An island ‘Fitz’ for hiking
View well worth the 5km climb
DO you know how Fitzroy Island received its name?
Well, there is a rare mineral on the island, called “Roy”, and because of its scarcity, prospectors in the late 19th century were only allowed to “Fitz” enough Roy to fill their pockets. No, not really. But your mind wanders as you trek the island’s spectacular lighthouse and summit circuit, which I walked with a humorous hiking companion, last weekend.
The 5km walk is one of the most underrated treks in the Far North. It takes you through rainforest, granite fields, up and over cliffs descending to turquoise waters, and really intriguing history involving Captain James Cook, a quarantine station, and Aboriginal mission (and unfortunately, no rare minerals).
In a nutshell, this is one heck of a walk, yet despite its attractiveness, it is not that well known.
Most visitors to Fitzroy Island – accessible via a 45-minute ferry from Cairns’ Reef Fleet Terminal – come for the snorkelling, the lazing about at Nudey Beach, and reclining at the resort and its accompanying bar/restaurant.
It’s a great day trip, and the signposts that indicate the return walk from the jetty to complete the lighthouse-summit loop can take a few hours, can be a turn off for those simply visiting for the day.
Yet, keeping a good pace, we managed the whole circuit in just under two hours.
The walk starts past Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where a steep service road, complete with concrete wheel tracks, winds sharply through the rainforest. Do not be deterred by this first leg: this is the most challenging the walk will get.
The trail then skirts cliffs, where if you squint into the distance, you can make out Green Island. It then continues through open scrub, with granite boulders standing like Easter Island statues.
The lighthouse, which was once open to visitors, has since been shut, but it is worth spending a few minutes – particularly this time of the year – scanning the white-capped waves below for any tell tale signs of passing humpback whales.
From there, it is a calm, leisurely climb to the summit, where you will have to squeeze between a couple of large boulders before reaching the peak.
There, you are rewarded with a stunning vista of Yarrabah’s Mission Bay, the beaches and ocean.
The walk from the summit to the island’s campgrounds is quite steep, and not as picturesque as the climb up; so we were relieved to have chosen the route up here via the lighthouse. By the time you emerge at the campgrounds, relaxing on the beach or sipping cocktails is that much more rewarding.