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Sandy Cape (also known by the Indigenous name of Woakoh) is the most northern point on Fraser Island (also known as K'gari and Gari) off the coast of
To the south the next two ocean headlands are Waddy Point and Indian Head (the latter was also named by Cook noting "...on which a number of Natives were assembled..." and is also known as ''Tukkee'' in the Badtjala language, meaning ''stone'' or ''stone knife'').
The cape is protected within the K'gari section of the Great Sandy National Park. BreakSea Spit extends about north of Sandy Cape. Nesting loggerhead and
Sandy Cape (also known by the Indigenous name of Woakoh) is the most northern point on Fraser Island (also known as K'gari and Gari) off the coast of 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. The place was named ''Sandy Cape'' for its appearance by James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
during his 1770 voyage up the eastern coast of Australia aboard the '' Endeavour''.
Geography
To the south the next two ocean headlands are Waddy Point and Indian Head (the latter was also named by Cook noting "...on which a number of Natives were assembled..." and is also known as ''Tukkee'' in the Badtjala language, meaning ''stone'' or ''stone knife'').
The cape is protected within the K'gari section of the Great Sandy National Park. BreakSea Spit extends about north of Sandy Cape. Nesting loggerhead and green turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...
s use the remote, sandy location as a rookery. Nighttime driving along the beach at Sandy Cape is banned during the nesting season. The vegetation at the cape is stunted and windswept. The foredunes are lightly covered by spinifex grass.
History
Matthew Flinders
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...
, travelling aboard the '' Investigator'', landed at Sandy Cape in 1802 and noted the desolate landscape. In August 1803, the ships '' Cato'' and ''Porpoise
Porpoises () are small Oceanic dolphin, dolphin-like cetaceans classified under the family Phocoenidae. Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and Beluga whale, belugas than to the Oceanic dolphi ...
'' were both sunk off the cape in bad weather.
In late December 1842, HMS ''Fly'' anchored behind Sandy Cape where some crewmen and naturalists went ashore and commented on the poor sparse surroundings. The ''Fly'' returned in April 1845 and took water from an abundant supply behind the beach and about 7 miles within the Cape.
The ''Seabelle'' was wrecked in 1857, the American Bark "Panama" in 1864, and the ''Chang Chow'' in 1884 in waters closer to the cape which may contain hidden sandbars. Because of the number of shipwrecks in the vicinity the Sandy Cape Light was constructed in 1870. This marked the first permanent European settlement on Fraser Island.
Sandy Cape Provisional School opened in September 1870, initially to provide schooling for the children of the four lighthouse keepers. By 1878, there were "30 to 40" children in the area. The school closed circa 1918.
The '' SS Marloo'' was wrecked in September 1914 on a shoal off Sandy Cape and was beached north of Waddy Point.
Clement Lindley Wragge set up an extensive network of weather stations around Queensland, including one at Sandy Cape in 1891. The cape is still used as a reference point for weather observations; however from May 2015, it has been downgraded to a daily observation, compared with the half-hourly observations at some other weather stations.
Tourism
Vehicle access to Sandy Cape is only available by the eastern beach at low tide. Camping is permitted in the area and it is a popular location with anglers.See also
* Double Island Point * List of lighthouses in AustraliaReferences
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