August 9, 2023
Four days along the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island. The island has no infrastructure, no buildings - nothing. Just days filled with hiking along beaches, boulder filled creeks, through dense rainforest and trudging through mangrove swamps.
Finally, it was time for a new adventure. It’d been months since I’d put the pack on, and I was eager to visit Hinchinbrook Island. It’d been on the radar for a very long time. After taking the boat across from Cardwell, I had the trail and first couple of campsites to myself which was a stroke of luck as the trail is typically very popular this time of the year. It was great to be on my own and give me time to reflect on the last few months.
The days were short, with a lot of downtime to explore and soak up the island. But for someone who likes hiking longer days and distances, it was difficult to be truly present at times with thoughts of 'wasted time' seeping into me. The solitude was short-lived as I met hikers staying at Zoe Falls campsite, three Kiwi girls, all sisters, who were doing the trail.
It was great to chat and share stories all while being surrounded by some of Australia’s most pristine and untouched rainforest. I swam in the waterfalls, took some photos and eventually, all too quickly, found myself on the boat off the island a few days later staring down the bus stop in the direction of home. A short lived adventure, but a great one at that.
I returned home with a profound realization that over all of my solo trips throughout the years, the thing I remember the most is the people I met and the stories I shared and not so much about the place itself. A stark reminder that human connection is at the core of our existence and should be prioritized over anything else.
August 2023.
