Sailing Diary Week 8: Orpheus Island and the Hinchinbrook Channel

Sailing Diary Week 8: Orpheus Island and the Hinchinbrook Channel

After such an epic week on Magnetic Island, we knew it was going to be hard to decide where we went next.

However, after spotting our first whale and spending an incredible week sailing to Orpheus Island and Hinchinbrook Channel, we were pretty sure we had the best week yet.
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Setting sail for the Palm Island Group

We picked up where we left off last week, setting sail at daybreak and heading northwest towards the Palm Island Group in light winds.

A popular stop is Great Palm Island, also known by its much older indigenous name “Bwgcolman”. This is primarily an indigenous community, so we decided it would be better to leave the islanders alone and sailed to Orpheus Island instead.
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Whale Ahoy!

Finally! We got our first glimpse of the famous whale migration on Australia's east coast. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see a snapshot of their breakthrough, but it strengthened my faith in seeing more migrating whales on the trip.

Exploring Orpheus Island

Sailing to Orpheus Island felt like we were exploring remote, unexplored wonders in the middle of the ocean. In reality, Orpheus is just a stone's throw from the coast, but that didn't stop the imagination from running a little wild.

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Orpheus Island Anchorage

On Orpheus Island, sailors have several mooring buoys for guests to sit on for 24 hours. All of these are located in the northern bay known as Pioneer Bay.

There is one buoy on the south side of this bay and another four on the north end. These buoys provide excellent protection in light southerly winds, but even better protection for those sailing in the summer season when northerly winds predominate.

Although we had a few calm days at anchor, it is clear that the northern buoys are exposed to some southern swell.
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Snorkeling and manta rays

Immediately after securing the buoy lines, we spotted a huge manta ray gliding gently next to Malaika. We watched in awe as it swam back and forth on the surface.

As we found out, Orpheus Island is regularly visited by dozens of cruising manta rays. Sightings are therefore very common.

The rest of our short visit to Orpheus Island was spent either on the bush trails or in the water.

We found that the best snorkeling spots in the bay are to the south, where a permanent research facility is stationed. Unfortunately we didn't see any more manta rays in the water, but we were able to see many from the drone.

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READ THE FULL BLOG POST: EXPLORE ORPHEUS ISLAND: HIKING AND SNORKELING

Hiking the Bush Trails

A good hike on Orpheus Island begins at Pioneer Bay Beach. We followed the path to an old, abandoned cabin, which is the only sign of original British settlers on Orpheus Island.

The path winds through the dense bushes and onto a rocky outcrop that overlooks both sides of the island.

From above we could see turtles and manta rays swimming in the crystal clear coral water below.
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On to Hinchinbrook

We were excited about the Hinchinbrook Canal from the start because of the allure of its fjord-like peaks and vine-like streams.

It was difficult not to think of Jurassic Park as we entered the canal. Huge peaks on either side surround a wide river that seems to divide into an endless network of streams and streams.

Haycock Island

Our first anchorage in Hinchinbrook Channel was on Hayckock Island. Anchoring was initially somewhat difficult as the tidal current had moved mud deposits and large parts of the channel were exposed to a rocky seabed.

However, once we found the best place to anchor, we enjoyed one of the quietest nights of the trip so far.
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Sailing in the Hinchinbrook Canal

We didn't have much opportunity to explore Hinchinbrook Island on land, as most hikes start on the ocean side of the island.

Still, it was an epic few days sailing through one of Australia's last untouched wildernesses.

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