Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy ...

Management strategies
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Concentrate all facility development, and large vessel and
large group access at the southern end of Whitehaven Beach.
Diversify visitor activities and spread the distribution of
visitors by providing a walking trail to a lookout behind
South Whitehaven Beach and a walking trail to Chance
Bay as a part of the Whitsunday Islands Great Walk.
Redevelop facilities to ensure camping and day-use areas
are separated.
6.4.2 Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island
Chance Bay is a low-key visitor site for most of the year.
Facilities include a walking track leading from the beach to
a small day-use and camping area (consisting of two tables
and a rudimentary toilet). Kayakers occasionally use the site
as a camping destination. The bay is exposed to prevailing
south-east winds, often making it unsuitable for vessel
anchorage. When northerlies blow, a large number of tour
operators who would normally visit South Whitehaven Beach
go to Chance Bay. It is allocated a high use setting as it
becomes an alternative destination to Whitehaven in northerly
winds. When consulted, a number of commercial tour
operators requested a walking track from Chance Bay to
South Whitehaven Beach.
The dunes at Chance Bay show evidence of erosion, although
how much visitor use contributes to this erosion is unknown.
It is important to minimise visitor access to these dunes to
reduce the likelihood of sand disturbance and further
erosion. Weeds such as cobbler’s pegs and caltrop are present
— these usually occur as a result of disturbance.
Management strategies
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Maintain commercial visitor use at current levels; any
increase will not be sustainable.
Develop Chance Bay as a trailhead for access to South
Whitehaven Beach. This should reduce visitor density
on the beach when the site is intensively used. The
trailhead and walking track will be developed as a part
of the Whitsunday Islands Great Walk.
Redevelop facilities to ensure camping and day-use are
separated. If there is a significant increase in day use of
Chance Bay beach, evaluate the interaction between day
users and campers. In the event that the two activities
are determined to be incompatible, close Chance Bay as
a camping area and manage for day-use only.
6.4.3 Tongue Point, Whitsunday Island
After Whitehaven Beach, Tongue Point is the most popular
visitor destination in the planning area. Visitors to Tongue
Point can walk along a short walking track of less than 1km
to a lookout that provides world-class views of Hill Inlet, or
down a boardwalk to Lookout Beach and Betty’s Beach.
Visitors often sun bake or play games on the beach. There is
an information shelter at both Hill Inlet lookout and
Lookout Beach. Access to Tongue Point is via Tongue Bay
where vessels moor or anchor and transfer visitors over a
reef flat to a small beach. Alternatively, visitors can access
the site via Betty’s Beach at the south-eastern end of Tongue
Point. At low tide, access is difficult from both approaches.
Facilities are inadequate for the current level of visitor use.
Hill Inlet lookout is frequently crowded and long lines of
visitors often have to wait for access. The walking track is
regularly congested with lines of visitors who have been to
the lookout squeezing past visitors who are still en-route.
The site shows signs of visitor impact. The walking track to
the lookout has many exposed tree roots, poor drainage and
evidence of litter and bush toileting. There has also been
damage to the reef flat next to the access point in Tongue Bay.
At Lookout Beach, it is clear that visitor disturbance is causing
sand to move off the beach and cover existing facilities.
Management strategies
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Until facilities are upgraded maintain commercial visitor
use at June 2007 levels; any increase will not be
sustainable. A moratorium on issuing any additional
commercial activity permit capacity for the site will be
introduced to implement this strategy.
Work with GBRMPA to develop an integrated site plan
for Tongue Point and Tongue Bay that explicitly
encourages site access via Tongue Bay.
Examine the feasibility of establishing all-tide access at
Tongue Bay. Implementation would depend on
obtaining funding through a public-private partnership.
Consistent with the site plan, redevelop the walking
track and lookout facilities to manage current visitor
use. This will involve developing a loop track and toilet
facilities, and establishing a second lookout.
Minimise facility development and vessel access at Lookout
Beach to keep this part of the site as natural as possible.
Work with GBRMPA to keep Hill Inlet as natural as
possible to preserve the view.
Strategic directions
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Table 6.4.2
Current estimates of day use
at Chance Bay, Whitsunday Island
Visitor type
Commercial tour operator customers
Free and independent travellers
Estimate of
annual day use
10,000
4000
Total visits 14,000
Table 6.4.3 Current estimates of day use
at Tongue Point, Whitsunday Island
Visitor type
Commercial tour operator customers
Free and independent travellers
Estimate of
annual day use
90,000
40,000
Total visits 130,000