Hinchinbrook Island: Australia at its finest.
Hinchinbrook Island Australia is the best multi-day hike we’ve done in the country, hands down. It has such unspoiled, beautiful, pristine landscapes that feel like you’ve left the comforts of your home and entered Jurassic Park. Without the dinosaurs (although there are crocodiles).
The hike on Hinchinbrook is known as the Thornsborne Trail and it is roughly 32km. All the information you need to plan your day-by-day hike can be found using the Thornsborne Trail app. In this blog, we answer the most frequently asked questions we get about Hinchinbrook Island Australia.
Where is Hinchinbrook Island?
Hinchinbrook Island is 8km off the Queensland coast. It’s northern point is adjacent to Cardwell. Cardwell is roughly 203km south of Cairns and 171km north of Townsville. The island extends south to the town of Lucinda (near Ingham). Lucinda is about 243km south of Cairns and about 139km north of Townsville.
How do you get to Hinchinbrook Island Australia?
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The ferry is about an hour, and while the wind was in my hair, Charlie was scouting for crocodiles. How long is the hike on Hinchinbrook Island Australia?
The Thornsborne Trail is 32km long. It sounds short, but it usually takes about 4 days to do the hike. Day 1 is only 6.5 km and it takes approx. 5 hours because of the terrain.
There are loads of campsites along the way. The landscape is just so wild and rugged that you’ll want to stop for pictures, and it gets a bit tough at times. There are sections where you likely have to navigate swampland, scramble over rocks along the rugged coastline, cross river tides either on stone or in the actual river and ascend thick rainforests that will likely be covered in mist. It’s incredible.
Is there any Hinchinbrook Island Accommodation?
There accommodation on Hinchinbrook Island is basic campsites. There are no hotels or hostels. There are no Hinchinbrook Island resorts.
The above selfie is an example of Hinchinbrook Island accommodation views (campsite views). This was our campsite at night 1.
There are only ~40 hikers allowed to camp on the Island at any one time. And you have to book each campsite before going to Hinchinbrook. You’re only allowed to stay at each campsite for 2 nights in a row. And at Mulligan falls campsite, you can only stay for 1 night. Because of this, people often have to book Hinchinbrook campgrounds years in advance.
Do people live on Hinchinbrook Island?
No people live on Hinchinbrook Island. That’s what makes it so beautiful – it feels so remote, untouched, and wild. The only time you’ll likely see someone is at your campsite during the night and when you start the hike initiatlly. Otherwise, it’s super likely you’ll have the Thornsborne Trail to yourself.
How do I get to Zoe Falls on Hinchinbrook Island Australia?
You get to Zoe Falls by hiking from Zoe Bay campground. It’s roughly 30 minutes from the campground. It is the most Insta-worthy spot on Hinchinbrook Island Australia and is usually the cover photo of any itinerary trying to showcase Hinchinbrook Island Australia. Rightly so.
We spent the whole afternoon at Zoe Falls on Day 2 reading and taking a dip in the falls and the whole morning at Zoe Falls on Day 3 recovering from our “crocodile” experience (below).
Are there crocodiles on Hinchinbrook Island?
There are crocodiles on Hinchinbrook Island, and the fear is real.
We can almost guarantee that if you go looking for a crocodile, you’ll find one on Hinchinbrook. Especially in the estuary at Zoe Bay campground at night – you’ll see their beady little eyes popping out over the water.
One night we thought we heard a crocodile on Hinchinbrook Island outside our tent. Charlie got up to pee at 11pm and woke me up. He came back in the tent and fell back asleep, but I was now awake. I heard something big moving outside the tent. It came closer and brushed against my head from the outside of the tent! Sh*tting my pants, I woke Charlie up and told him there was a crocodile outside. Charlie’s mentality is “well, what can we do, I’d rather die in my sleep”… so went back to sleep. It was a rough night for both of us… Turns out, it was an iguana.
Can you do a day trip to Hinchinbrook Island?
Is there phone reception on Hinchinbrook?
The phone reception on Hinchinbrook is unreliable. But that’s the beauty of it. I’m with Telstra, and we had one small pocket of reception on the first day of the hike at the spot in the picture above. Otherwise, you’re on your own.
Because of the lack of phone reception, we used the Thornsborne Trail app which we downloaded prior to help us navigate hiking on Hinchinbrook.
Is Hinchinbrook Island worth visiting?
