Whitsundays and Airlie Beach
Whitsundays and Airlie Beach
North, Mid and South Molle
Not far from Daydrem lie the Molle Group and therein lies a tale. This exquisite region was home to the Nanango Aborigines and did not make the maps until Captain Cook charted the Queenlsland coast in 1770. Even so, the distance from Sydney made it unacceptable as a settlement. But as the story goes this colourful region did not escape the notice of Governor Macquarie who, displeased with one if his surveyors, was searching for somewhere to send him, somewhere as far away as possible - for fair reason.
Said surveyor made the arduous journey to the wild and wonderful Whitsundays to retaliate in a lasting manner. It was common knowledge Governor Macqaurie was involved in a long and bitter dispute with another early Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales, George James Molle. So the surveyor named everything he could, with fair reson, Molle. Thus we had North Molle, Mid Molle and South Molle islands, West Molle, Port Molle and the Molle Passage. So the story goes. West Molle is now Daydream Island named after the yacht owned by Paddy Lee Murray who bought it in the 1930s.
South Molle is the largest in the group and the only one with a resort which is one of the longest established in the Whitsundays. South Molle has been a mecca for family groups, in fact, today grandchildren are bringing back the grandparents who introduced them to the ilsand in the first place. Hilly South Molle is lightly timbered with pockets of lush rainforest. It has a number of secluded bays and fringing reefs. The view from Mt Jeffreys its highest point, is spectacular. Like most resort islands, there is a maximum visitors limit on South Molle. The Molle Islands are virtually joined and you can walk across to Mid Molle almost anytime.
North Molle is equally as wild and woolly as South but without the taming resort and back-to-nature lovers have the opportunity to camp in the National Park.
