Gloucester Island (Easter 1970)
Sail back to 1970 with a bushwalking and sailing adventure on Gloucester Island. From Squally Bay’s hidden camp to fishing, granite pinnacles, rainforest gullies, and wild seas near Bowen, this Easter trip revealed stunning views, abundant water, and unforgettable North Queensland beauty.
Party: Geoff Robinson, Isabel Coleman, Lou Dareniza, Ted Kelly & Peter Reimann
Diary Entries:
Friday
Sailed from Bowen in "The Thumb" aided by a fresh south-easter. Arrived Squally Bay at about 4 p.m. and beached the boat on the only visible patch of sand, near some isolated mangroves. Squally bay is otherwise rocky and subject to gusts. There was fresh water flowing out onto the beach at our campsite.
Saturday
After a morning of fishing we camped on the pinnacle at ② in the sketch — an excellent viewpoint with good shelter among the rock outcrops.
Sunday
Tried to climb the nearby prominent pinnacle unsuccessfully. We dropped into a creek and down to East-Side Bay — a beautiful spot. Late in the afternoon we traversed the island back to our original camp at ①.
Monday
Sailed back to Bowen — an adventurous trip in which we fouled against coral in attempting to land on Middle Island, tipped Isabel overboard near Stone Island and had a somewhat desperate battle against a violent south-wester in Port Denison.
Summary As with Magnetic I., Cape Cleveland and Cape Upstart, Gloucester I. is composed of granite which outcrops in the form of slabs and boulders. The back-bone range of the island has a jagged appearance, particularly at its northern end. The vegetation is similar to the abovementioned places and there are patches of dry rainforest in some of the sheltered western gulleys.
Despite the assertion of several Bowen residents that there is no water on the island we found the whole place to be oozing of it. There had been recent rain. However, the water-worn nature of the rocks in the creek flowing into East-Side Bay and the depth of some of the pools leads one to the conclusion that only a prolonged drought would cause a complete dry-out.
Very few people seem to visit Squally Bay probably because of the rocks and the gusts. As a result the fishing was excellent. Bona Bay is apparently a better anchorage and is sandy.
All told, Gloucester Island was beautiful and unforgettable. Next time we should spend a week there.
P. Reimann
6/6/70.
