On my walk to Nelly Bay I saw a man descend this path. It hardly looked like a path at all. Large Rocks hid the footprints of anyone who had gone down it. I’d made a mental note to go this way another day. The path was a short walk from where I was staying so I decided to try to find it again.

Once upon a time there had been a sign painted on this rock, but it was now covered in black:

The entrance appeared to go nowhere:

I made my way through the first few rocks using my hiking sticks to keep up right. My old knees complained about the steep decent. The points of my sticks sunk into the sand that slid between the boulders.

I stood aside while three young ladies in sandals and shorts sprinted up the steep incline. I was comfortable in long pants, a jacket and hiking boots. Slowly I made my way down, too old to break any bone. I didn’t want to be another hiker story on the news. I stopped and secured myself on a rock and shot the view:

I still wasn’t sure where exactly the path went but it beckoned me on.

I turned a corner and the entire beach came into view. It was cold and almost evening so it was deserted, but footprints in the sand showed there been many more there before me.

I ventured further, since I was all alone. The cliff and trees completely surrounded this little cove, making one feel safe from the outside world.

I approached this marvelous rock that had been smoothed into a wave surface by countless surfs.

It was already 5:45pm and the sun would soon be setting in this Australian winter. I climbed back up the steep incline, past the rocks with slippery sand between. I was glad I had my hiking sticks to help be up. At the top I turned back towards Picnic Bay hoping to get some good sunset shots on the way.

I found a hill that gave me a magnificent view to the west. The sun glinting still not yet at the horizon.

I climbed a little higher as the sun went lower. The colors brightened through the trees.

I turned and found sign for the trail to Picnic Bay

Darkness was beginning to fall as I descended the steps of the trail. Such was the end of another beautiful day on Magnetic Island.