Guide to Carlisle Island Queensland Australia

Carlisle Island is the wild neighbour of Brampton Island, about 32 kilometres north-east of Mackay at the southern end of the Whitsunday Passage. It has never had a resort, a jetty or a road. The whole island is national park, a steep block of forest ringed by coral, and it appeals to self-sufficient campers and boat owners looking for a beach to themselves.

Known For

• Bush camping on an island with no development
• Fringing coral and giant clams in the channel to Brampton
• Skiddaw Peak, one of the highest points in the Cumberland islands

The island covers a little over five square kilometres and rises steeply to Skiddaw Peak, 389 metres above the sea. Dense eucalypt forest covers the slopes, with rainforest in the gullies and stands of paperbark and mangroves behind the southern beaches. There are no marked walking tracks, so most visitors stay on the beaches and in the water.

Carlisle and Brampton are separated by a narrow channel, and at low tide a bar of sand and coral rubble joins them. Together they form Brampton Islands National Park, part of the Cumberland group of islands that stretches north towards Lindeman Island and the Whitsundays.

Things To Do on Carlisle Island

Camping

The main camping area is at Southern Bay, on the shore facing Brampton Island, with a picnic shelter, tables and a toilet among the trees behind the beach. A second, more basic site lies at Maryport Bay on the western side. Numbers are limited and permits must be booked with Queensland Parks before you leave the mainland.

Snorkelling

The channel between the two islands has some of the best fringing reef in the area, with coral gardens, giant clams and plenty of reef fish. Snorkel at high tide around slack water, as the current runs hard at other times, and wear a stinger suit from about October to May.

Walking to Brampton Island

At low tide you can cross the bar to Brampton Island and join its walking tracks, including the seven-kilometre circuit and the climb to Brampton Peak. Watch the tide closely and allow plenty of time to return.

Fishing and wildlife

Fishing is allowed in parts of the surrounding marine park; check the zoning map before dropping a line, as some areas near the islands are green zones. Turtles nest on the beaches in summer, and sea eagles and ospreys hunt along the shore.

Where To Stay

Camping is the only option. Campers must be fully self-sufficient, with a fuel stove, as open fires are not allowed, and enough drinking water for the whole stay, since supplies on the island cannot be relied upon. The former resort on Brampton Island is closed, so there are no rooms, meals or transfers available from there.

On the mainland, the nearest places to stay are in Mackay and at Cape Hillsborough and Seaforth.

Eat & Drink

There are no shops or cafes. Bring all food and water and carry out every bit of rubbish.

History

Aboriginal people from the Mackay and Whitsunday coast visited these islands by canoe for thousands of years. In 1879 the surveyor Staff Commander Bedwell named the islands of the group after places in the English county of Cumberland, among them the city of Carlisle and the mountain Skiddaw. Carlisle Island was never settled and was protected as national park along with most of Brampton.

Getting to Carlisle Island

There is no ferry or water taxi. Access is by private boat or a chartered vessel from Mackay Marina or the boat ramp at Seaforth, landing on the beach at Southern Bay. The crossing is exposed to the south-easterly trade winds, so it is a trip for experienced skippers or organised charters. Mackay has the nearest airport.