Dolly Beach

Dolly earns its devotees the honest way: the 4x4 track and jungle boardwalk (robber crabs auditing every crossing) deliver a wild cove where coconut palms lean over coral sand, freshwater seeps braid the beach's back, green turtles nest in their seasons and the Indian Ocean arrives unfiltered - the island's castaway set piece, empty on most days by access arithmetic. The boardwalk's crab traffic is half the excursion; the cove's palms and terraces stage the other half; and the swimming takes the calm-day judgement all wild east-coast water demands. A boardwalk carries the last part of the walk in through the forest to the sand.

The landscape

• The castaway cove - palms leaning over coral sand.
• The crab audits - boardwalk crossings inspected.
• The turtle seasons - nesting tracks on the wild sand.
• The freshwater braids - seeps threading the beach.

When to go

April to November for track and calm both; nesting seasons ask night-beach distance and lights-down courtesy.

Things to know

The track wants 4x4 clearance and the boardwalk sound knees; swimming is judgement-first and facilities are jungle's own.

Nearby

Greta Beach, the Blowholes and the southern loop.

Key facts