About Flinders Group
Park features
The Flinders Group National Park (CYPAL) comprises seven islands—Flinders (Wurriima), Stanley (Yindayin), Blackwood, Maclear, Denham, King and Clack (Ngurromo) islands. These attractive islands feature rocky shores, rugged sandstone cliffs, hills, escarpments and sand dunes. Access to Clack Island (Ngurromo) is prohibited to protect cultural resources.
The islands' slopes are covered in woodlands, mixed vine thickets, open heath and grasslands. Salt flats and mangrove forests occur in intertidal areas. Fringing reefs and highly diverse seagrass meadows surround the islands. The island group supports a variety of land and seabirds.
The Aboriginal Traditional Owners of the Flinders Group National Park (CYPAL), Howick Group National Park (CYPAL) and Cape Melville National Park (CYPAL) collectively identify as the Cape Melville and Flinders Island People. The cultural landscape of the island group, which has great meaning for the Traditional Owners, contains many important Aboriginal heritage sites reflecting their long occupation, in particular, rock imagery (rock art) sites associated with early European contact. The islands also have associations with early European surveyors and tangible links to World War II.
Looking after the park
- Access to Clack Island (Ngurromo) is prohibited to protect cultural resources.
- Domestic animals are prohibited in the national park and on adjacent beaches between low and high water—leave all pets at home.
- Camp only in the designated camping area.
- Lighting of fires is prohibited. Bring a fuel or gas stove for cooking.
- Rubbish bins are not provided—take rubbish with you when you leave.
- Do not remove plant material, living or dead.
- Do not feed wildlife including birds and fish—it is harmful to their health.
- Minimise your use of soaps and detergents as they can affect water quality.
- Respect Indigenous culture. Rock art and other cultural sites in the park represent thousands of years of living culture with special significance to Indigenous people. These sites are easily damaged and are irreplaceable. Look at them, enjoy them but please do not touch or damage these sites.
- Keep on the walking tracks and boardwalk to avoid kicking up dust, which can harm the rock art.
- Please respect culturally sensitive sites.
Be pest-free!
Our precious Great Barrier Reef World Heritage islands are among the most pest-free islands in the world. They need your help to stay this way. Please Be pest-free! before your visit.
Before you visit, please check that your boat, clothing, footwear and gear are free of soil, seeds, parts of plants, eggs, ants and insects (and their eggs), spiders, lizards, toads, rats and mice.
Be sure to:
- Unpack your camping gear and equipment and check it carefully as pests love to hide in stored camping gear.
- Clean soil from footwear and gear as invisible killers such as viruses, bacteria and fungi are carried in soil.
- Check for seeds in pockets, cuffs and hook and loop fastening strips, such as Velcro.
While you are on the islands, remove soil, weeds, seeds and pests from your boat, gear and clothes before moving to a new site. Wrap seeds and plant material, and place them in your rubbish.
Everyone in Queensland has a General Biosecurity Obligation to minimise the biosecurity risk posed by their activities. This includes the risk of introducing and spreading weeds and pests to island national parks.
See the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.
Park management
The Flinders Group National Park comprises seven islands (Flinders, Stanley, Blackwood, Maclear, Denham, King and Clack islands), with a total area greater than 3000ha. On the basis of the Cape Melville and Flinders Island peoples' traditional affiliations, the Flinders Group has been successfully claimed under the Aboriginal Land Act (Qld) 1991.
The national park became Flinders Group National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) on 9 November 2013 and 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. Read more about the joint management of Cape York Peninsula national parks.
The islands also lie within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the surrounding waters and reef are protected as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park.
Fire management
Aboriginal people traditionally used fire to manage their country—to provide access and prevent wildfires. Fire is used today to maintain the islands' existing plant communities, particularly grasslands and sclerophyll communities, thereby conserving plant diversity and protecting cultural sites and the camping area.
Prior notice of the intention to burn is provided as a park alert.
Tourism information links
Cairns and Tropical North Visitor Information Centre
www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au
51 The Esplanade, Cairns Qld 4870
Phone: 07 4051 3588
Email: info@ttnq.org.au
Cooktown and Cape York Peninsula Information Centre
www.cooktownandcapeyork.com
Cooktown Botanic Gardens
Walker Street, Cooktown Qld 4895
Phone: (07) 4069 5763
email: chill@kindredcafe.com.au
For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see Queensland Holidays.
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The natural, cultural and historical significance of Flinders Group
- There are currently no park alerts for this park.