Wonga Beach ( Latitude South 16 deg 20 min, Longitude East 145 deg 30 min.) is in the northern end of Trinity Bay. Cairns is at the southern end. It is the only beach in Trinity Bay that you can walk along, without seeing artifacts, and really experience a wilderness feeling. It has a beautiful lush back drop of huge Calophyllum trees interspersed with Coconut palms. In 1770 Captain Cook named the northern bay’s continental Island Snapper Island and the near-by coral cay Low Isles. A 30 mile light house was installed on the smaller cay in 1898.

Looking south from Wonga Beach you can see Island Point which shelters the harbour entrance of Port Douglas. It looks like an island from offshore. The rainforest clad mountain range to the north is called Alexandra Range after a Danish princess who married the Prince of Wales. The rainforest clad mountain range behind Wonga Beach is called Dagma Range after Alexandra’s younger sister. Dagma married into the Russian royal family. The last three features were named by the discoverer of Daintree, George Elphingstone Dalrymple, a servant of the crown. George was careful enough to keep his masters happy by naming features after them but also considered his fellow mariners following in his wake. Island Point is a good example.

The two ranges and Wonga Beach form the boundaries of the Daintree Valley and could rightfully earn Wonga Beach the title Daintree Beach.

The Daintree River, Wonga Beach and the beach end of Alexandra Range form a natural funnel when the prevailing south-east trade winds are taken into account and explain why there are no sandflies at Wonga Beach and there are so many different species of mangroves in the Daintree. Firstly sandflies cannot operate in that sort of wind and mangrove seeds float and are taken along the surface of the water by wind and currents. They collect in the Daintree River estuary and along Wonga Beach because of this natural funnel effect. Beachcombing along Wonga has it’s rewards with these seeds and other flotsam which includes pumice originating in the subterranean volcanoes of the Pacific Ocean. There are three maintained graves along the beach. One belongs to a maritime hero Charlie Lifu and includes an inscription of his feats. It is near the Close that bears his name.

Behind the coastal vegetation is an extra-ordinary array of architecture. From the quaint owner built holiday and fishing shacks of the 1930’s to the newer multi million dollar homes. Sadly the latter outnumber the former as Far North Queensland’s character changes.

Three sort after bird species can be found here. Beach-stone Curlews are reliably seen at the northern end of the beach. Tiny Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Gould’s Bronze-Cuckoos are seen and heard directly behind the beach at the southern end. Ospreys nest on the telecom tower on the highway. The loud calls of Bush-stone Curlews and Orange-footed Scrubfowls are heard of a night time along the coastal strip.

Accommodation choices at Wonga include a budget resort, two camping grounds, cabins, beach house rentals and pool-side rooms at a wildlife sanctuary.

Credits

Extract from "Greater Daintree" Edition 4 prepared by Chris Dahlberg and Denise Collins. Photos courtesy of Chris Dahlberg.