Guide to Cape York Queensland Australia

Islands of the Torres Strait

The Torres Strait is made up of over 100 islands north of Cape York in Tropical North Queensland. Stretching approximately 150km between the northern most tip of Australia and the south coast of Papua New Guinea, the dazzling turquoise waters of the Torres Strait are dotted with over 100 islands as well as coral cays, exposed sandbanks and reefs.

The Strait’s overall population of 8000 people, of which approximately 6000 are Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people, is dispersed throughout 19 small island communities. The communities are all remote, approximately 1000 kilometres from the nearest city and each has a population between 80 and 750 people.

The most populated island and centre of trading and business in the Straits is Thursday Island, also known as ‘Waiben’. With 3,500 residents the Torres Strait Islander culture is an interesting mix of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Malay, South Sea Islander, Papuan, Aboriginal and European peoples.

Torres Strait Islanders are proud of their unique culture and both the older and younger generations strive to retain it. Where possible Torres Strait Islanders maintain their traditional way of life, depending on marine resources for their daily existence. Thursday Island, now identified as one of the last great frontiers in Australia, holds some great Australian history. In 1880 Thursday Islandacted as the defence centre for Australiaand evidence of this still exists in that the cannons still remain in place.

The culture is quite distinct from mainland Aboriginal culture.

There is a variety of accommodation and tours to experience the Torres Strait Islands.  It’s an ideal stopover to see the Torres Straitculture and lifestyle inherited from its South Pacific neighbours.

Varied terrain

One of the world’s last wilderness frontiers, the Cape York Peninsula is a unique area of incredible contrasts.

Measuring some 11 million hectares in size, it extends 1000 kilometres north of Cairns to Cape York, the tip of the peninsula, which extends out beyond the islands of Torres Strait.

The Cape begins at Cooktown and from here a wild, unexplored habitat awaits – dusty tracks, abundant river systems, crystal clear creeks, spectacular waterfalls and prolific wildlife.

The further north you venture, the more diversity you’ll discover – windswept beaches where time and tide have eroded cliffs into fascinating shapes and mountains clad in rainforest, gently sloping down to the sea.

Beyond Cooktown, most residents live in Aboriginal and cattle station communities and in small mining towns dotted among enormous national parks.

Cape York Peninsula is home to the Injinoo Aboriginal people, who know the land intimately, allowing their survival in this harsh land. Visit the Pajinka Wilderness Lodge at Pajinka, owned and operated entirely by the Injinoo people who offer lodging, field trips and tours to visitors.

There are only two seasons on Cape York Peninsula the ‘wet’ and the ‘dry’. The wet from mid November to April is by far the most spectacular but access is only by aircraft. At the end of the big wet, south-east trade winds return to dry the land, leaving it green and lush and covered with  wild flowers.