Goold Island is a national park in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia, northwest of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

. The island is close to the northern tip of

Hinchinbrook Island Hinchinbrook Island (or Pouandai to the Biyaygiri people) is an island in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It lies east of Cardwell, Queensland, Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland, Lucinda, separated from the north-eas ...

off the coast from Cardwell in

Rockingham Bay Rockingham Bay is a bay in Far North Queensland, Australia. The bay opens onto the Coral Sea, part of the South Pacific Ocean. Adjacent to the bay is the Girramay National Park, south of which is the town of Cardwell. Goold Island is a small ...

and is part of the

Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

. Covering the island is located from shore. It is covered mostly with open

eucalypt Eucalypt is any woody plant with Capsule (fruit), capsule fruiting bodies belonging to one of seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

forest, rainforested gullies and semi permanent creek water.

History

For many thousands of years before non-indigenous peoples arrived in the region, Goold, neighbouring islands, and surrounding seas were occupied, used, and enjoyed by generations of the Bandjin peoples' ancestors, leaving behind an array of stone

fish trap A fish trap is a animal trapping, trap used for fishing, catching fish and other aquatic animals of value. Fish traps include fishing weirs, lobster trap, cage traps, fish wheels and some fishing net rigs such as fyke nets. The use of traps ar ...

s and

shell middens A midden is an old dump for domestic waste. It may consist of animal bones, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupat ...

which can still 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, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

's and

's first accredited 'Traditional Use of Marine Resource Agreement'.''Sustainable traditional use of marine resources'' Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority webpage
Accessed 28 June 2009.

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

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

, private

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

sea kayak A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak used for the sport of Watercraft paddling, paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and oceans. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They t ...

Marine stinger Box jellyfish (class Cubozoa) are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their box-like (i.e., cube-shaped) body. Some species of box jellyfish produce potent venom delivered by contact with their tentacles. Stings from some species, including ' ...

s are present during the warmer months.Goold Island camping
. Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

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 Park The Brook Islands National Park is a national park in Cassowary Coast Region, 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 Mid ...

. 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 terns, black-naped terns, roseate terns and little terns. The beach stone-curlew also makes North Brook Island its home.

References

{{National Parks of Queensland National parks of Far North Queensland Islands of Far North Queensland Uninhabited islands of Australia Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

History

Camping

Neighbouring Islands

See also

References