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Cape York Adventures

Cape York Adventures have been operating since 1996. Linking travellers from the mainland to the Torres Strait to immerse themselves with culture, tradition and rich history. They are based at the top of Cape York, in a Torres Strait islander community called Seisia. Offering 3 Island Tours, 2 Island Cultural Experiences, Private Fishing Charters, 4WD Tip Tours (Pajinka), 4WD Tours to Fruit Bat Falls, Twin Falls and Eliot Falls and more. With multiple vessels they can cater to any size group and occasion. .

Fishing & Boating | Guided Tours & Cruises

Cape York Custom Sportfishing

Custom Sport Fishing is based at Seisia, and has been fishing Cape York for over 30 years. Your guide, Tim Freebody offer fully guided fishing for groups or individuals, on a daily or extended trip basis and have long established world wide clientele. 
Good fishing the world over is moon phase and weather dependant. Every effort is made to provide all anglers with the best chance of catching sought after species or to plan a trip to experience the great variety of fishing that Cape York has to offer.
For bookings and more information- <a href="http://www.capeyorkcustomsportfishing.com.au/">Click</a>

Aboriginal Tours | Guided Tours & Cruises | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage

Maaramaka Walkabout Tours

Listen and learn as your host Gerry introduces you to Nature’s Storehouse. Take a step back in time with your hostess Irene as she relates what it was really like growing up an Aboriginal under missionary rule. Maaramaka Walkabout Tours endeavours to preserve the knowledge of the flora and fauna found within Nature’s Storehouse – the bush and rainforest including the sand dunes. Gerry has a wealth of knowledge with regards to the many species of plants and trees to be found in our Rainforests and bushland.
Ph: (07) 4069 5381 or (07) 4060 9389

Aboriginal Tours | Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Guided Tours & Cruises | History & Culture

Walker Family Tours

The Walker women are committed to educating their guests who walk with them along the track to the Bloomfield Falls. As they travel over their ancestral land, they explain in a truly delightful way the lifestyle of the Yalanji people of Wujal Wujal.
What’s unique about this tour is guests are experiencing part of the family’s everyday lifestyle and their deep connection with the land.
Bloomfield Falls Tour – 30 mins tour departing daily year round.
Rainforest Walk – 2 hour tour departs daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. April to September

Fishing & Boating | Guided Tours & Cruises

Cape York Peninsula Fishing

Welcome to Cape York, the gateway to the Torres Straits. Seisia, where we are based is a small community that is neighboured by four other communities: Bamaga, New Mapoon, Umagico and Injinoo. Surrounded by the west and east coast, Cape York offers a variety fishing areas. Depending on your preferred fishing ground you have the opportunity to fish the blue water and/or estuary. With countless varieties of fish species in our waters, fishing is accompanied by the fresh air of the Cape’s wilderness and wildlife. Jay Arnold will be able to customise your time in Cape York.
Cape York Peninsula Fishing
Ph: 07 4069 3919
M: 0417 617 458

Aboriginal Tours | Guided Tours & Cruises | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage

Guurrbi Tours

Willie takes you to his ancestral rock art sites, high in the hills outside Cooktown. Here he shares the stories behind the art, and explains how the paintings speak of the essence of life and the lores of his people. With his great smile and infectious laugh, Willie will give you an amazing insight into Aboriginal society and spirituality, and show you how we all have a connection to the land, wherever we come from.

Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Guided Tours & Cruises

Kitesurfing near Cooktown

World class wind conditions are almost guaranteed, and with deserted beaches and stunning backdrops, increasing numbers of kite surfers keep coming back for more.
The main beaches favored by the kite surfing community are at Walker Bay and Archer Point, both just outside Cooktown, and Elim Beach near Hope Vale.
<a href="http://australiankitesurfari.com/" target="_blank">Australian Kitesurfari</a> run organised tours from Cairns and are pioneers in the sport in the region. 
The best times of year for kite surfing are are from April-December – come fly with us where the wind always blows!
 Kite surfing at Walker Bay

Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching

Cycling in Cooktown

Cycling past the Pilots Jetty 

Ride past heritage buildings, visit our pioneering ancestors in the cemetery, go bird watching, stop for a dip in the public swimming pool or park the bikes and combine a BIKE and HIKE day activity on sections of the Scenic Rim walking trail.
Energetic riders can try a hill climb to reach the summit of Grassy Hill – the amazing 360 degree views are worth the sweat.
There are 3 interlinked cycle trails around Cooktown all of which have options for a BIKE and HIKE activity.
So why not combine your bike ride with a stroll through the cemetery or the Botanic Gardens, enjoy scenic coastal and beach walks or an take energetic hike up Mount Cook.
Pick up a Biking Trails brochure from the Cooktown Visitor Information Centre at Nature’s Powerhouse at the Botanic Gardens. 
Regional Links to Cycling Clubs and Organisations:
Dan’s Mountain Bike Adventures – <a href="http://www.dansmountainbiking.com.au" target="_blank">www.dansmountainbiking.com.au</a>
Back Country Bliss Adventures – <a href="http://www.backcountryblissadventures.com.au/" target="_blank">www.backcountryblissadventures.com.au</a>
All Trails Bicycle Tours – <a href="http://www.alltrails.com.au/alltrails-rides/item/26-cape-york-luxury-bike-tour-2011.html" target="_blank">www.alltrails.com.au</a>
Raw Travel – <a href="http://rawtravel.com/trip/daintree_and_cape_york" target="_blank">http://rawtravel.com</a>
Cairns Mountain Bike Club – <a href="http://www.cairnsmtb.com" target="_blank">www.cairnsmtb.com</a>
Cairns Cycling Club – <a href="http://www.cairns.cycling.org.au" target="_blank">www.cairns.cycling.org.au</a>
Cairns Bicycle User Group – <a href="http://cairnsbug.org" target="_blank">http://cairnsbug.org</a>
Cairns Crocs Triathlon Club – <a href="http://www.cairnscrocs.org.au" target="_blank">www.cairnscrocs.org.au</a>
Rural, Rainforest and Reef (RRR) Endurance MTB Event – <a href="http://www.usmevents.com.au/Triathlon___Multi_Sport/Challenge_Cairns/Event_Guide/RRR_Mountain_Bike_Event.htm" target="_blank">www.usmevents.com.au</a>
Far North Queensland Wilderness Bike Tour – <a href="http://www.fnqbiketour.org.au" target="_blank">www.fnqbiketour.org.au</a>
Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride – <a href="http://www.ridefnq.com" target="_blank">www.ridefnq.com</a>
Tableland Cycle Sports Inc – <a href="http://www.tablelandcyclesports.com" target="_blank">www.tablelandcyclesports.com</a>
Tablelands Rail Trails – <a href="http://www.railtrails.org.au" target="_blank">www.railtrails.org.au</a>
Tableland Adventure Guides – <a href="http://www.tablelandadventureguides.com.au" target="_blank">www.tablelandadventureguides.com.au</a>
Cycling Far North – <a href="http://cyclingfarnorth.com" target="_blank">http://cyclingfarnorth.com</a>
Bicycle Queensland – <a href="http://www.bq.org.au" target="_blank">www.bq.org.au</a>

National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching

Keatings Lagoon (Mulbabidgee) Walk

Keatings Lagoon Conservation Park is 8 kilometres south of Cooktown. This natural freshwater lagoon traps and holds wet season run-off and creates an ideal habitat for wetland vegetation, which provide abundant food for animals and migratory water birds. The lagoon is at the upper limit of tidal Meldrum Creek. This seasonal wetland is often completely dry during the winter and early summer months.
For thousands of years the Gungarde Aboriginal people have utilised the lagoon’s natural resources for food, medicine and utilitarian purposes. Their traditional name for the wetland area is Mulbabidgee.
Turn off the Developmental Road onto Hutchinson Street where signs indicate the entrance to the Keatings Lagoon carpark. Cross the wooden boardwalk to access the walk. This 390 metre path leads to a bird-hide and a picnic area. It follows the edge of the lagoon, passing through melaleuca forest (some of the trees beside the path are numbered and named).
The bird-hide offers unobstructed views of the lagoon and a bird identification chart is provided. The picnic area at the end of the path is about 300 metres north of the bird hide. Due to the large body of still water the mosquitoes can be quite bad, so take insect repellent.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Distance: 390 metre
Duration: 20 Minutes (return)
Access: Self Guided
Facilities: Bird hide, interpretive information, picnic area and car park.
Trail Management Contact:Cooktown office of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, tel: (07) 4069 5777
 Map of walking trail at Keating’s Lagoon courtesy Footloose publications

Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails

Cedar Bay North Walk

This walk is only recommended for self reliant walkers with extensive bushwalking experience.
The trail to Cedar Bay starts at Home Rule Rainforest Lodge and walkers are requested to stop at the lodge for directions to the starting point. The strenuous, 28 kilometre return walk takes 6 to 8 hours walking time each way. It is essential to start the walk in the morning, the earlier the better, to arrive at the bay before nightfall. Because the trail is not well-used some sections are indistinct, so make sure you don’t lose sight of the orange markers. It is rough undulating country, so wear strong hiking boots and protective clothing. Carry everything you need, but take lightweight gear as it is a long way to carry a heavy pack.
Home Rule to Slaty Creek – 1¾ hours 
The walk starts on an old logging track and heads straight into the rainforest. The track splits a few minutes into the walk – go right. Shortly, the track splits again – go left. A few more minutes brings you to Wallaby Creek. About 10 minutes beyond Wallaby Creek the track forks again – go left.
After the track crosses another small creek it swings north, climbing straight to the top of a moderately steep ridge. From this point it swings east at ninety degrees and starts to descend, passing amongst large rainforest trees, tree ferns and Licuala palms.
About 1 hour into the walk you come to a narrow gully spanned by two thin metal pipes. From here a narrow trail continues on from the old logging track. The trail heads north to Slaty Creek, about 1¾ hours from Home Rule.
Slaty Creek to Black Snake Rocks – 2½ hours
After crossing Slaty Creek the trail swings east and follows the creek for about 1·5 kilometres to the junction of Slaty and Granite Creeks, where there is an excellent campsite. Beyond the junction the trail meanders through forest beside Granite Creek for a while and then gets rougher as it winds through scattered granite boulders, crossing a few small creeks. Eventually the trail scales a slope covered with huge granite boulders and arrives at Black Snake Rocks.
Black Snake Rocks is an open area, with a creek and a good campsite, but (obviously) be aware that snakes do bask on the rocks. The creek next to the campsite is the last reliable water source before Ashwell Creek at Cedar Bay.
Black Snake Rocks to Cedar Bay – 2½ hours
Beyond the campsite the trail meanders across a flat densely forested plateau. This area was extensively mined in the past and remnants of miners’ activities crop up regularly. Most noticeable are water diverting channels dug by tin miners early last century. The trail runs alongside a channel just before it reaches a clearing crisscrossed with trenches full of ferns, a trap for unwary legs.
On the eastern side of the clearing scraps of corrugated iron and abandoned cooking implements mark where the trail re-enters the forest. The trail continues alongside a smaller channel before swinging southeast along a broad ridge to the top of the range overlooking Cedar Bay. Unfortunately, there is no position where you can get more than a tantalising glimpse of the coast. From here the trail descends a spur to the bay, another 1½ to 2 hours away.
The steep descent to the bay is eased by a set of switchbacks carved into the hillside, another legacy of the mining era. Supplies were transported to the mines by packhorse, and the ore removed by return journey. It is difficult to imagine a horse climbing these steep inclines, let alone carrying a load. Further down, the switchbacks end and the trail straightens as it approaches the bottom of the coastal range.
Ashwell Creek is only a short distance from the base of the range. Fill your water containers here, as the water in the creeks near the ocean is brackish (and may conceal crocodiles).
Cross the creek, swing left and follow the trail to the beach. There are remnants of Cedar Bay Bill’s hut on the southern bank of Ashwell Creek near the crossing. The trail emerges at the northern end of the beach amongst a grove of pandanus palms next to Cedar Bay Bill’s monument, which bears the epitaph “Strange to the world, he wore a bashful look – the sea and shore his study, nature his book”.
Cedar Bay Bill was a tin miner, famous for accepting and befriending a utopian hippy community that attempted to flee society and build a Shangrila at Cedar Bay in the early 1970s. Whatever it was they believed in didn’t suit the government of the day, who sent select law enforcers to destroy the campsites and disband the community, an action that annoyed all but the most conservative citizens of the time. Bill retained his miners lease until his death in 1987, and the story of the commune has entered folkloric mythology. This has given the bay a special allure, and many walkers come specifically to pay homage to the site.
Although it is a national park, Cedar Bay is still a remote tropical paradise with a 3 kilometre palm fringed beach. A stroll along the beach reveals sheltered campsites – just camp well away from the swamps and be wary of falling coconuts.
This is a tranquil place where campers can now contemplate the irrelevance of time and appreciate the moment without fear of government gunboats, but do remember, you need a camping permit and park rules state that there can be no fishing or collecting within the park.
Specific Features: Beautiful tropical rainforest, rugged mountains and a palm fringed beach.
Mangkalba (Cedar Bay) is the traditional country of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people, whose country extends along the coast to Mossman. Cedar Bay National Park was a major turtle hunting area and contains important cultural sites including the murabaymba (canoe), ngawaia (turtle) and ngiwa (saltwater eel) story sites.
Difficulty Level: Strenuous
Distance: 28 Kilometre (Return)
Duration: 6-8 hours each way
Access: Self Guided – (*Permit required)
<ul>
<li>This track begins on the private property of the Home Rule Rainforest Lodge. The lodge managers allow access via their property and provide detailed advice to walkers.</li>
<li>Water Taxi – Cedar Bay Transfers – Either one way for bushwalkers not interested in the return leg of the walking track or Return – get delivered to or collected from Cedar Bay on your nominated day. Ph: 07 4060 8252</li>
<li>Alternate Route – Gap Creek Track. Only for the very experienced bush walker and should not be attempted when heavy rain has fallen or is forecast. It crosses several creeks and steep sections can become slippery in wet weather. For details and advice contact Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or visit <a href="http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/cedar-bay/about.html">www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/cedar-bay/about.html</a>.</li>
</ul>
Facilities: No facilities
<ul>
<li>*Bush camping is permitted in the park, but a camping permit must be obtained two weeks in advance from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office in Mossman: 07 4098 2188, Cooktown: 07 4069 5777 or Cairns: 07 4046 6600.</li>
<li>Overnight camping at the Home Rule Rainforest Lodge is allowed by prior arrangement with the owners, allowing walkers an early morning start. Phone 07 4060-3925.</li>
</ul>
Trail Management Contact: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service – Mossman: 07 4098 2188, Cooktown: 07 4069 5777 or Cairns: 07 4046 6600.
 Map of Cedar Bay walking trail courtesy Footloose publications

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