The 10 secret missions of Mission Beach

It’s a slice of Queensland the way it used to be, in both a modern and ancient context, where two World Heritage areas just happen to bump into each other.

Silently chilling out on the unspoiled coves and beaches between Cairns and Townsville, Mission Beach harbours a few secrets you’ll want to discover, from uncrowded encounters with the Great Barrier Reef to chance meetings with the almost fabled cassowary. Here are 10 missions you’ll want to accept when this petite paradise inevitably pulls you in.

1. Go cassowary spotting

Cassowary Mission Beach rainforest — Take your time, cross your fingers and you just might bump into a cassowary around Mission Beach (photo: Elise Hassey).

Mission Beach is the self-crowned capital of these funky flightless birds, the punk rockers of Australian birdlife. There’s around 100 of them stomping around here, but don’t expect them to be parading down the main street for your benefit. Check out the Mission Beach Cassowaries Facebook page for recent sightings and pester locals for hotspots (such as the Beachcomber Coconut Holiday Park, South Mission Beach, in the late afternoon). The more you get out in nature (see below), the more chance you have of seeing one.

2. Walk in the rainforest

Right on Mission’s backdoor is sumptuous Djiru National Park, which harbours pockets of the most diverse lowland and beachfront rainforest in Australia. A nice introductory walk is the Dreaming Trail, which can be accessed from El Arish Mission Beach Road (the trail head is on the left, as you drive out of town). Add on Musgrave Link Track for a little more cardio. Aside from upping your chances of seeing ‘the bird’, you also have the privilege of walking under huge pleated-leafed palm forests, past fruiting quandong and Davidson’s plumb trees, and being serenaded by a tropical bird chorus supplied by the likes of the woompoo pigeon.

3. Go for a Dunk on the Reef

Meanwhile, on Mission’s front door, sits Dunk Island, a very approachable introduction to the Great Barrier Reef. Mission Beach Dive offers plenty of aqua options from its simple taxi service across to Dunk, so you can explore the island as well as day trips to the Outer Reef. A morning of snorkelling off the MV Reef Goddess followed by an on-board barbie with a side of fresh prawns should sate most of your reef desires. If you’re looking for a calm place to get your scuba qualifications, Mission Beach may be your PADI paradise.

4. Worship at the temple of conservation

A few kilometres north of Mission, at the end of a long shady driveway in Bingil Bay, is heritage-listed Ninney Rise, former HQ for some of Australia’s most crucial environmental campaigns. A posse of environmentalists, headed by mercurial John Büsst, used the house as a base for the original fight to establish the reef as a Marine Park plus wave after wave of save the rainforest battles. Apparently, then Prime Minister Harold Holt wrote one of his budgets on the verandah here. For some thoughtful and rare reads, browse the Margaret Thorsborne Library, recently opened after being salvaged from Cyclone Yasi’s grasp.

5. Accept the café mission

Bingle Bay Café Mission Beach courtyard seafood laksa — Hippy vibe, bushy-courtyard and great seafood laksa: Bingle Bay Café (photo: Elise Hassey).

Thankfully, Mission’s isolation ensures a reasonably franchise-free village with a handful of character-filled, tasty and distinctly local dining options. The lunchtime pick is Bingil Bay Café for its hippy vibe, bushy-courtyard setting and its seafood laksa. Other reasons to like this place include live music (on Sundays) and its cool (literally and figuratively) punkah-wallah, an Indian-style verandah-length ceiling fan. Closer to the town, Mission’s cute little Village Green hosts more relaxed food and beverage possibilities from the veggo-friendly Pepper Vine to nautical-themed Joey’s cafe for your wake-up coffee.

6. Have a beach all to yourself

Secret Garners Beach Great Barrier Reef — The utterly undeveloped Garners Beach (photo: Elise Hassey).

If the barely crowded strip of white sand that fronts the length of town isn’t personal enough for you, a further 10 kilometres’ drive north will deposit you at utterly undeveloped and palm-tree free (they were introduced) Garners Beach. Here the rainforest actually makes it all the way down to the beach and, if you’re lucky, and up early, you may catch a cassowary snacking on a crustacean in the dawn glow. Don’t let the beauty lull you into a swim, however, because the odd crocodile does cruise past.

7. Embrace the Indigenous side of the story

The dramatic clash of dark volcanic rock with the azure Coral Sea waters at Clump Point marks the most significant land formation in the area for traditional owners, the Djiru. Information boards here help decipher Djiru stories, which naturally feature that local star, the cassowary. Heading out of Djiru country, for a hands-on Indigenous perspective of the tropical landscape, head 45 minutes west to the town of Tully, where Ingan Tours’ ‘Spirit of the Rainforest’ guided day hike explores “the Aboriginal trading routes" of the Jirrbal People.

8. Castaway(s) for a cocktail

Island vibe ashore: Castaways Resort & Spa, Mission Beach (photo: Elise Hassey).

It’s sleek, chic and great-value, but the best thing about Castaways Resort & Spa is just how effectively the all-rounder channels the island ambiance from on shore. Slowly sip some bubbles or a mixed berry frappe by the pool, stare out through criss-crossed palms from your private balcony, and then tuck into the refined yet hearty menu in low-lit and airy Bibesia Restaurant. Alternatively, spend some time re-balancing with an Ocean Rhythm treatment at onsite Drift Day Spa.

Pool cocktails Castaways Resort & Spa, Mission Beach — Bubbles or a mixed berry frappe by the pool? Castaways Resort & Spa, Mission Beach (photo: Elise Hassey).

9. Play cassowary-cult bingo

Even if you don’t manage to spot that elusive cassowary in real life, you will not miss the cassowary cult that colonises this Cassowary Coast Spot a giant cassowary statue, a street named after the bird, and head down to Village Green for cassowary-specific arts, crafts and fashion at the Helen Wiltshire Gallery. And if this doesn’t fill your cassowary cup, then visit here in June during the Mission Beach Community Cassowary Festival when locals dress up as you-guessed-what, and parade downtown, serenaded by local musicians amongst a sea of other paraphernalia.

10. Revisit your youth and sweet tooth: Charley’s Chocolate Factory

Literally, the sweetest afternoon you can spend at Mission Beach is out at Charley’s Chocolate Factory (10 minutes’ drive from town along El Arish Mission Beach Road). This is no theme park, nor is there a bubbling chocolate fountain, but this is a working chocolate farm (a banana plantation up until 2012). During the Cocoa Tree to Chocolate Bar Experience you can help out making some chocolate, wander through trellis-grown beans and, naturally, try some of the farm’s award-winning dark chocolate including the macadamia and roasted coffee flavours. You may have noticed the spelling doesn’t match the Roald Dahl book and film; it’s named after the dog (chocolate standard poodle) in John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. (Open: Thursday, Friday, Sunday, subject to demand).

Want to discover more in from Queensland? Check out:

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Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.