Friday, October 08, 2021

Cid Harbor - Retake

[Kyle]The last time we were at Cid Harbor, delays and my screwed-up back kept us from hiking the trail to the top of Whitsunday Peak (the highest point in the island group); we decided to return to rectify the oversight and grab some serious exercise.

We were up bright and early (a 7am start in an attempt to beat the heat) and managed to get all of the way to the top and back before seeing anybody else. Then, as a bonus, we walked the much flatter one-kilometer trail from Sawmill Beach to Dugong Beach.


Plenty to distract us (or an excuse to take a break) while going up to the top of Whitsunday Peak (437m/1430' altitude, 2.5km each way, allow 3 hours return)

The trail to the top was relentless in its gradient, but had helpful rock steps and wasn't overly steep. We both arrived at the summit feeling like that wasn’t nearly as hard as we had expected. The views from up there were well worth the effort, with the only minor disappointment being that we had tucked Begonia in too close to shore to be seen from up top.


Rewarded with some great views (and a phone signal)

We ate a snack of granola bars and fruit and used the opportunity of a phone signal to make a few estate-related calls while we could. Then it was time for the easy, downhill amble back to the beach. This is when Maryanne goes from panting to being literally chirpy as she attempts to carry on a conversation with the local birdlife.


And back to Sawmill beach eventually

We were both so sweaty and grubby that we really wanted to go in for a refreshing swim to cool off. Cid Harbor is riddled with buoys advising against it due to a few local overly aggressive sharks. To rectify this, we moved a couple of miles to the other side of Cid Island, where we were able to have our cooling baths in peace. The only trouble there is the current, so you don’t jump in without keeping hold of something to stay connected to the boat.


Relocate to the west side of Cid Island for sunset and a swim/bathe

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