Dunk Island, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Dunk Island lies 4 km off the Australia
n east coast, opposite the town of Mission Beach
. The island forms part of the Family Islands National Park
and is in the larger Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
.
The island is surrounded by reefs and has a diverse population of birds. Aboriginals once used the island as a source of food. Europeans first settled on the island in 1897. Dunk Island was used by the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. In recent years the island and its resort facilities were affected by both Cyclone Larry and Cyclone Yasi.
, all of which consist of granite
rock. All of the islands were part of the mainland before the last sea level rise began 8,000 years ago. Dunk Island covers 970ha, of which 730 ha is national park and the rest is freehold
. Its topography varies, with sandy beaches and rocky shores, slightly undulating slopes, foothills and steeper semi-rugged terrain. Mount Kootaloo is the island's highest point, at 271 m above sea level.
There are over 100 species of birds on Dunk Island, including rare and vulnerable seabirds. During the summer months, the island becomes a breeding site for tern
s and noddies
. The lack of predators, along with a plentiful supply of food from the surrounding reef
waters, make it an ideal nesting site. Dunk Island is also home to reptiles such as pythons, tree snakes
, gecko
s and skink
s. The island's fringing reef
s and surrounding waters are home to an array of marine life such as sea turtle
s, dugong
s, coral
s, fish
, shellfish
and crab
s. Purtaboi Island (the small island directly out from Dunk Island) is closed and inaccessible for guests from October through to April each year due to the crested terns nesting on the island.
owners of Dunk Island are the Bandjin and Djiru people, who have lived in this area for tens of thousands of years. After the sea level rise, they paddled to the islands in bark canoes to gather food and materials. The Aboriginal name for Dunk Island is Coonanglebah, or “The Island of Peace and Plenty”. It received its European name from Captain Cook, who sailed past it on 8 June 1770, remarked that it was a "tolerable high island" and named it after George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax.
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Europeans settled the nearby mainland during the 1800s, seeking gold, timber and grazing land. In 1848, John MacGillivray
studied the fauna and flora of the island while HMS Rattlesnake
was anchored off the island for ten days. He subsequently wrote of its natural features in the Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake, published in England in 1852.
In 1897, suffering from work anxiety and exhaustion, and advised by doctors that he had just six months to live, writer Edmund James Banfield
moved to Dunk Island with his wife Bertha - so becoming the island’s first white settlers. Previously a Journalist and Senior Editor with the Townsville Daily Bulletin for fifteen years, Banfield let the tranquillity of this unspoilt tropical paradise weave its magic and he lived on Dunk Island for the remaining 26 years of his life until his death in 1923.
A small hut built with the assistance of an Aborigine called Tom was the Banfield’s first home. Over a period of time they cleared four acres of land for a plantation of fruit and vegetables. Combined with their chickens, cows and goats as well as the abundance of seafood and mangrove vegetation, they lived very self-sufficiently. Fascinated by Dunk Island’s flora and fauna Banfield meticulously recorded his observations and went on to write a series of articles about island life under the pseudonym Rob Krusoe. He was further inspired to write a full-length book entitled ‘Confessions of a Beachcomber’ which was published in 1908. The book became a celebrated text for romantics and escapists and established Dunk Island’s reputation as an exotic island paradise. In the ensuing years, Banfield wrote several other books about Dunk including ‘My Tropical Isle’ in 1911 and ‘Tropic Days’ in 1918. In these he shared the secrets of nature that he had uncovered and described the customs and legends of the Aboriginal people on the island. E J Banfield died on 2 June 1923 and his final book ‘Last Leaves from Dunk’ was published posthumously in 1925. His widow remained on the island for another year before moving to Brisbane where she died, ten years after her husband. Today both are buried on the trail to Mt Kootaloo.
The island was bought in 1934 by Captain Brassey and Banfield's bungalow provided the basis for the beginnings of a resort. The Royal Australian Air Force
occupied Dunk Island during World War II
, building its airstrip in 1941. They installed a radar station on the island's highest point a year later, which was then dismantled when the war ended in 1945. The Brassey family returned to run the resort for a period at the end of the war. The island then went through a succession of owners. In 1956, Gordon & Kathleen Stynes purchased the island and relocated their family from Victoria to Dunk Island. The Stynes Family then set about to redevelop and upgrade the resort’s facilities to establish the island as a tourist destination. As a result, Dunk Island became a popular destination for celebrities including Sean Connery, Henry Ford II and former Australian Prime Ministers Harold Holt and Gough Whitlam. The Stynes Family owned and operated the island and resort until 1964 when it was sold to Eric McIlree, founder of Avis Rent-A-Car.
In 1976, Trans Australia Airlines
purchased Dunk Island. Ownership then passed to Qantas
in 1992, following its merger with Australian Airlines. On 24 December 1997, the island was purchased by P&O Australian Resorts, who were then acquired by Voyages
in July 2004. In September 2009, both Dunk and Bedarra island resorts were purchased by Hideaway Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pamoja Capital.
Dunk Island has thirteen kilometres of walking tracks spread over five main routes, ranging from a short walk to Edmund James Banfield's grave to a 4 hour island circuit hike. Commercial operators offer guided tours around the island, as does the Dunk Island resort.
and Dunk Island, and Dunk and Bedarra Island
guest transfers. The Dunk Island Ferry has eight daily transfers between the Clump Point Jetty at Mission Beach and the Dunk Island Jetty.
, located near the resort, with frequent flights to Cairns.
's eye crossed the coast of Queensland
at Innisfail
as the Category 4. Around 160 staff members and 280 guests from Dunk Island had been evacuated to Cairns, but 20 Voyages
staff stayed behind on the island. The resort suffered structural and water damage, but reopened on 1 July 2006 after an estimated $
20 million of refurbishment and rebuilding.
. Mobile phone communication was lost due to the nearest base station at Mission Beach
being destroyed and power lost at 22:00 as the cyclone approached. The resort was equipped with satellite phones and generators. Dunk Island Resort guests and some staff were flown to safety on 1 February 2011.
, four to a room, with rations that involved only a sandwich and an apple. It was alleged by staff that they were not given the option to evacuate despite Police asking the island's management to do so a week prior. Staff stated that the resort island's management told staff they had to stay and help with the cleanup, some were even ordered back to work from the mainland as the cyclone approached including an employee who, allegedly, had sliced off part of their thumb in a boat accident. Staff alleged resort bosses told them not to speak to the media. An unnamed Hideaway Resorts spokeswoman said, “They (staff) were given the choice to leave or stay and many chose to stay and bunker down".
Hideaway Resorts Director Andrew Menzies yesterday denied staff were forced to stay, but could not be evacuated because the cyclone tracked south late on 2 February 2011. Andrew Menzies was quoted saying, “We followed cyclone procedures, there was never a forced evacuation communicated to anyone", he said. Additionally, "We have cyclone-rated buildings to a category 5, so this was actually the safest place to be". Rupert Greenhough from Hideaway Resorts said the islands followed "established cyclone procedures", which did not include provision for mass evacuation of staff.
Hideaway Resorts CEO Mark Campbell and Director Andrew Menzies flew via helicopter to Dunk Island on 3 February 2011 to access the damage. Chairman Rupert Greenhough expressed relief staff had survived the cyclone and described that outcome as a testament to the planning and preparations undertaken to meet those situations.
On 4 February 2011, staff, other than a skeleton team, were all stood down until the resort was rebuilt, evacuated from the island via helicopters and water taxi and offered counselling.
The Herald Sun
alleged that when management found out journalists were on the island, they were ushered away from staff and directed to speak to the island's Melbourne based co-owner and the boss of the resort who spent the cyclone sheltering in luxury Shangri-La Resort in Cairns.
On 5 February 2011, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported that statements purporting to cover Bedarra Resort released by management of Hideaway Resorts on the 4 February 2011 actually referred to only its Dunk Island property that neighbours Bedarra Island.
Shortly after the cyclone damage was assessed all bookings were cancelled. Due to reconstruction the Resort has planned to recommence accepting reservations in early 2012 for stays from the 1 April 2012.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n east coast, opposite the town of Mission Beach
Mission Beach, Queensland
Mission Beach is a small village along the Coral Sea in Queensland, Australia. The popular tourist destination of Dunk Island lies 4 km offshore.-History:...
. The island forms part of the Family Islands National Park
Family Islands National Park
The Family Islands are a group of continental islands lying a short distance off the coast, about mid-way between Cairns and Townsville, in Queensland, Australia. Most of the area has been designated as a national park...
and is in the larger Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
.
The island is surrounded by reefs and has a diverse population of birds. Aboriginals once used the island as a source of food. Europeans first settled on the island in 1897. Dunk Island was used by the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. In recent years the island and its resort facilities were affected by both Cyclone Larry and Cyclone Yasi.
Geology and wildlife
Dunk Island is by far the largest island in the Family Islands National ParkFamily Islands National Park
The Family Islands are a group of continental islands lying a short distance off the coast, about mid-way between Cairns and Townsville, in Queensland, Australia. Most of the area has been designated as a national park...
, all of which consist of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rock. All of the islands were part of the mainland before the last sea level rise began 8,000 years ago. Dunk Island covers 970ha, of which 730 ha is national park and the rest is freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
. Its topography varies, with sandy beaches and rocky shores, slightly undulating slopes, foothills and steeper semi-rugged terrain. Mount Kootaloo is the island's highest point, at 271 m above sea level.
There are over 100 species of birds on Dunk Island, including rare and vulnerable seabirds. During the summer months, the island becomes a breeding site for tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s and noddies
Noddy (tern)
Noddies are members of the tern family Sternidae in the genera Anous, Procelsterna, and Gygis. They are a tropical group, characterised by the notch-wedge shaped tail; coastal and pelagic oceanic...
. The lack of predators, along with a plentiful supply of food from the surrounding reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
waters, make it an ideal nesting site. Dunk Island is also home to reptiles such as pythons, tree snakes
Brown tree snake
The brown tree snake is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia....
, gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s and skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s. The island's fringing reef
Fringing reef
A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reefs recognized by most coral reef scientists. It is distinguished from the other two main types in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone or none at all...
s and surrounding waters are home to an array of marine life such as sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s, dugong
Dugong
The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...
s, coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
and crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s. Purtaboi Island (the small island directly out from Dunk Island) is closed and inaccessible for guests from October through to April each year due to the crested terns nesting on the island.
Early history
The traditional AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
owners of Dunk Island are the Bandjin and Djiru people, who have lived in this area for tens of thousands of years. After the sea level rise, they paddled to the islands in bark canoes to gather food and materials. The Aboriginal name for Dunk Island is Coonanglebah, or “The Island of Peace and Plenty”. It received its European name from Captain Cook, who sailed past it on 8 June 1770, remarked that it was a "tolerable high island" and named it after George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax.
John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray was a Scottish-naturalist, active in Australia between 1842 and 1867.MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen, the son of ornithologist William MacGillivray. He took part in three of the Royal Navy's surveying voyages in the Pacific...
studied the fauna and flora of the island while HMS Rattlesnake
HMS Rattlesnake (1822)
HMS Rattlesnake was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy launched in 1822. She made a historic voyage of discovery to the Cape York and Torres Strait areas of northern Australia.-Construction:...
was anchored off the island for ten days. He subsequently wrote of its natural features in the Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake, published in England in 1852.
In 1897, suffering from work anxiety and exhaustion, and advised by doctors that he had just six months to live, writer Edmund James Banfield
Edmund James Banfield
Edmund James "Ted" Banfield was an author and naturalist, best known for his book Confessions of a Beachcomber.-Early life:...
moved to Dunk Island with his wife Bertha - so becoming the island’s first white settlers. Previously a Journalist and Senior Editor with the Townsville Daily Bulletin for fifteen years, Banfield let the tranquillity of this unspoilt tropical paradise weave its magic and he lived on Dunk Island for the remaining 26 years of his life until his death in 1923.
A small hut built with the assistance of an Aborigine called Tom was the Banfield’s first home. Over a period of time they cleared four acres of land for a plantation of fruit and vegetables. Combined with their chickens, cows and goats as well as the abundance of seafood and mangrove vegetation, they lived very self-sufficiently. Fascinated by Dunk Island’s flora and fauna Banfield meticulously recorded his observations and went on to write a series of articles about island life under the pseudonym Rob Krusoe. He was further inspired to write a full-length book entitled ‘Confessions of a Beachcomber’ which was published in 1908. The book became a celebrated text for romantics and escapists and established Dunk Island’s reputation as an exotic island paradise. In the ensuing years, Banfield wrote several other books about Dunk including ‘My Tropical Isle’ in 1911 and ‘Tropic Days’ in 1918. In these he shared the secrets of nature that he had uncovered and described the customs and legends of the Aboriginal people on the island. E J Banfield died on 2 June 1923 and his final book ‘Last Leaves from Dunk’ was published posthumously in 1925. His widow remained on the island for another year before moving to Brisbane where she died, ten years after her husband. Today both are buried on the trail to Mt Kootaloo.
World War II and the development of the resort
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
occupied Dunk Island during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, building its airstrip in 1941. They installed a radar station on the island's highest point a year later, which was then dismantled when the war ended in 1945. The Brassey family returned to run the resort for a period at the end of the war. The island then went through a succession of owners. In 1956, Gordon & Kathleen Stynes purchased the island and relocated their family from Victoria to Dunk Island. The Stynes Family then set about to redevelop and upgrade the resort’s facilities to establish the island as a tourist destination. As a result, Dunk Island became a popular destination for celebrities including Sean Connery, Henry Ford II and former Australian Prime Ministers Harold Holt and Gough Whitlam. The Stynes Family owned and operated the island and resort until 1964 when it was sold to Eric McIlree, founder of Avis Rent-A-Car.
In 1976, Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
purchased Dunk Island. Ownership then passed to Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
in 1992, following its merger with Australian Airlines. On 24 December 1997, the island was purchased by P&O Australian Resorts, who were then acquired by Voyages
Voyages
Voyages is a company which operates resorts and tours in Australia.- History :The Ayers Rock Resort Company Limited was formed in 1992 and after a period of growth, acquired resorts at Alice Springs and Kings Canyon. In September 1997, General Property Trust purchased the company...
in July 2004. In September 2009, both Dunk and Bedarra island resorts were purchased by Hideaway Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pamoja Capital.
Weather
Dunk Island is located in the tropics and has an average year-round temperature of approximately 29 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit). History of cyclones affecting Dunk Island contained within Climatic Events section.National park
Ferry
Quick Cat runs the only jetty to jetty ferry service between Mission BeachMission Beach
Mission Beach may refer to:*Mission Beach, San Diego, California, United States*Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia...
and Dunk Island, and Dunk and Bedarra Island
Bedarra Island
Bedarra Island is a privately owned island in the middle of the Family Islands National Park, located off the Queensland coast in Australia. The island is made from granite and was part of the mainland before the last sea level rise began 8,000 years ago...
guest transfers. The Dunk Island Ferry has eight daily transfers between the Clump Point Jetty at Mission Beach and the Dunk Island Jetty.
Resort
Dunk Island Resort is run by Hideaway Resorts, comprising 160 rooms popular with families and couples. Its facilities include two restaurants, two bars, a café, a spa and a 9-hole golf course. The resort offers a number of free and paid activities for its guests, including day trips to other parts of the Great Barrier Reef.Camping ground
There is also a camping ground available for visitors as part of the national park, although a permit is required for its use.Artists' colony
Dunk Island is also home to a small community of artists who live, work and showcase their work on a property on the southern side of the island. The Colony was established in 1974 by former Olympic wrestler Bruce Arthur, and continued to operate after his death in 1998, until Cyclone Larry damaged much of the colony. Susie Kirk now resides at the Artist colony.Airstrip
Dunk Island also has a small airstrip, Dunk Island AirportDunk Island Airport
Dunk Island Airport is located on the west side of Dunk Island, Australia, only 5 km from Mission Beach. The airport is served from Cairns by Hinterland Aviation, in addition to general aviation charter and private flights. Qantaslink operated flights between Dunk Island and Cairns until 2006....
, located near the resort, with frequent flights to Cairns.
Cyclone Larry
On 20 March 2006, Cyclone LarryCyclone Larry
Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season. Larry originated as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea on 16 March and was monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in...
's eye crossed the coast of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
at Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
as the Category 4. Around 160 staff members and 280 guests from Dunk Island had been evacuated to Cairns, but 20 Voyages
Voyages
Voyages is a company which operates resorts and tours in Australia.- History :The Ayers Rock Resort Company Limited was formed in 1992 and after a period of growth, acquired resorts at Alice Springs and Kings Canyon. In September 1997, General Property Trust purchased the company...
staff stayed behind on the island. The resort suffered structural and water damage, but reopened on 1 July 2006 after an estimated $
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
20 million of refurbishment and rebuilding.
Cyclone Yasi
Between AEST 23:57, 2 February 2011, and 00:27, 3 February 2011, the eye of Cyclone Yasi passed directly over Dunk Island as a Category 5 tropical cycloneTropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
. Mobile phone communication was lost due to the nearest base station at Mission Beach
Mission Beach, Queensland
Mission Beach is a small village along the Coral Sea in Queensland, Australia. The popular tourist destination of Dunk Island lies 4 km offshore.-History:...
being destroyed and power lost at 22:00 as the cyclone approached. The resort was equipped with satellite phones and generators. Dunk Island Resort guests and some staff were flown to safety on 1 February 2011.
Impact on Dunk Island Resort Staff
The 109 Dunk Island Resort staff and the General Manager David Henry who were on the island at the time were forced into lockdownLockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
, four to a room, with rations that involved only a sandwich and an apple. It was alleged by staff that they were not given the option to evacuate despite Police asking the island's management to do so a week prior. Staff stated that the resort island's management told staff they had to stay and help with the cleanup, some were even ordered back to work from the mainland as the cyclone approached including an employee who, allegedly, had sliced off part of their thumb in a boat accident. Staff alleged resort bosses told them not to speak to the media. An unnamed Hideaway Resorts spokeswoman said, “They (staff) were given the choice to leave or stay and many chose to stay and bunker down".
Hideaway Resorts Director Andrew Menzies yesterday denied staff were forced to stay, but could not be evacuated because the cyclone tracked south late on 2 February 2011. Andrew Menzies was quoted saying, “We followed cyclone procedures, there was never a forced evacuation communicated to anyone", he said. Additionally, "We have cyclone-rated buildings to a category 5, so this was actually the safest place to be". Rupert Greenhough from Hideaway Resorts said the islands followed "established cyclone procedures", which did not include provision for mass evacuation of staff.
Hideaway Resorts CEO Mark Campbell and Director Andrew Menzies flew via helicopter to Dunk Island on 3 February 2011 to access the damage. Chairman Rupert Greenhough expressed relief staff had survived the cyclone and described that outcome as a testament to the planning and preparations undertaken to meet those situations.
On 4 February 2011, staff, other than a skeleton team, were all stood down until the resort was rebuilt, evacuated from the island via helicopters and water taxi and offered counselling.
The Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
alleged that when management found out journalists were on the island, they were ushered away from staff and directed to speak to the island's Melbourne based co-owner and the boss of the resort who spent the cyclone sheltering in luxury Shangri-La Resort in Cairns.
On 5 February 2011, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported that statements purporting to cover Bedarra Resort released by management of Hideaway Resorts on the 4 February 2011 actually referred to only its Dunk Island property that neighbours Bedarra Island.
Dunk Island Resort Infrastructure Damage
The damage to the resort was described as being smashed beyond recognition with much of the resort needed to be completely rebuilt. Almost all the beachfront apartments were peeled apart by the wind. The usually cyclone-hardy palm trees resemble deformed stalks. The resort's iconic pool was completely filled with sand from the associated storm surge. The function hall was gutted and the health centre was unroofed. Almost all of the beachfront apartments had their walls torn off and were left empty shells by the ferocious winds. The cyclone's impact on the resort was greatly destructive; buildings in splinters, facilities in ruins and gardens stripped bare. It was also described as a paradise lost and unrecognisable.Shortly after the cyclone damage was assessed all bookings were cancelled. Due to reconstruction the Resort has planned to recommence accepting reservations in early 2012 for stays from the 1 April 2012.
In popular culture
- Dunk Island was chosen as the location for the 1969 film Age of Consent, which was based on a story by the artist and writer Norman LindsayNorman LindsayNorman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
. Directed by Michael PowellMichael Powell (director)Michael Latham Powell was a renowned English film director, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger...
, it starred James MasonJames MasonJames Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
as Bradley Morahan, a jaded Australian artist returning from New York and Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
as Cora Ryan, a local teenager. Age of Consent attracted controversy over nudity and a sex scene, which led to some censorship and cuts. Much of the film was shot on the beach at Brammo Bay where ferries bringing visitors now dock. - An assignment in the penultimate round of the third season of The MoleThe Mole (Australia season 3)The third season of the Australian version of The Mole took place mostly in Gold Coast, Queensland and was hosted by Grant Bowler.-Show Details:...
required the four remaining players to draw a rough map of Dunk Island. This assignment was won after contestants Marc Jongebloed and Bob Young submitted a drawing which roughly resembled the map of the island. - One of the final scenes in James Cameron’s movie “Sanctum” was shot on Muggy Muggy beach.