South Molle Island Walks

Just wonderful walks on South Molle, well maintained by National Parks – well, except for the weeds - but that would take a million volunteers! – with quite a steep climb to Balancing Rock, but worth it for the views to Shute Harbour and the mainland.  

It’s ironic that NP have to mention on their signs to take your rubbish with you, derr, but the resort owners thought it ok to leave rubbish strewn all over their beautiful beach, even the inevitable old glass Coke bottle. Despite that, the corals here have much more colour, with large purple and pink patches visible from the dinghy among the white and tan bommies.

The Eastern side of the island has totally different vegetation, as usual in the Whitsunday islands, with windswept grassland, very few trees and billions of grasstrees (xanthorea) looking like a battalion of lances off to battle; although there are always individuals, with strange curly shapes, just to buck the trend.

From the lookout at Spion Kop, the volcanic rock headland, you can see Dent and Hamilton Islands and the wild eddies that we sailed past on one side, with yet another derelict Daydream Island on the Western side.