Mission Beach is offering FastCat ferry service aboard Quick Coast to Dunk Island. Departures are available from Cairns (via the deluxe MyRoo Coach) or from Mission Beach. It wouldn't be a trip to Mission Beach if you didn't spend a day at 'Dunk'. Covered mostly in national park, the tropical island is a nature lover's playground with beautiful walking trails and palm-fringed beaches.

From the jetty, make a left and follow the beach until you reach the track signs leading to Muggy Muggy Beach and Mt Kootaloo.

If you're up for a hike, set your sights on Mt Kootaloo. The steep 7km-return track takes you through ancient fern forests and ironbark groves, past the rusty remains of a World War II radar station, to the island's highest point with pinch-yourself panoramic views of the Family Group of Islands.

On the way back down, hikers can continue to explore the island's core along the circuit track (a round trip takes 3-4 hours), passing through the Palm Valley before coming out at Coconut Beach.

If the salty seas are calling your name, follow the track back down to the Muggy Muggy Beach turn-off for a dip and a snorkel.