Cid Harbour South End Walk

You'll be climbing up a rocky creek bed

Most yachties that holiday in the Whitsundays find themselves in Cid Harbour on the western side of Whitsunday Island for at least part of their trip. It is an easy shakedown sail for bareboat charterers, and a nice sheltered place for those travelling aboard their own vessel. The harbour is comfortably large, with two protected areas safe enough for keel boats within a one by two nautical mile area. I made Cid Harbour the base for most of my time aboard all five yachts I've owned up here, and when people ask if I ever get bored with spending so much time in this particular place I just smile.

You see, Cid Harbour alone can keep me amused for weeks at a time. There is always something interesting to see and somewhere to go. You can choose a different spot for a day's outing for fourteen days and each day explore a different place and you will still have places that you haven't explored.

And only a short distance up you get views like this

Cid Harbour proper extends from Hughes Poiint in the south, past Sawmill and Dugong Beaches, and into Dugong Inlet. The east arm of Dugong Inlet is navigable with care, by trailer sailers, the west arm is accessable to and good anchorage for most types of yacht. From Sawmill Beacb, south into the area behind Hughes Point is good anchorage along the Whitsunday Island shore. The hook behind Hughes Point is coral reef, although I have parked a thirty foot trimaran on the shore there and also two of my trailable yachts.

But there's still a long way to go

Today we'll visit this southern end of Cid Harbour tucked inside Hughes Point. Holding is excellent all along here over mud until you run into the shallows. Like a lot of our little adventures, it's a good idea to take a small lunch and at least two 500ml bottles of water per person. Take the dinghy south towards the beach and the mouth of the mangrove creek. To the left of the mangrove creek you will see a very small beach with a small coconut palm at the left side. Land the dinghy here and tie or anchor it. The walk starts at that palm tree. If the Queensland Parks Service has removed the tree, then the walk starts at the left end of the beach. Behind the palm there's a small gully that becomes a swampy creek after rain. I don't recommend the rock climbing part of this trip after a lot of rain or during rain. It is dry weather work.

Even from here

Follow the gully about 150 to 200 metres. The distance depends on how well you follow gullies. You will come to a rocky creek. If you came out at the right spot you will be at what used to be the swimming hole. In the old days after rain water ran here for months. There was a rock hole with water neck deep. In 2008 it was still waist deep. Since 2010 it is almost full of rock. Turn left at the creek and start following it upstream. Only about twenty metres along you will come to a small rock face that is a waterfall at certain times of the year. Climb around this and continue until you come to a semi circular wall that is also a waterfall in wet season. There used to be a well defined track up from here but around 2006 it washed away, so now you have to search for a way around this small waterfall. If it has been raining, this is as far as you can go easily, although with a little persistence you can find a safe enough way around and over the fall.

Once at the top, you are in the rocky bed of the creek. Often there is drinkable fresh water flowing here long after the rainy season. Carefully follow this creek upwards. Turn and look behind you regularly because around here you will begin to see some pretty views across Cid Island to the mainland.

You go up and up

If you keep climbing from here there is another set of small falls or rocks then the creek narrows to a gully. If it is very early in the day and you are adventurous, it is possible to turn up the left gully here and continue about 400 metres to the base of the first rocky outcrop on your left. From there, views extend across Cid Island, South Molle and the mainland to the west, and Hook Island to the north.

In the 1980's this was one of our access points to Whitsunday peak, but later the Dugong Beach track became more popular and a couple of years ago the new one from Sawmill Beach. These days the old Whitsunday Peak track is almost impossible to follow. The climb up to the lookout is steep with loose rock and plenty of opportunity to break an ankle if you are careless.

And we still haven't reached the gully leading to the first outcrop

About 400 metres or so past that outcrop is another steep climb to a rock that also has a good lookout. From here it is almost a kilometre to Whitsunday Peak, but again, almost impossible these days to find the old track. The views from either of these outcrops are spectacular, but even the views from the open areas of the creek itself are excellent.

It's a pleasant way to spend a morning, but please - be careful and take notice of where you've been.  This bush is not a good place to get lost.  Remember too there ARE snakes on the islands.