| Nara Inlet on Hook Island in the Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia is a very sheltered anchorage often used by yachts in windy weather for a comfortable nights sleep. It also boasts a short walk and aboriginal cave paintings. |
| The cave paintings are found half way along a 20 minute walk to the water fall. The area was commonly used by the Ngaro Aboriginal group prior to European Settlement. The water fall only runs after rain and is usually not running during our winter or dry season. The walk is a bit steep, but can be undertaken by most reasonably fit people. |
| In September 1912 two Brisbane yachtsmen chartered the yacht Gulnare, owned by F.C. Lumley-Hill of Bowen, for a two-week cruise of the Whitsundays. (see Gulnare Inlet) One of the charterers was Hugh Macintosh, chief draftsman with the survey office of the Lands Department, Brisbane. He was a member of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and together with a Captain Kent owned the ten metre yacht Nara after which theinlet was named.
The same people gave the names Macona Inlet, Hill Inlet and Gulnare Inlet to the area.
In the steep wooded hills around the inlet there are a number of 'caves', really rock overhangs, which show signs of Aboriginal habitation going back some eight thousand years and in one of these at the northern end of the inlet there are Aboriginal paintings. While there are locals who say these were painted as a hoax by early tourist operators, experts from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Office of Heritage and the Arts are satisfied they are genuine, though it is possible some touching-up has been done. In 1987 the National Parks and Wildlife Service erected a fence and boardwalk to protect this particular cave and the paintings.(Proserpine Guardian 30 July 1987)
On 7 January 1988 the inlet was the scene of a major 'drug- bust' when Customs officials and Federal Police seized the yacht Lady V and the motor launch South Passage on which illegal drugs were found. Drug smuggling charges were laid against a number of people and on 20 January 1989 four were convicted. |
