Trail Day 1: scramble to Little Ramsay

About eight months ago, I had booked 6 passes for the coveted Thorsborne trail on Hinchinbrook island, which sold out within minutes of release. Three friends dropped out due to the daily pressures of adulting. The three of us made up our resolve to go anyway. Then pranali got quite sick from her trip, and she decided to pull out as well. And now it was just the two of us, Kiran and I, heading out to attempt this multi-day trek on the remote side of Hinchinbrook island. I would be lying to say I wasn't nervous, as I played the what-if games necessary before each expedition.

We had to carry all our food, water, utensils, sleep and camp gear on our backs. And then carry all our trash out. As the only adult in our party of two, I worked with Kiran to pare it down to the essentials that we need to sustain ourselves in the bush: hot chocolate, the Dune graphic novel, card game, 5x5 Rubik's cube and a pickleball.

At Lucinda, we joined four other hikers on to the boat that would take us through the mangroves in the inner channel and bring us to the trail head at Ramsay bay. In the channel, John cut the motor and pointed at the ripples ahead. "Those are snub-nosed dolphins. Pretty rare and endangered."

We hopped off the boat on to the boardwalk, hoisted up our backpacks and set off walking along this pristine beach. At the end of it we cut into the forest, follow the trail till it brought us back to the beach at Nina bay. From there we were on the rockhopper way, having to skip and jump over boulders strewn and bashed by the waves.

It was hot. The bags were heavy. And we were desperate to have a swim in this beautiful and inviting lagoon just next to the campsite. But no, this is croc country. So we settled for a beach walk where we could get bitten by bugs instead.Read more