Cape Melville National Park (CYPAL), QLD

Rugged yet beautiful, Cape Melville National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) features the rocky headlands of Cape Melville, impressive granite boulders of the Melville Range, sandy beaches of Bathurst Bay, sandstone escarpments and inland dunes. This park is isolated and many plants and animals, such as the foxtail palm, are found nowhere else in the world.

There are camping areas on the eastern side of Bathurst Bay near Cape Melville (Crocodile, Wongai, Oystercatcher and Granite camping areas) and at Ninian Bay camping area. Access is by high-clearance four-wheel drive only and no facilities are provided.

Walk along the sandy beaches of Bathurst Bay or take the short walking track up to the Mahina monument that commemorates lives lost in the pearling fleet disaster of 1899. Nookai day-use area covers 4km of coast between Crocodile and Wongai camping areas and offers great beach fishing. The day-use area extends inland to include a small freshwater creek.

This park is extremely remote and visitors must be well prepared and entirely self-sufficient. Be aware of estuarine crocodiles (be croc wise) and dangerous stinging jellyfish. Camp only in the designated areas.

Cape Melville National Park (CYPAL) is jointly managed by the Cape Melville, Flinders & Howick Islands Aboriginal Corporation and the Queensland Government in accordance with an Indigenous Management Agreement and other land management arrangements.