Goold Island National Park
Encyclopedia
Goold Island is a national park in Queensland
(Australia
), 1250 km (776.7 mi) northwest of Brisbane
. The island is close to the northern tip of Hinchinbrook Island
off the coast from Cardwell
in Rockingham Bay and is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Covering 8.3 square kilometres (3.2 sq mi) the island is located 17 km (10.6 mi) from shore. It is covered mostly with open eucalypt
forest, rainforested gullies and semi permanent creek water.
s and shell middens
still to be found on and around the island to this day.
Bandjin survivors of an often violent non-indigenous 'occupation' of the region continue to value and consider Goold Island as part of their sea country and, in December 2005, they included Goold Island within Australia
's and Queensland
's first accredited 'Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreement'
, private boat
or charter
or sea kayak
. Marine stingers are present during the warmer months.
. These islands are used mainly by nesting birds. It is important not to disturb the birds during breeding seasons. Birds found here include the Torresian Imperial-pigeon
(estimated at over 40,000), Bridled Tern
s, Black-naped Tern
s, Roseate Tern
s and Little Tern
s. The Beach Stone-curlew
s also makes North Brook Island its home.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 1250 km (776.7 mi) northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The island is close to the northern tip of Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland Australia. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and wholly protected within the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, except for a small resort. It is the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef...
off the coast from Cardwell
Cardwell, Queensland
Cardwell is a tropical coastal town in northeastern Queensland. It is located at the southern extremity of the Cassowary Coast. At the 2006 census, Cardwell had a population of 1,250. The Bruce Highway National Highway 1 and the North Coast railway line are the dominant transport routes;...
in Rockingham Bay and is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Covering 8.3 square kilometres (3.2 sq mi) the island is located 17 km (10.6 mi) from shore. It is covered mostly with open eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
forest, rainforested gullies and semi permanent creek water.
History
For many thousands of years before non-indigenous peoples arrived into the region, Goold Island, neighbouring islands and surrounding seas were occupied, used and enjoyed by generations of the Bandjin peoples ancestors, leaving behind an array of stone fish trapFish trap
A fish trap is a trap used for fishing. Fish traps may have the form of a fishing weir or a lobster trap. A typical trap might consist of a frame of thick steel wire in the shape of a heart, with chicken wire stretched around it. The mesh wraps around the frame and then tapers into the inside of...
s and shell middens
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
still to be found on and around the island to this day.
Bandjin survivors of an often violent non-indigenous 'occupation' of the region continue to value and consider Goold Island as part of their sea country and, in December 2005, they included Goold Island within Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
's first accredited 'Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreement'
Camping
Campers are required to bring their own water and all camping equipment. Camping is by permit only and is limited numbers so it is best to book in advance. Access to the islands is by ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, private boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
or charter
Yacht charter
Yacht chartering is the practice of renting, or chartering, a sailboat or motor yacht and travelling to various coastal or island destinations. This is usually a vacation activity, but it also can be a corporate event....
or sea kayak
Sea kayak
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck...
. Marine stingers are present during the warmer months.
Neighbouring Islands
The nearby Brook Islands are smaller and made up of North, Tween, Middle and South islands, the first three of which comprise the Brook Islands National ParkBrook Islands National Park
The Brook Islands National Park is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1246 km northwest of Brisbane, with an area of 0.9 km². It was established in 1994 and comprises three islands - North, Tween and Middle - which lie off the coast 7 km north-east of Cape Richards on Hinchinbrook Island...
. These islands are used mainly by nesting birds. It is important not to disturb the birds during breeding seasons. Birds found here include the Torresian Imperial-pigeon
Torresian Imperial-pigeon
The Torresian Imperial Pigeon , also known as the Nutmeg Pigeon or Torres Strait Pigeon, is a relatively large, pied species of pigeon...
(estimated at over 40,000), Bridled Tern
Bridled Tern
The Bridled Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans.-Description:...
s, Black-naped Tern
Black-naped Tern
The Black-naped Tern is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland....
s, Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
s and Little Tern
Little Tern
The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
s. The Beach Stone-curlew
Beach Stone-curlew
The Beach Stone-curlew, Esacus giganteus also known as Beach Thick-knee is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia...
s also makes North Brook Island its home.
See also
- List of islands of Queensland
- Oyster PointOyster PointOyster Point lies at the mouth of Stoney Creek, about one kilometre south of Cardwell in northern Australia. The location provides excellent boating access to the shallow, warm waters of the Hinchinbrook Channel, numerous reefs and many islands including Hinchinbrook Island and Goold Island.The...
- Protected areas of Queensland (Australia)