How to visit Australia's Torres Strait Islands

How to get to the Torres Strait Islands

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

Most people visit the Torres Strait Islands as part of a 4WD adventure to The Tip – the northernmost point on mainland Australia, some 2,700km north of Brisbane. Thursday Island (Waiben or ‘TI’) is the main administrative centre for the Torres Strait, and with multiple daily ferries to it from the mainland port village of Seisia in the high season (early June until the end of September), it’s possible to get a taste of the Inner Islands in just one day and get back to the mainland in time for dinner. 

The quicker option is to fly from Cairns to the village of Bamaga on the mainland (6km south from Seisia) or Horn Island (Ngurupai), just a 15-miute ferry ride from TI. It’s also possible to visit some Torres Strait islands on an adventure cruise, but these are quite pricey, so you might have to save up for a while.

Some of the outer Torres Strait Islands are serviced by small planes from Horn Island, but travellers require advance permission from the local council before visiting. It’s not possible for non-locals to access the Torres Strait Islands from PNG.

What to do in the Inner Islands

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

Made up of Thursday, Horn, Prince of Wales (Muralug) and Hammond Islands, the hilly Inner Islands receive the bulk of the small number of tourists who visit the Torres Strait Islands each year.

The Peddells Thursday Island Tour aligns with the Peddells Ferry from Sesia, collecting passengers from TI’s port in the morning for an Indigenous-guided tour of the small island. Stops include the Japanese Pearl Divers Memorial located at TI’s cemetery to learn about the region’s former pearling industry; the monument commemorating Bernard Namok Senior who designed the Torres Strait Island Flag; and Green Hill Fort. Built between 1891 to 1893 as part of Australia’s defence against a possible Russian invasion, the hilltop fort now houses a museum within the rooms and tunnels that once stored ammunition, with amazing island views from the fortified walls.

The 85-minute tour offers a great taste of the island in a short space of time, but perhaps the most interesting attraction on TI is the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, right near the port, which showcases cultural artefacts, artworks and changing exhibitions that tell the stories of the Torres Strait. For meaningful souvenirs, seek out Rosie Ware Designs on Hargrave St, where the renowned local textiles artist has a boutique attached to her home studio.

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

Then jump on a ferry to larger, more arid and more sparsely populated Horn Island. The number one (and pretty much only) sight in town is the Torres Strait Heritage Museum, a rustic but excellent museum dedicated in part to honouring Horn Island’s role in World War II. Sign up for curator Vanessa Seekee’s award-winning In Their Steps WWII tour, which reveals WWII relics dotted around the island and the fascinating stories behind them, including the heroism of the The Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion, the only Indigenous Australian battalion ever formed by the Australian Army. 

Prince of Wales Island-based operator Torres Strait Eco Adventure Tours also offers a range of local tours, while Strait Experience can take you further afield to paradiscal Yorke (Masig) Island in the Central Islands.

Where to eat and drink

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

Torres Strait Islander cuisine revolves around the sea, including the cultural harvesting of sea turtle and dugong, but you won’t see these on any restaurant menus.

What you can expect to see on local menus is plenty of fresh fish and other seafood at the likes of TI’s bustling Grand Hotel bistro, arguably the best place on the island for a hearty pub meal. Along the waterfront, Ma Kai Cafe is the spot for coffee, while at the Torres Hotel, a block back from Ma Kai, you can secure bragging rights for downing a pint at Australia’s northernmost pub.

Closer to the mainland, privately owned Roko Island serves delicious multi-course meals showcasing local seafood and culinary traditions. You can glamp here, too, with boat transfers available.

On the mainland, the Sesia Kiosk adjacent to the holiday park is known for its fresh lobster, and don’t leave Bamaga without sampling a cray (lobster) pie at Bamaga Bakery. The Bamaga Tavern across the road serves tasty pizzas, and the nearby Cape York Peninsula Lodge’s Paperbark Restaurant has an extensive contemporary a la carte menu. The lodge also offers tours to the The Tip and the spectacular Fruit Bat Falls in nearby Jardine River National Park. If you’re staying or dining at the lodge at the same time as a tour group, you might be lucky enough to catch a performance by the local Naygayiw Gigi Indigenous dance troupe, which specialises in dances from the Torres Strait community of Sabai.

Where to stay locally

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

There are a handful of hotels and guesthouses on Thursday, Horn, and Prince of Wales islands, but none of them are particularly cheap, partly due to the remote location. Most budget travellers opt to camp or stay in one of the simple guesthouses in Sesia or Bamaga (on the mainland), where Torres Strait Islander communities also live alongside the local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populace.

When to visit

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

The May-to-September dry season is the best time to visit, with the road to The Tip prone to flooding in the wet season. Held over several days mid-year, Thursday Island’s Winds Of Zenadth Cultural Festival is a must-see showcase of customs and cultures from across the Torres Strait.

You can also avoid stinging jellyfish in the dry season, but with saltwater crocs (and sharks) present around the mainland and the Inner Islands, ocean swimming is not recommended in these areas at any time of the year.

The windy days typical of the Torres Strait tend to calm down between September and November, which can come as a relief – if you don’t mind the heat.

Words: Sarah Reid

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