Albany Island

It's close to its first settlement - Somerset, separated from the mainland only by the narrow Albany Passage.


It is a beautiful island, surrounded by bright blue waters and white sand beaches.

But at the moment (2014) there is no working pearl farm even though that may well change in the near future.

Albany Island Walk

There is a nice and well marked walking track which takes you to the other side of the island and back.

The most famous thing along the track is the Kennedy expedition graves, and they are not far from the beginning of the walk.

In May 1849, the only two bodies that did not go missing after the disastrous Kennedy expedition, were buried here - they were the remains of Thomas Wall and Charles Niblett.

The funeral service was read by the Somerset Police Magistrate at the time, Christopher Hay D'Oyley Aplin, who himself was buried here 26 years later, after he died at Somerset from an epidemic disease. His grave is the one with the cross, right next to Wall and Niblett.

After the graves the walking track continues across the highest rise on the southern Albany Island.

The vegetation is dry and gets more open as you come out on the other side.

The views over the blue waters and surrounding islands are beautiful.

After a while on the top of the island, the track descends, 

... until you come to the first beach.

The Albany Island walk goes along the beach,

... until a red marker where it turns in again.

Then it continues in the bush for a while,

... until it descends to the second beach -

... which is longer and even more beautiful than the first.

The walk again goes along the beach,

... past a beach hut,

... on the beautiful white sand,

... until a blue marker where it turns in again,

... and crosses the island, taking you back to the southern side.

There is a lookout point where you see all the way to Somerset Beach (not quite this close - photo taken with a zoom-in lens).

Albany Island Stay

Back on the southern side of the island there are hammocks to relax,

.. or enjoy the campfire if you stay over night (along with drinks on the beach and a three course dinner plus breakfast included),

... or a lunch with views (included in your day tour),

The fish and chips with salad was very nice, a good restaurant standard, almost unexpected in remoteness and definitely a great change from camping food :-)

Hamish is a nice guy who runs all the different tours including fishing,

... all prices, contact, and all other details are in the Destination Guide.

Plan Your Trip... the FREE Cape York Travel Pocket Guide

Get this 50 pages guide totally for FREE. It contains information that helps you getting started with planning of your trip. You get to make early-stages desicions such as when to go, how long time you should take, how to get there and get around, where to stay (general info), what will it cost.. and a short insight to what is there to see and do in Cape York.

Plan and Bring to the Trip... the full Destination Cape York Travel Guide

This complete 300 pages travel guide is all you need before and during your trip. Besides the background chapters on the peninsula's history and wildlife; and the comprehensive detail about all the places (down to prices, opening hours and full contact detail), it has invaluable information on at least 10 four wheel drive tracks, at least 30 guaranteed FREE camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to the Cape), at least 40 best swimming holes, all mapped; as well as practical things - from fuel, roads, wireless internet and mobile phone reception, how to deal with the national parks booking rules; and Aboriginal land entrance and camping permits and alcohol restrictions - to vehicle preparation and accessories and necessary recovery gear by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner). Not to mention locals' tips on how to spot that croc and palm cockatoo ;-)

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