![Beach at Dunk Island](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Beach_at_Dunk_Island.jpg)
Dunk Island, known as ''Coonanglebah'' in the
Warrgamay
The Warrgamay people, also spelt Warakamai, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland.
Language
Their language, Warrgamay, is now extinct. It was a variety of Dyirbalic, and appears to be composed of three distinct dialec ...
and
Dyirbal language
Dyirbal (also ''Djirubal'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in northeast Queensland by the Dyirbal people. In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that there were 8 speakers of the language. It is a member of the sm ...
s, is an island within the
locality
Locality may refer to:
* Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England
* Locality (linguistics)
* Locality (settlement)
* Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...
of
Dunk in the
Cassowary Coast Region
The Cassowary Coast Region is a local government area in the Far North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, south of Cairns and centred on the towns of Innisfail, Cardwell and Tully. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
,
Australia.
It lies off the
Australian east coast, opposite the town of
Mission Beach. The island forms part of the
Family Islands National Park
Family Islands National Park is an Australian national park comprising a group of continental islands lying a short distance off the coast, about midway between Cairns and Townsville, in Far North Queensland. Most of the area has been desig ...
and is in the larger
Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
.
The island is surrounded by reefs and has a diverse population of birds. The Bandjin and Djiru peoples once used the island as a source for 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 have been adversely affected by both
Cyclone 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 2006, and wa ...
and
Cyclone Yasi
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi () was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia in early 2011, causing major damage to the affected areas. Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 Janu ...
.
Geology and wildlife
Dunk Island is by far the largest island in the
Family Islands National Park
Family Islands National Park is an Australian national park comprising a group of continental islands lying a short distance off the coast, about midway between Cairns and Townsville, in Far North Queensland. Most of the area has been desig ...
, all of which consist of
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
rock.
All of the islands were part of the mainland before the last
sea level rise
Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cry ...
began 8,000 years ago. Dunk Island covers 970
ha, of which 730 ha is national park and the rest is
freehold
Freehold may refer to:
In real estate
*Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple
* Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England
* Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...
. 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
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
s and
noddies. The lack of predators, along with a plentiful supply of food from the surrounding
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock o ...
waters, make it an ideal nesting site. Dunk Island is also home to reptiles such as
pythons
The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 42 species are currently recognized.
Distribution ...
,
tree snakes,
geckos and
skinks. The island's
fringing reef
A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows direc ...
s and surrounding waters are home to an array of marine life such as
sea turtle
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...
s,
dugong
The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
s,
sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
,
coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...
s,
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing 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. Approximately 95% of ...
,
shellfish and
crabs. 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.
History
Early history
The traditional
Aboriginal owners of Dunk Island are the
Bandjin
The Biyaygiri, also known as Bandjin, were an Aboriginal Australian people of northern Queensland.
Language
The language of the Biyaygiri was Biyay, a dialect of Warrgamay. The last speaker of the language was Nora Boyd, who enabled Robert Dixo ...
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
Warrgamay
The Warrgamay people, also spelt Warakamai, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland.
Language
Their language, Warrgamay, is now extinct. It was a variety of Dyirbalic, and appears to be composed of three distinct dialec ...
and
Dyirbal name for Dunk Island is ''Coonanglebah'', meaning "The Island of Peace and Plenty". It received its European name from
Lieutenant James Cook, who sailed past it in the ''
Endeavour'' on 8 June 1770.
He noted that it was a "tolerable high island" and named it after
George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, (6 October 1716 – 8 June 1771) was a British statesman of the Georgian era. Due to his success in extending commerce in the Americas, he became known as the "father of the colonies". President of th ...
(a former
First Lord of the Admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
).
Europeans settled the nearby mainland during the 19th century, seeking gold, timber and grazing land. In 1848, John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray (18 December 1821 – 6 June 1867) 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 ...
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.
Edmund Banfield
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 "Ted" Banfield (4 September 1852 – 2 June 1923) was an author and naturalist in Queensland, Australia. He is best known for his book ''Confessions of a Beachcomber''. His Banfield Memorial Reserve and Grave, grave on Dunk Island ...
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 Banfields' 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'' (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'' (1911) and ''Tropic Days'' (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 Island'' 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.
Commencement of the resort and World War II
The island was bought in 1934 by Captain Brassey and Banfield's bungalow provided the basis for the beginnings of a resort. The resort was commenced in 1936. The Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
occupied Dunk Island during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, 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.
Post-war development of the resort
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 it and relocated their family there from Victoria. They then redeveloped and upgraded 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
Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 – September 29, 1987), sometimes known as "Hank the Deuce", was an American businessman in the automotive industry. He was the oldest son of Edsel Ford I and oldest grandson of Henry Ford I. He was president ...
, and Australian Prime Ministers Harold Holt and Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the ...
. 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
Avis Car Rental is an American car rental company headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, Parsippany, New Jersey. Avis, Budget Rent a Car, Budget Truck Rental and Zipcar are all units of Avis Budget Group.
Avis Budget Group opera ...
.
In 1976, Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines (TAA), renamed Australian Airlines in 1986, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its merger with Qantas in September 1992. As a result of the "COBRA" (or Common Brand ...
purchased Dunk Island. Ownership passed to Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...
in 1992, following its merger with Australian Airlines. On 24 December 1997, the island was purchased by P&O Australian Resorts, which was acquired by Voyages
Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to:
Literature
*''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden
* ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter
*''The Voyage'', Murray Bail
* "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...
in July 2004. In September 2009, both Dunk and Bedarra island resorts were purchased by Hideaway Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pamoja Capital.
Artists' colony
Dunk Island was also home to a small community of artists who lived, worked and showcased their work to many international and local visitors on a property on the southern side of the island. The Colony was established in 1974 by former Olympic wrestler Bruce Arthur, who died at his home on Island in March 1998. The community continued to operate under resident metalsmith Susi Kirk until Cyclone Larry damaged much of the colony. Kirk continued to live at the colony until Cyclone Yasi destroyed her home in 2011, and has subsequently continued to live and work on Dunk Island as the last member of the artist colony.
After Cyclone Yasi, 2011–2022
After Cyclone Yasi, Dunk Island was bought by Australian entrepreneur Peter Bond
Peter Bond is an Australian mining and energy executive, best known as the former Executive Chairman of Linc Energy and creator of the world's first synthetic crude oil. He is now a director of renewable energy company Infinite Power and ranke ...
and redevelopment of the resort commenced in 2014. This redevelopment never took place.
In September 2019 Mayfair 101, an Australian family-owned investment conglomerate led by James Mawhinney, purchased Dunk Island. Mayfair 101 also secured over 250 properties on mainland Mission Beach as part of its estimated AUD1.6 billion 10-15-year plan to restore the region. Mayfair 101 was awarded the Dunk Island Spit tender on 14 November 2019 by the Cassowary Coast Regional Council, providing the opportunity for Mayfair 101 to negotiate a 30-year lease over the iconic Dunk Island Spit. The island's redevelopment is being undertaken by Mayfair 101's property division, Mayfair Iconic Properties, which has established a team based at Mission Beach to undertake the significant rejuvenation of the region.
In August 2020, the previous owners of the island, Family Islands Operations, owned by the family of Australian businessman Peter Bond repossessed the island after the owners Mayfair 101 failed to meet their payment obligations.
2022-
In July 2022, Annie Cannon-Brookes, wife of Atlassian
Atlassian Corporation () is an Australian software company that develops products for software developers, project managers and other software development teams. The company is domiciled in Delaware, with global headquarters in Sydney, Austra ...
founder and billionaire, Mike Cannon-Brookes
Michael Cannon-Brookes (born 17 November 1979) is an Australian billionaire, co-founder, and co-CEO of the software company Atlassian. Cannon-Brookes often carries the epithet of ''accidental billionaire'' after he and his business partner Sco ...
, made a deal to buy Dunk Island. Reportedly, the transaction was between A$20-25m. The stated reason was to create a sanctuary for the natural features of the island, while also developing the resort.
Heritage listings
Dunk Island has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Banfield Memorial Reserve and Grave
Banfield Memorial Reserve and Grave is a heritage-listed grave, lone grave at Dunk Island, Queensland, Dunk Island, Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1923 to 1933. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register ...
Land use
National park
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.
Ferry
The Mission Beach Dunk Island Water Taxi and Mission Beach Charters run transfers between Mission Beach and Dunk Island, and Bedarra Island
Bedarra Island (also known as Richards Island) is one of the Family Islands group within the locality of Dunk in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland. Australia.
Geography
Bedarra Island is approximately seven kilometres off the tropical Nort ...
guest transfers.
Resort
A resort on Dunk Island was first established in 1936, and it was especially popular among wealthy visitors in the 1960s. It was refurbished from the mid-1970s, and comprised 160 rooms popular with families and couples. The resort was devastated by Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and has been closed since that time. In September 2019 international investment conglomerate Mayfair 101 purchased the freehold of the island, including Dunk Island Resort, for AUD$31.5 million. The group has plans to redevelop the resort and improve facilities on the Dunk Island Spit.
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
The artists' colony has almost disappeared, though metalsmith Susi Kirk continues to live and work on Dunk Island as the last apparent member of the colony.
Airstrip
Dunk Island also has a small airstrip, Dunk Island Airport, located near the resort, which saw frequent flights to Cairns until the resort was destroyed in 2011.
Jetty
Dunk Island has a jetty which the ferry docks at to pick up and drop off passengers. This jetty can also be used for fishing and provides a view of the surrounding waters around the island.
Climate
Dunk Island is located in the tropics
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referr ...
and has an average maximum temperature of approximately 29 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit
The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accounts of how he originally defined hi ...
). The island is subject to tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...
s, and a history of cyclones affecting Dunk Island is included in Climatic Events below.
Climatic events
Cyclone Larry
On 20 March 2006, Cyclone 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 2006, and wa ...
's eye crossed the coast of Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
at Innisfail as the Category 4. Around 160 staff members and 280 guests from Dunk Island had been evacuated to Cairns, but 20 Voyages
Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to:
Literature
*''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden
* ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter
*''The Voyage'', Murray Bail
* "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...
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.
Cyclone Yasi
Between AEST 23:57, 2 February 2011, and 00:27, 3 February 2011, the eye of Cyclone Yasi
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi () was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia in early 2011, causing major damage to the affected areas. Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 Janu ...
passed directly over Dunk Island as a Category 5 tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...
. 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 employees bunker down"](_blank)
, NineMSN, 3 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011 Dunk Island Resort guests and some staff were flown to safety on 1 February 2011.
Impact on Dunk Island Resort Staff
The 69 Dunk Island Resort staff and the General Manager David Henry who were on the island at the time were forced into lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
, four to a room, with rations that involved only a sandwich and an apple.["Dunk Island after the cyclone"](_blank)
, ''The Cairns Post'', 5 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011 Staff reported that they were not given the option to evacuate despite police asking the island's management to do so a week prior.[Resort boss defends keeping staff on Dunk Island"](_blank)
, ''The Australian'', 5 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011 Staff stated that the resort island's management told staff that they were required to stay and help with the clean-up, some were in fact required to return to work from the mainland as the cyclone approached including an employee who, reportedly, had sliced off part of their thumb in a boat accident.[Fury and relief at smashed resort in Dunk Island, Herald Sun, 5 February 2011](_blank)
. Retrieved 4 February 2011["Yasi dunks resorts in sand"](_blank)
, ''Courier Mail'', 5 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011 Staff reported that resort managers 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 denied staff were forced to stay, but could not be evacuated because the cyclone tracked south late on 2 February 2011. Menzies was quoted as saying, "We followed cyclone procedures, there was never a forced evacuation communicated to anyone ... 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 island followed "established cyclone procedures", which did not include provision for mass evacuation of staff.
Hideaway Resorts CEO Mark Campbell and Director Andrew Menzies flew by helicopter to Dunk Island on 3 February 2011 to assess the damage. Chairman Rupert Greenhough expressed relief that staff had survived the cyclone and described that outcome as a testament to the planning and preparations undertaken.
On 4 February 2011, staff, other than a skeleton team, were stood down until the resort was to be rebuilt, evacuated from the island by helicopters and water taxis, and offered counselling.
The Herald Sun reported that when management became aware that 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 manager of the resort.
On 5 February 2011, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported that statements purporting to cover Bedarra Resort released by management of Hideaway Resorts on 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 very severe, with much of the resort needing to be completely rebuilt. The usually cyclone-hardy palm trees were stripped. The resort's pool was filled with sand from the storm surge, the function hall was gutted, and the health centre was unroofed. Almost all of the beachfront apartments had their walls torn off. The gardens of the resort were stripped bare.
In July 2012, the general manager of the island, David Henry, advised that restoration work was proceeding slowly, and the re-opening of the resort was not expected for at least eighteen months. The campsites and associated amenities blocks were expected to re-open in September 2012.
In the event, restoration was continually delayed. In late 2019, it was announced that international investment conglomerate Mayfair 101, headed by James Mawhinney, had purchased Dunk Island for a reported $31.5m, and said it would rebuild the resort with significantly expanded facilities.
In popular culture
Dunk Island was the location for the 1969 film '' Age of Consent'', which was based on a story by the artist and writer Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay (22 February 1879 – 21 November 1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxing, boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of his ...
. Directed by Michael Powell
Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...
, it starred James Mason as Bradley Morahan, a jaded Australian artist returning from New York, and Helen Mirren 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 reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
show ''The Mole'' required the four remaining players to draw a rough map of Dunk Island. Contestants Marc Jongebloed and Bob Young won by submitting 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.[David Sexton (25 March 2010]
"James Cameron's new movie filmed off Dunk Island"
, ''The Cairns Post''. News Limited.
See also
* Bedarra Island
Bedarra Island (also known as Richards Island) is one of the Family Islands group within the locality of Dunk in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland. Australia.
Geography
Bedarra Island is approximately seven kilometres off the tropical Nort ...
* Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
References
{{Authority control
Islands on the Great Barrier Reef
Islands of Far North Queensland
Queensland in World War II