Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait, which separates Australia’s Cape York Peninsula from Papua New Guinea (PNG). The islands are home to many rare and unique species, such as the endangered dugong and various turtle species, as well as saltwater crocodiles, some of which are enormous. We affectionately call the very large crocs “Granddaddys.”
We had a beautiful sail to Horn Island. We took a wide berth around the island since it has a narrow entrance to the harbour. Navigating the tides in the Torres Strait is crucial for sailboats, as it’s important to know their direction otherwise you can find yourself going backwards. Our Torres Strait flag was flying in the breeze, the flag’s green, black, and blue stripes represent land, people and sea. It is made up of a white Dhari (headdress) and a five-pointed star symbolising peace, the five major island groups and the navigational importance of stars to the seafaring people of the Torres Strait.
We arrived at our anchorage at Horn on a picture-perfect day. The sun was shining, and the water was an aqua blue. Shortly after, the Sea Swift ferry arrived loaded with cargo. Sea Swift delivers scheduled freight and cargo services in Queensland through the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula, as well as in the Northern Territory.
The people of the Torres Strait are of Melanesian origin and speak two distinct languages. They are different from Aboriginal Australians living on the mainland. Eddie Koiki Mabo, born on the island of Mer, is remembered for his significant work advocating for Indigenous land rights. As a result of that case, the islands were the first place in Australia where Native Title was recognised under Australian law.
Horn Island has a interesting Torres Strait Heritage Museum Torres Strait Heritage operates the “In Their Steps” WW2 tour on Horn Island, guiding visitors through various WW2 sites. It is a great way to enhance your understanding of the region’s wartime history and learn more about the pearling industry.
Wongai Hotel is a fantastic place to meet for a meal and drinks. The pub food was good, and the staff were friendly. We had a great time socialising with other yacht enthusiasts over drinks. If you need supplies, there is a good supermarket called IBIS Supermarket and a post office.
The next day, we cruised to Thursday Island in our dinghy and moored at the wharf. The journey was smooth, with a gentle breeze on a beautiful, sunny morning. However, the trip back was unpleasant as it was wet and rough, with the wind blowing at 25 knots. We were excited about visiting Green Hill Fort. As you leave the Thursday Island wharf, you walk over words of wisdom inscribed on the footpaths (E Bani).
You can find out more about Mr Ephraim Bani here:https://www.tsra.gov.au/gabtitui/gab-titui/galleries/ephraim-bani-gallery
There are some great shops in town for mementoes, clothes, and food. The fort is an easy walk from town, and the views are amazing. You can learn about island life and the trading routes of the British Indian Steam Ships.
Greenhill Fort operated from 1893 to 1926. Torres Strait Islanders were fierce and feared soldiers in the early days. They conducted raids throughout the islands and into Papua New Guinea. The arrival of the Europeans in 1893 ended traditional warfare and introduced new dangers. The fear of invasion by Russia led to the construction of Greenhill Fort.
Interesting fact – Ergon Energy installed two 30-meter wind turbines on Milman Hill in 1997 to reduce reliance on diesel fuel. They save approximately 7000 litres of diesel per week.
We also explored the small islands and sailed to Seisia on the Queensland mainland, which is four hours from TI. This is a popular spot to camp when visiting the most northern tip of Australia. While our time in TI was delightful, it’s now time for us to continue our journey.
With anticipation and some nervousness, we bid farewell to Australia as our departure day arrived. Embarking on a five-day journey across the open ocean, we were filled with excitement for the adventures ahead. Our destination: Debut, Indonesia, our next port of call.
