Double Island from the mainland

Double Island
Resort island off the coast between Cairns and Port Douglas
In 1770 Captain Cook became the first European to sail up the eastern coast of Australia. His achievement in weaving his way through the unchartered waters of the Great Barrier Reef is, by any measure, one of the marvels of navigation. By the time he reached modern Cairns he was battling with reefs which were becoming more complex and dangerous. For all his genius he was eventually to hole his vessel at Cape Tribulation which is only some 30 km north of Double Island.

Of course, given its proximity to the mainland, the island had been known and used by the local Aborigines for thousands of years. It is said that some Aborigines believed it to be the resting place of the rainbow serpent.

Cook did not sight Double Island. Nor did Matthew Flinders when he circumnavigated Australia in the early nineteenth century. The earliest European record of the island occurs in 1848 when the Rattlesnake, captained by Owen Stanley, sailed from Dunk Island to the Torres Strait up what is known as the Inner Passage. On 3 July 1848 Stanley commented on an island which appeared to be a 'double' island in appearance.

By 1873 the name of the island was sufficiently well established that Captain G Elphinstone Dalrymple, exploring the coast north of Cardwell, could write: 'Although it is not mentioned in the narrative, it is reasonable to assume it was named Double Island on hydrographic charts as a result of Stanley's information. Not only was Double Island examined carefully, but also the extensive reef stretching to windward as far as small rocky islet 'like a hay-cock'. This is now chartered as Haycock Island.'

Dalrymple anchored off Double Island's western point (near where the resort is today) on 18 October, 1873. He named many of the places on the island including Mounts Ganoch, Mar Formartine and Buchan.

The discovery of gold in the hinterland assured that Double Island became well known in the 1880s and 1890s and it is said that, around this time, a mining company at Irvinebank used the island as a resort for employees. It was also around this time that some local graziers started using the island to graze cattle.

Things to see:  

Vital Information About the Island
1. The Island Itself
Location
A six minute boat trip (1 km) from the mainland and 20 minutes drive north from Cairns International Airport.

Description of the island
Attractive 19 hectare island with a small resort and many peaceful beaches and isolated spots.

How do visitors access it?
Six minute boat trip from Palm Cove north of Cairns.

Activities on the island
Bushwalking, swimming, beachside gymnasium, catamaran sailing and jet skis. There are a number of particularly attractive bushwalking tracks on the island. The resort can provide information.

The resort's main beach from the restaurant

2. Resorts on the Island
History
The first resort company to lease Double Island was Island Developments Pty Ltd in 1978. A decade later, in 1987, it was acquired Janet and the late Robert Holmes a Court - a well-known Western Australian corporate raider who used the island largely as a private retreat. In April 1998 it was taken over by a group of local businessmen who converted it into an attractive and accessible boutique resort. In recent times it has been converted into a private resort complex which is only available on a whole-of-island booking.

How big is it?
10 one-bedroom apartments. 10 one-bedroom garden view apartments. Seven safari rooms.

Who does it appeal to?
Double Island is now only available on a whole-of-island rental basis for conferences, weddings, parties or reunions. It offers a unique 5-star alternative to larger more commercial resorts.

	Resorts
	Double Island Retreat P.O. Box 1 Palm Cove Double Island QLD 4879 Telephone: 1300 301 992, (02) 9262 1411 Facsimile: (02) 9262 1477