CAPE YORK TRIP DAY 26

TRIP to11 July 2014

NGRUPAI - HORN ISLAND,  WAIDENE - THURSDAY ISLAND

It was an early start to the day as we had to be on the old wharf by 8:15am today for our trip with Cape York Adventures to Ngrupai or better known as Horn Island and Waidene - Thursday Island.  As there were 23 of us doing the trip they split us into two groups.  We were in the small group of 7 on a small boat whilst the others were all on the bigger boat.

What strikes one whilst making the crossing is that there are just so many islands here.  Between New Guinea and Queensland, Australia – within 200km range there are 157 islands of which 18 are inhabited. 

We made our way past several islands including Prince of Wales and Possession Island named by Captain Cook.  As we were travelling along Horn Island we saw a crocodile in front of the mangroves.

Horn Island has a very interesting museum.  We took our time learning about the forgotten Australians who had defended our country against the Japanese during WW2 from here. 

It is not far from here to Thursday Island.  It is a small island – only 1 square km in size with 3,600 inhabitants.  It was a very clean and tidy place.    It felt like a tropical island.

We visited the cultural centre that had been built by a chinese man.  It has a great display of artifacts from the region.   We then went to the Torres Strait Island pub or the Top of Australia pub for a delicious lunch of fish and chips.  

From here Frank our taxi driver took us around the island.  He was not only entertaining but very knowledgable and passionate about his home land. 

We went to the lookout and fort.  It is hard to believe but the fort was built to defend Australia from any possible invasion by the Russians in the late 1800s. It was an interesting fortification with three canons.  Only one canon had ever been fired and that was when a vessel had failed to identify itself.  After the canon shot it identified itself as a friendly vessel.

We then went to the local cemetery.  There were many Japanese buried here who died as a result of suffering from the bends as pearl divers.  

We then had some free time and went back to the cultural centre to take in more of the exhibition.  Along the way we came across a very interesting sign.

The ride back on the boat was horrendous.  We had sea-ruugations instead of corrugations.  It was roughish and it was bump , bump, bump over the waves. 

We had enjoyed our day out.