After a delayed start due to a broken down Sandbanks Ferry preventing access to the Sandbanks Jetty from  Studland; necessitating a 30 mile detour to Poole Quay most of our group finally assembled on  Brownsea Island.

Our band of 11 initially set off into the Dorset Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve where we spied many seabirds nesting in the lagoon from the Avocet Hide and the Tern Hide, completing a circuit through the woods and along the cliffs with wide ranging views across Poole Harbour towards Poole Quay.

A stroll deeper into the island past the remains of a winery led us to a remote Lilly Pond where we enjoyed a traquill picnic. Crossing over to the south shore we skirted the cliffs to admire beaches with crystal clear waters and vistas of other islands in Poole Harbour and the remote Purbeck Forest.

We finally emerged onto Church Field for the visitor centre, island church and tea rooms before catching a ferry back to Poole Quay.