Welcome To Percy Island Walking Tracks

Middle Percy Island is located 68 nautical miles, South East of Mackay, Queensland, Australia. The island is open every day! Call ahead on VHF channel 73

Image Credit: We Are Explorers, The Percy Isles: A Guide to Visiting Middle Percy Island, describes Middle Percy Island as “an off-grid destination that offers an exceptional unplugged experience amidst breathtaking natural beauty.” www.weareexplorers.co

West Bay is the most popular anchorage with the Percy Island Yacht Club house nicknamed the “A-frame” where seafarers meet, share stories and partake in a longstanding tradition of leaving a small momento for all to admire. From West Bay, visitors can take the short track, 2.5km to the historic circa 1878 homestead, and take the long track back to West bay, 4.5 km via scenic lookouts.

Whites Bay is also a popular anchorage especially when northerlies are blowing. Both bays are approximately a 45 min walk to the historic circa 1878 homestead, located at the top of the hill, at the center of Percy Island. Whites Bay is renowned for it’s white sandy beaches surrounded by bushland and reef. Her beauty is vast and unparalleled.

Bush walkers are encouraged to pack adequate water and head off early, before 9 am or after 3 pm to enjoy bush walking during the cooler part of the day. From West Bay, take the short track 2.5km to the homestead or the long track 4.5 km.

Visit Percy Island Homestead —Call ahead on VHF Channel 73

Bush walkers are welcome to explore the Homestaed grounds or call ahead on VHF Channel 73 to find out if the caretakers are home so you can drop by and say G’day, make a time to become a PIYC member and watch as the Marine Corp ID Tag is created on a 1900’s industrial heirloom machine, or lend a hand by volunteering.

Whites Bay Walking Track To The Homestead

There is a well sign-posted track which starts up on top of the rocky promontory between Whites Bay and Dolphin Beach up to the Homestead.(please follow red and white markers) The 2.5Km trail passes through wooded country and steep sections to the ‘main road’; turning left to the Homestead and right past the Hoop Pines of  Mt. Armitage and  towards  the ‘airfield’ (not serviceable yet;- although any help offered to remedy that could be  appreciated!) .

The track is steep at the middle section, so you may need to stop here to enjoy the view on the rocky hillside (maybe communications will work up there, but only on Telstra systems).

Once up the top of that track turn left to the Homestead (1Km) with a lovely view of South Percy at ‘Weather Station Hill’ (formerly known as’ ‘Dead Sheep Hill’  referring to the remnant sheep from the Whites flock, which grazed the Island between 1921-64) .

Alternatively, turn right to explore the cool Hoop Pine forest at Mount Armitage and the grassy area overlooking Whites Bay with a wonderful view of North-East Percy (which looks like a giant floating on its back from this angle; one can then understand how legends arose).

The varied vegetation is very different from the West Bay route and well worth the effort. So get those legs working with different muscles, and have a walk if you have time to spare.

Our famous Bush honey and limited seasonal vegetables, will also be available from the Homestead. Please supply yourself with sufficient drinking water for your adventure, as we are in very limited supply. 

For those folks who like to stay on the beach, try exploring between the central sand dunes to find the tranquil cool forest, smelling the Native Frangipani if in season. This is different to the Frangipani dubbed the ‘Percy island Frangipani’ by the Society for Growing Australian in 1989 which is on the West Bay to Homestead track above the Aframe area lining the road for 1km.

The entrance to this beautiful forest is at the back of the sand-dunes near the centre of  Whites Beach and is hidden between the dunes  It  is found by walking between the dunes lined with windblown Casurinas (stunted by the gale force SE winds) and into the more protected area behind the dunes which grows wonderful Paperbark trees.

Continue walking up the sandy seasonal creek to enjoy a refreshing change from the beach. The creek, when flowing, can offer sandy bottom pools to play in, prepared to be nibbled by yabbies!. This area was reputedly settled by the Kanaka trader, Capt. Cook Till in 1850s when he had a settlement of  Islanders and Tories Strait peoples. These folk were taken to Mackay and Townsville for work on the Cane Fields. ( We acknowledge the suffering of these people and their ancestors, who were often forcibly removed from their homes, for trade by Kanaka Traders)

For more History of Captain Cook Till,  please take the time to read the fascinating article by his family in www.thecoatsal passage.com

The creek bed ends at a rocky cliff with seasonally flowing waterfall which  leads to the grassy hills above the Whites Bay towards the site of the potential airfield. Upon finding the track follow left to the Mt. Armitage – Whites Bay turn off with possibility of continuing the 1Km over Weather Station Hill to the Homestead.

ADVISE TO ALL VISITORS: 

Please remember to take sufficient drinking water  and any personal applications and clothing to protect you on your adventurous safari.

Check out the ‘mud maps’ for reference of walks. No injuries please; however we do have the RFDS medical chest if need be. 

REMEMBER THAT you are on national park land until you enter the Regional Park area of the Homestead

There are no deadly poisonous snakes on Percy Is. but please be advised that:-

1) The daytime ‘skinny snake’ is a Collared Whip Snake ; sunbathing or scurrying across the path. Not aggressive but could bite if surprised in the leaf litter and it perceived threatened in that situation. Worst case scenario will be a need for anti-histamine pills from the RFDS Medical Chest at the Homestead (ch:73)

2) The night time snakes being approximately one meter long, not a problem for us,  but both deadly for baby birds, eggs and reptiles:-

a) Spotted Python and the

b)  Brown Tree Snake  more aggressive ) and

3) Giant Centipede nippers may adversely effect you, so anti-histamine in your kit could be essential for some folks.

Royal Flying Doctor advice -…”any travelers on the oceans are recommended to have a valid Tetanus injection as a prevention from possible serious infection whilst adventuring in different places in the local tropical climate”

The Royal Flying Doctor Kit is kept at the Homestead and administration is available via Marine Channel 73

Marine Radio for Stanage Bay Coast Guard on VHF CH 81 or 83

Please remember you are on the National Park zone at Whites Bay and are not allowed to camp. Camping is available at West Bay which is part of the Regional Park under section 34 of the Nature Conservation Act. Please make prior arrangements from the Homestead (accessible via VHF Channel 73, percyisland@gmail.com or see the Contact page for phoning the caretakers).