Little Pioneer Bay is a popular destination, not only because it is a pretty little bay, but because it is a good day’s sail from Townsville, being just over 45 nautical miles north from the port’s channel markers. Orpheus Island, known as Goolboddi Island, is at the northern end of the Great Palm Group of islands. The Manbarra people are the Traditional Owners.

Approach and Anchoring

There are public mooring buoys available to be picked up in Little Pioneer Bay. Three are located on the northern shore of the bay, whilst a single buoy is located along the southern shore. This buoy offers better protection from the southeasterly winds, although the others are fine in moderate conditions.

If you miss out on a buoy upon arrival, most yachts anchor in 6 to 8 metres of water seaward of the northern cluster of buoys. The bottom there is sand and dead coral, but beware of the fringing reef and associated bommies on the northern shore. At dusk, westerly katabatic winds from the mainland can blow into this bay with some force for a short period of time, so ensure you are secure and have enough swinging room.

Go ashore using a rising tide to clear the reef and ensure you have enough water to get back to your boat without having to wait, or worse, carry your dinghy across the extensive drying coral reef. Ashore, there are camping facilities, a table, and a toilet. A very short walk up the path leads to the ruins of the old sheep station house, and then beyond that, follow the path (sometimes unclear due to vegetation growth) through the rainforest and up over the hill to the top of a cliff overlooking the eastern shoreline of Orpheus Island. From there, commanding views of the reef and the greater Palm Group of islands to the south can be obtained.

In October 2012, we were visited by four migrating humpback whales whilst stationary on the southern buoy. The whales played alarmingly close to the yacht for about 45 minutes.

You can watch a video of our encounter.

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Experience Counts!

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