Dunk Island sits about 4 kilometers offshore from Mission Beach, close enough to see clearly from the beach and reachable by water taxi in around fifteen minutes. The island has walking trails through closed tropical rainforest, a long sandy beach on the western side, and good snorkeling in the shallows around the headlands.
The island was badly damaged by Cyclone Yasi in 2011, and the resort that once occupied it closed permanently. This has made it quieter than before — the day-trip crowds are smaller and the trails have a rougher character. The walk through the forest to the rocky eastern shore takes about two hours return and gives you a reasonable sense of what the island's interior looks like. Water taxis run from the Mission Beach village landing, and the crossing takes about fifteen minutes.