, suprisingly enough as with a lot of things, local knowledge is very hard to beat. I have snorkelled with the kdis off Bingil Beach ( about 10 minutes north of Mission Beach ) and the southern corner of the beach goes from sand to a rocky headland ( with 2 rainforest creeks flowing into the ocean - it's gorgeous! ).
Swimming off this headland even in just waist deep water ( which takes you out a fair way ) there are amazing coral gardens with a huge variety of marine life. Is it as good as the outer reef? Probably not, however, I have taken 2 trips out to the outer reef both on tour boats and to be honest, off the beach at Bingil Bay is as good for me. Everyone is different and some are going to say it is way better on the outer reefs. So be it. Ditto for Dunk Island being a contental island set well apart from the reef proper out to see. I'll take that as fact as I haven't checked the scientifics on it. Definitely spent heaps of time under and over waters all around Dunk and the surrounding islands so I can tell you what I saw!
On my reckoning, it's about 30km to reef from mainland and 10km to Dunk Island from mainland( that's from the boat ramp! ).
As to my claim that it is surrounded by reef - OK, perhaps exaggerated as you are dead right there is not much reef on the resort side. The southern side is low water and low reef everywhere right across to Timana Island ... it's hard to even get one of the resort tinnies through there.
Mission Beach has a few patches of reef and the closest reef proper apart from pathces around Bingil Bay is at King Reef opposite Kurrimine Beach. My boys were there with their mates in their little boats on the weekend and I called in to see if OK before I went to Dunk. I saw a dugong ( there appears to be sea grass at the ocean side of King Reef ), dolphins, turtles and huge amount of marine life over that reef.
I'll take what you say as fact about Heron Island - haven't been there!
Cheers!
Paul Toogood
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