We pulled up the motor, surfed in as far as we could, then jumped out into the murk and began dragging the dinghy. Before we could make it ashore, several large waves broke over the transom. At last we were up the beach, well clear of the threatening water and its unseen inhabitants. For the next hour, Leanne did nothing but sigh and say “Oh Dear!” interspersed with lots of mumbling about “comfort zones”.

 

The walking track leaves from a campsite at the southern end of the beach, near the creek. The devastation of smashed up vegetation from Cyclone Yasi was immediately apparent – the first signs we had seen. It must have taken a Herculean effort on the part of the authorities to clear and reopen the walking track so soon after the damage. Despite the destruction, many trees and shrubs were well advanced into re-sprouting and, once inland, there were sheltered pockets that had escaped damage altogether. Looking up along the ridgelines told a different story – all the trees were stripped bare and shredded until nothing remained but their trunks.

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Above: this serene view of the Zoe Bay beach belies the threat of capsize in the swells and the presence of crocodiles

creek. Leanne was not looking happy, to say the least – she has a pathological and probably justified fear of the big lizards. Only her overwhelming desire to walk to the falls drove her on – that, and an even greater fear of THE CAPTAIN. After loading our packs and ourselves into the madly gyrating dinghy which threatened to be crushed by Masala’s rearing stern at any minute, we got underway. The beach was very shelving and the water muddy. As we got closer the waves began to steepen alarmingly – the prospect of a spill was very real.

The walking track led to a deep, emerald-green plunge pool at the base of the falls, before climbing steeply to the top, including a granite slope ascended by pulling yourself up using a thick knotted rope – brand new, presumably the previous one was torn away by the cyclone.

Left: the plunge pool at the foot of the fabled Zoe Falls on Hinchinbrook Island, the world’s largest island National Park