The last MINCA walk at Horseshoe Bay is still being talked about with so much island knowledge revealed among a very engaged bunch of walkers. Now comes the second walk, for the season, this Sunday, July 9. And, there's an intriguing little art event at the end. We’ll start at the Pump Station on the West Point Rd at the end of the bitumen at 9.00am, and finish at Claude’s Block at about 11.30, via a traverse of the Bolger Bay Conservation Park.

This is a chance for a relaxed look at the range of lowland ecosystems found in the least disturbed of the island’s large bays. The walk is 3.2km to Claude’s Block, and 5.6km to return. The first stretch, along the West Point Rd to the Conservation Park, passes through the dunes and flood plains that dominate these lowlands, and the coastal environments that fringe them. A highpoint is the tall red gum forests on the rich Duck Creek delta. We’ll then walk up through the Bolger Bay Conservation Park, the undeveloped habitat core of Bolger Bay. This is a rare opportunity for a guided walk through the park which was purchased for conservation by MINCA, donated to QPWS to

become part of the National Reserve System, and is now managed by MINCA as Trustees. The walk will finish on Claude’s Block, also purchased by MINCA for conservation purposes, and now being regenerated from past clearing. This is an opportunity to see how the regeneration is progressing.

At Claude’s Block there will also be an opportunity to help MINCA in its work by purchasing unique art work by David Shavin. David and Jeannette Shavin came to Magnetic Island from the US in the 1960s and never left. They lived a quiet, reclusive life in Horseshoe Bay writing, drawing and enjoying nature until their deaths in their 90s in the last decade.

Jeannette Shavin (1919-2017) bequeathed a considerable portion of their estate to MINCA, providing a foundation for the purchase of Claude’s Block. Now we are showcasing the exotic and intriguing work of David Shavin (1921-2015) to further

our conservation ambitions.

For the very first time, at Claude’s Block, a selection of these unique artworks on A5 paper, will be offered for individual sale ($100 each) as a MINCA fundraiser. If you would like a piece of our history, bring cash or stake a claim !