Dunk Island & Mission Beach

Dunk Island lies off Mission Beach, with its south-east end about 4.5 miles east of Tam O'Shanter Point. The Family Islands, a line of seven high rocky islets, run south-east from about 2 miles east of the same point (NGA). It rises to 270 m near its north end, and NGA gives good holding west of Mound Islet off its north-west corner. On the mainland, Clump Point at Mission Beach has the main ramp and a jetty. The waters are part of the Reef Authority's Hinchinbrook Planning Area, with bird-site speed limits in summer.

At a glance

Getting in

Dunk Island. NGA says Mound Islet lies about 0.5 mile west of the north end of Dunk, with a 12.2 m rock close off the island's south-east end. The TMR list shows a jetty at the north-west end of the island.

Clump Point. A low rocky point about 1 mile long, with Clump Mountain (about 716 m) behind (NGA). The ramp, floating walkway and breakwater are on the north side of Mission Beach, with a separate jetty at Bingil Bay (TMR). The Reef Authority says no motorised water sports at Clump Point.

Wave buoy. A wave measuring buoy, Fl Y 2.5s, is laid off Mission Beach at 17°58.444'S 146°11.654'E for about a year from April 2026. Keep 100 m clear (MSQ NtM 209(T)-2026).

North to Mourilyan. King Reef, rocks that dry about 1.8 m, lies almost 3 miles east of Murdering Point, with foul ground inshore. NGA says a current sets towards the land near King Reef in south-easterlies, especially on the rising tide. In south-easterlies, moderate-draft vessels can anchor in about 6 m in the lee of Stephens Island in the South Barnard Islands. Pass at least 1 mile east of Kent Island in the North Barnard Islands (NGA).

Moorings and rules

• Dunk Island. Vessels 35 m or less can access and anchor, using public moorings where available. Larger vessels anchor outside the Location or at the designated anchorage by booking. There are private moorings (Reef Authority).
• Bird sites. From 1 October to 31 March, keep under 6 kn within 200 m of Woln-Garin Island and Pee Rahm Ah Island. In the same season the limit applies within 100 m of Mound (Purtaboi) Island (Reef Authority).
• Bedarra Island. Vessels 35 m or less can access and anchor; private moorings are laid (Reef Authority).
• National park. The Family Islands are a national park, and the area is a Public Appreciation Special Management Area (Reef Authority).

Tropical North Queensland in brief

• Marine park. Almost all of this water is in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the matching Queensland marine park. Check the zone on the Reef Authority zoning map before you fish or anchor.
• No-anchoring areas. These are mostly marked by white pyramid buoys with a blue label. Don't anchor inside them; use the public moorings (blue buoys), which have time limits and vessel-size classes (Reef Authority).
• Crocodiles. The Queensland Government says crocodile habitat starts near Gladstone and runs north, and no waterway in their range is crocodile-free. Keep arms and legs inside the boat, use the boat or trailer as a barrier at ramps, avoid small craft like kayaks, never clean fish at ramps, and stay more than 10 m from any crocodile. They're more active at night and in the September to April breeding season (Be Crocwise).
• Stingers. Marine stingers are present all year, with higher risk from November to May. Swim at patrolled beaches and in stinger nets and wear a full-body lycra suit. If someone is stung, call Triple Zero (000) and pour vinegar on the sting; Irukandji symptoms can take 20 to 40 minutes to show (Queensland Government, page updated 2 October 2019).
• Cyclones. The official season runs from 1 November to 30 April, though cyclones can form outside it (Bureau of Meteorology). On 30 October 2026 the Bureau had not yet published its 2026–27 tropical cyclone outlook. Have a cyclone plan before you leave a boat here in summer.

Ashore

What's within about a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) of each marina, ramp or landing on this page, measured along streets and footpaths in OpenStreetMap. Addresses are from OpenStreetMap where it has one; where it doesn't, we show the name and distance only. Listings as fetched from OpenStreetMap on 30 October 2026; check opening hours before you walk.

Nothing mapped within the 15-minute walk of: Clump Point ramp; Dunk Island jetty.

OpenStreetMap shows no bars, restaurants, shops or marine stores within a 15-minute walk of the landings on this page.

No marine stores or chandlers are mapped in OpenStreetMap within the walk.

Places, types, addresses and walking distances: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), fetched 30 October 2026.

About this page

These are free planning notes written by a working delivery skipper from public sources. They are not for navigation. Use the official chart, current MSQ notices to mariners, official tide tables and local advice. Spotted something out of date? Please use Report a correction below.

Official links

Check these before you go. They beat anything on this page.

• Reef Authority: Townsville and Whitsundays site-specific management
• Reef Authority moorings and no-anchoring areas: Mission Beach to Townsville
• Reef Authority: Hinchinbrook Plan of Management
• MSQ notices to mariners: Far North Queensland outside pilotage areas
• Queensland notices to mariners, all areas (subscribe)
• Bureau of Meteorology: Queensland coastal waters forecasts
• Bureau of Meteorology: Queensland warnings (incl. marine wind warnings)
• Bureau of Meteorology: tide predictions
• Bureau of Meteorology: tropical cyclones in Australia
• Reef Authority (GBRMPA): zoning maps, all areas
• Queensland Government: boating in crocodile habitat
• Queensland Government: dangerous marine life (stingers)
• Marine Rescue Queensland: rescue units

Sources & credits

Need a delivery skipper for this coast? Get a quote from Garry Hartshorne, AMSA Master <45.