NGARO TRACK DAY THREE

*magical 170m section of boardwalk across the mangrove flats*

*sun shining on layers of mangrove green*

*did you know queensland is home to over half of the world’s mangrove species!?*

*healthy mangroves = healthy ecosystems*

*no mangrove plants were removed during construction! only minimal branch trimming was allowed*

001. Day 3 of the Ngaro Track starts with me waking to the sounds of the ocean gently lapping against the shore, snuggly inside my little tent. Today we are walking 15km from Dhula Yamba (Tree Camp), through mangrove forests, up to unique lookouts and back down to the tourist hotspot of Hill Inlet and Tongue Point, to catch our ride back to the mainland. It feels almost a little bittersweet to already be at the end as I pack up my tent for the last time, but there isn’t really any time to dwell on such thoughts. My body definitely feels tired today, but my pack is the lightest it has been and I’ve fallen into my auto hiking rhythm, where I don’t have to think much when the trail is easy to follow. The boat is picking us all up at 4.30pm, so we pack up and leave camp fairly promptly, wanting to make the most of the last full day immersed out on the track.

002. Not long after leaving camp and starting our hike for the day, we arrive at the newly constructed mangrove boardwalk. This section of the track is fairly short but incredibly beautiful. It’s a really magical and unique experience to be walking along on a 170m boardwalk through the mangrove flats and wetlands. Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s Intertidal Zones are home to over half the world’s mangrove species!? If you get excited about healthy native natural landscapes, like me, you will love this part of the walk! I really enjoy capturing the different layers of green and how the sunlight reflects differently around each bend. It’s also good to note that no mangrove plants were reportedly removed during construction. Only minimal branch trimming was allowed, and the boardwalk was built using a top-down method to avoid disturbing the forest floor.

003. After wandering through the magical mangrove boardwalk, the terrain changes a little to an area marked Gumi, meaning ponds. It’s here that I encounter some HUGE rainforest paperbarks. I grab my film camera and point up, trying to capture them reaching up through the canopy, dancing with the sunlight. Capturing the plants and landscapes along the hike really makes me appreciate just how diverse this island is. Yesterday I was on top of rocky peaks surrounded by hoop pines and xanthorrhoeas, while today I have been through a huge healthy mangrove flat and now I’m in a wetland with paperbarks towering out of the canopy?! What else does the Ngaro Track have in store?

*view of the coastal heath land and changing tides at murmuru bari (round rock) lookout*

*murmuru bari (round rock) and deep greens*

004. We continue to hike, slowly heading a little uphill and back into dry bushland again. We’re about halfway through the track for the day when we get to the fork in the trail for Murmuru Bari (Round Rock). It’s another one of those out-and-back side trails, where we get to drop our packs and enjoy floating along the track without any extra weight. When we reach the viewpoint, we are greeted with 360-degree views. One side of the lookout is surrounded by walls of green, looking towards mangroves and the mountains we summited yesterday. The other side looks out over the inlet we’re heading towards. I observe the sunlight playing with the patterns of the sand in the shallow water below us. Then I sit down on one of the many rocky seats available, taking in the views across the coastal heathland and admiring the flowering wattle perched beside me.

*looking out to mangroves and mountains*

*patterns of the tide changing and dancing with the sunlight*

*looking out towards hill inlet from murmuru bari (round rock)*

005. After taking our time at Murmuru Bari (Round Rock), we return to our packs and continue along the main track towards Tongue Point. The heat of the day is really starting to hit now and I catch myself daydreaming about jumping into the ocean. It’s totally a possibility if we get to the end of the track with some time to spare before our boat transfer time… The idea pushes me on and keeps my pace steady. The landscape shifts back into dry eucalypt bushland with xanthorrhoeas lining the path and guiding me along the final leg of the journey. I even spot a sunbird nest hanging delicately from one of the xanthy giants next to the path. Sunbirds are some of my favourite birds in the Far North! Just seeing the perfect little nest and knowing I might be jumping into the ocean soon keeps my spirits and energy levels higher than I expect as we approach our final couple kilometres of the hike.

*nest of a nest of an olive-backed sunbird (cinnyris jugularis) hanging from a xanthy (xanthorrhoea latifolia)*

*xanthys (xanthorrhoea latifolia) gently guiding hikers along the final stretch*

006. Next thing, we are walking along the track and a couple of official-looking poles appear - marking the end of the track! We stop and make the most of the great photo opportunity. In our three-day-old clothes, stinky, sweaty and a little bit sore - but absolutely elated. I’m so proud of my hiking buddies, Mum and Katherine, for completing the journey with me. Post-multi-day-hiking-happiness is hard to describe. It’s definitely ‘Type 2’ fun but that’s part of what makes it so great! It feels so good to challenge myself outdoors, be surrounded by deep wilderness, and see parts of the world I would never be able to get to if I didn’t rely on my own two feet.

*portrait of my hiking buddies - mum and katherine - exhausted but elated*

007. There’s a little more walking after the end-of-the-track markers. It feels like a gradual return to civilisation as I hear the distant buzzing of the day tour boats at Hill Inlet. When we arrive at the main wooden boardwalk at Hill Inlet lookout, we are pleasantly surprised to have it all to ourselves! We take in the wide views of the swirling sandbar below before finding a bench seat to eat the last of our food for lunch. I never knew I would feel so incredibly content munching on some stale-ish bits of wrap and a packet of tuna, washed down by a bottle of warmish water, accompanied by an electrolyte sachet. It feels good to sit down and take in that we actually made it! Super proud of our little team and the last 3 days of outdoor exploring together.

*civilisation and day tours back in view from hill inlet*

008. The last walk of the day is down a paved path towards Tongue Point, where our boat from Scamper is due to pick up all the hikers at 4.30pm. I want to point out here that you should make sure to use the toilets if needed at Hill Inlet BEFORE you walk down the hill to wait for the boat! It’s not necessarily a long walk, but after 3 days of hiking, going back UP the hill is kinda a pain, especially when you’re walking against the crowds of tourists. The gentle welcome back to civilisation certainly took a twist!

*whitest sand between toes on betty’s beach and a refreshing final swim!*

*glancing back at the hills the held us for the last three days*

009. After walking down the path from Hill Inlet, there’s a little seated area where I drop my pack and manage to throw on my bikinis before racing down to feel the soft white sand of Betty’s Beach between my tired toes. It feels magical, but not quite as magical as diving into the clear blue cool ocean as I reach the edge of the shore. Washing off three days of sweat in the salty water. I look back at the hills that have held us over the last three days, feeling grateful to the land for looking after us and showing us some of her secrets.

010. I scurry back up the beach and the hill to my pack, throw some clothes back on and meet up with the rest of my team. We walk down together to Tongue Point for our transfer, the final leg of our three-day Whitsunday adventure. We wait for the boat with all the other hikers. Everyone is tired but full of spirit. It’s fun exchanging hiking stories and hearing about others pre-hike island camping adventures. When the boat pulls up, it’s quite satisfying to leave with the little group that has been on the trail with us for the last three days. Seeing 15 hiking packs all piled up on the deck of the boat together feels like a fitting end.

*a pod of humpback whales on our transfer back with scamper - and the very last shot out of my four rolls of film!*

011. On the boat ride back to Shute Harbour, there are SO many whale splashes everywhere and it makes for a good game of I Spy. At one point our captain slows the boat and we stop and all watch a whole pod of humpback whales pass us super close! We booked all our boat transfers with local company Scamper and I couldn’t recommend them more. While on our ride back to the mainland, I am down to my very last frame of film and I capture a humpback whale! A picture-perfect ending to our little Ngaro adventure.

travelLena BishopOctober 11, 2026hiking, photography, australia

NGARO TRACK DAY THREE

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