Mount Cook. Magnetic Island.

This adventurous hike to Mt Cook combined rock hopping, hill climbing, and bushwalking, with caves, snakes, and stunning summit views. A classic North Queensland bushwalking story rich in history and challenge.

Townsville Bushwalking Club

01 Apr 1962 — 7 min read

31st March — 1st April 1962

Location - approximately the centre of Magnetic Island

Party

Beryl Harris
Pat M
Gem 8
Rela
Ray Lane
Peter Evans
Harry J
John (Congo) Bowshott

Map Used
Magnetic Island Emergency Edition No 106
Zone 7 Sheet E55 South
U11 N.E.
Scale 1" to the mile No contour lines.
Dated 1942 Printed by AHQ Cartographic Coy

Transport
Hayles Launch "MV Magnetic"

Distance Walked
approx 16,000 yards or roughly 9 miles.

Type of Outing
Rock Hop & Hillclimb & Bushwalk

Rating

Activity	Rating
Rock Hop & Hillclimb	moderate
Bushwalk	Piece o' cake

FRI 30/3/62

1755

Party assembled on deck of M.V. Magnetic at Hayles landing awaiting arrival of two members of group.

1804

Departed landing four minutes late. Co-operation from Skipper of Ferry appreciated.

1915

Disembarked at Arcadia jetty & walked to guest house.

1920

Bargained with cab driver to take party to Horseshoe Bay jetty for 2/6 each.

1945

Cabbie departed on his way from Horseshoe Bay jetty after offering prayers & words of sympathy and muttering about queer people he has met as a cabbie.

1947

Commenced to hike along beachfront making for position at mouth of Endeavour Ck, map ref 966 031.

2020: Distance Travelled 2000 yards

Made camp on Endeavour Ck. Water brackish & too salty to drink. After numerous cups of tea & much telling of lies & theorising on interplanetary travel, eight tired souls lay their curly little heads down & drifted off to a sleep filled with dreams of rocks & rocks & rocks & more rocks.

Sat 31/3/62

0700

Arose with much grumbling on the part of leader. Weather fine & warm. Promises to be a delightful day.

0800: Bearing MAG 230°

Proceeded up Endeavour Ck over rocks. Plenty of fresh running water.

0830: Bearing 187°; 600 yds

Position 964 028. Stream cut out. Isolated pools among granite boulders.

0845

Discovered entrance to underground creek at Ref 964024. Entrance via an irregular hole about 30" in diameter among boulders. Ray & Bongo rapelled down about 20 feet to first level (Phew rough sketch) & climbed to second level. A billy can was lowered for water (for a cuppa of course) & while a cuppa was being brewed Ray & bongo decided to go & have a look-see at the rest of the black orifices in front of us.
which we did.

These caverns consist of recesses among granite boulders with no sign of soil or gravel or sand. Apparently they were formed by these gigantic boulders being tumbled together thousands or perhaps millions of years ago.

There was no sign of moss or slime on any of the boulders which to me indicates a non-perennial stream action.

There was a faint but noticeable smell of bat guano, although Ray saw two bats skedaddle out of the light beams of our torches.

We found no spiders, webs, ants or lizards or for that matter any other little creepie crawlies. A cool breeze was blowing in our faces so we decided to follow the stream up which was about 8" to 10" deep & about a foot wide.

There were dozens of smaller recesses & caverns & we checked on many as we could fit into finally finding one that led up & out to the cup of tea.

0945

Took the remainder of the party through our find & after another cup of tea proceeded on our way. The caves were about 150 feet long & the exit about 80 feet higher than the entrance.

1000: Bearing 187°; Distance Travelled 100 yds

Passed another entrance hole but did not stop to explore.

1100: Bearing 277°; Distance Travelled 1000 yds

Still on bed of Endeavour Ch at Ref 955022.

1110: Bearing 187°

Change of bearing.

1230; Distance Travelled 900 yds

Lunch at Ref 952015. Delightful swim & loaf on rocks.

1340: Bearing 187°

On with packs & away.

1430

Killed our first death adder. (Ugh!)

1545: Bearing 130°; Distance Travelled 1000 yds

Change of course.

1630; Distance Travelled 500 yds

On top of 1559 ft mountain & took cross bearings to fix our position. Bearings taken on mouth of Endeavour Ch & quarantine jetty at Cape Pallarenda. Splendid view, Mount Cook 40 minutes away on a 130° bearing.

1700: Bearing 130°; Distance Travelled 1000 yds

“Hurrahs!” – eureka & other exhortations of joy, we’ve reached the summit.

1715

After a “Summit Conference” Peter & Bongo chased after the legendary soak 300 ft below the summit on the eastern slope. NIL STOCKS WATER.

1745

Ray & Bongo made another sortie for water & found it at Ref 961002, about 400 ft below the saddle between Mt Cook & adjacent peak.

1745

While Ray & Bongo divined for water, the main body of the party prepared campsite at Ref. 959001 on the saddle below Mt Cook. The area was flat & grassy with no mozzies or leeches & plenty of wood. The only thing missing was water.

1815

Ray & Bongo arrived back laden with water & casting aspersions upon the person who said “scrofe down.” Incidentally it was in the start of the scrub where the soak lies.

1900

Food for eight hungry bushwalkers & then we sat around telling lies until about 2230.

2000

Echo 1 Satellite observed passing overhead on a north to south course about 50° above horizon.

2030

Bongo thought he had found a MIN MIN but it was only Cape Cleveland lighthouse. (Don’t worry Peter H, we’ll find one yet.)

2230

The sky was like velvet studded with diamonds & the bushwalkers were like so many mummies in their embalming clothes & wrappings—except that I’ve never heard a mummy snore. Even the possums wouldn’t venture nearer than 300 ft because of the racket.

Sat 1/4/62

April Fools Day. Weather overcast & unfriendly. Squally rain on some parts of the island.

0820

Repeat 0820 Reveille for eight lazy hikers. Boy! Did we look grumpy. However after fortifying ourselves with food & tea we broke camp with a wild colonial type yell & commenced a disorderly descent on a 200° bearing course and on a tributary of "DUCK CK".

1030: Bearing 270°; Distance Travelled 1500 yds

Party livened up by the unwelcome addition of four & a half feet of extremely irate & agile tree snake (a doll's eye tiger). The snake had unwillingly taken up residence in Bongo's tea billy (no way in the world was I going to carry the blighter). Peter carried it for Hala (she was welcome to it).

1230; Distance Travelled 1000 yds

Lunch & swim in a picturesque little rock pool complete with tiny waterfall at Ref 944 995.

1350

Eight weary but clean-smelling (relatively) bodies donned packs & ambled on over more rocks & boulders down, down & down some more.

1430: Bearing 270°; Distance Travelled 400 yds

Dispatched another beastly D.A. (death adder, not District Attorney).

1500

Well-earned rest at Ref 935 995 (originally recorded as 942996).

1515: Bearing 187°

Cut across open timber & grass making for the road at 935 979.

1535; Distance Travelled 2000 yds

Reached road with a sigh of relief, scaring two bulls out of their wits & making the goannas run for cover.

1630; Distance Travelled 3000 yds

Rested on top of rocks above rocks south-northwest of Nobby Head, Ref 956 956, whilst Gons & Pat galloped toward the jetty at Picnic Bay.

1650

Boat complete with Pat + Gon last seen heading for Vicki. Bling! They must have run. There were a couple of rock wallabies around Nobby Head—the only ones we saw.

1710

Thoughts of thirst-quenching draughts drew us on to Picnic Bay. The main body (Phui!) of the party went above the rock & Bongo went just below the summit.

1725

Bongo discovered a clean, sweet-smelling nymph called Gwenda trotting around the rocks looking for some bushwalking-type people. (Boy! what a find.)

1735; Distance Travelled 1000–1800 yds

Gwenda & Bongo (note similarity to Pong) met the main party & tracked them to Ref 965955 (Stump?), whereupon we set about quenching our thirst prior to tea (steep, of course).

1800: Ref 964954

Peter tried to “cham” our reptilian acquaintance into dancing a soft-shoe shuffle on the sand, but he wasn’t holding his timber at the right angle (or something), so Sam, the slithering Soft Shoe Shuffling Snake just wouldn’t perform.

1910

As the sun sank slowly in the west and we folded our tents and drifted into the gathering twilight, we said Farewell to this wonderful jewel of the tropical north. For some, thoughts of an idyllic beachcomber’s life; for others, a last long sad lingering look. Perhaps a tear escaped as we dragged our thoughts away from this beautiful little island and thought of those little white squares on a brown and dreary plain. We cried the cry of the frustrated old man as we came down from our mountain: “Sayonara Magnetic.”