Dunk'n'Wind

Eighteen months ago I was lucky enough to paddle my sea kayak with a group of others up the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island from Lucinda to arrive at Dunk Island over 100kms and 10 days later. It was nice to have hot showers and cool drinks after over a week of wilderness camping.

The photo above was the view from the resort restaurant looking across to Mission Beach.

Below is a photo taken after powerful cyclone Yasi demolished the resort. The pool is was to the left and in front of the green roof.  I would imagine that many of the lush, tropical campsites along the coast of Hinchinbrook Island have met the same fate.  :-((


Photo: Brian Cassey/Courier Mail

Coombe to Dunk ... and almost dunked

 

  

It was time to leave the small coral beach of Coombe and paddle the 12km crossing to Dunk Island. The forecast and actual conditions were the same so it was a couple of hours of heart in the mouth paddling in the 25kts of wind and 2 metre seas that were short, choppy and occasionally breaking. At one point I found myself chest deep in water looking down the face of a steep 2 metre wave ..... for me, that was a challenge. The boat performed well and I coped with the conditions while Sea Mongrel was enjoying the change from calm seas for the first time on this trip.

Unfortunately, the video below doesn't capture the more challenging nature of the paddle.