Mungkan
Kaanju National Park is now called Oyala Thumotang.
It is the
third largest
national park in Queensland
(after Simpson Desert and Lakefield), and the second largest (after
Lakefield)
in
Cape York.
It is on the central
Cape York peninsula,
just north of Coen
and south of Archer
River
Roadhouse.
In 2012
the park was given
back to the local Ayapathu, Southern Kaanju and Wik Mungkan Aboriginal
people, and
renamed Oyala Thumotang
National Park (CYPAL).
It is a park that
mainly
protects open
woodlands, melaleuca swamps
and lily lagoons
(much like Lakefield and as
opposed to the more famous rainforested national
parks like Iron Range).
The main
access to the park is via the turnoff about 30km north of
Coen.
And it is a
long way in - 60km on quite remote gravel roads, meaning
you have to be keen on the park's camping, fishing and bird watching.
The
landscape is dry, with
stringybark and
melaleuca trees, grass
trees and
termite
mounds, and the road
continues in, looking much the same, until it comes to a right-hand
turnoff to Langi Lagoon.
Langi
Section of Oyala
Thumotang NP
From
there on it is a small track across a few dry creeks and jumping
on some ranger-made speed bumps, to a few different camping grounds -
Night Paddock Lagoon, Langi Lagoon, Old Archer Crossing, 10 Mile
Junction, Jerry Lagoon and Twin Lagoons - near and along Archer
River.
Coen
River Section of Oyala
Thumotang NP
The road
that continues from the Langi Lagoon turnoff, goes past a ranger station and
then turns into a
small track that follows Coen
River
and later Vardons
Lagoon.
The camping grounds are Mango Lagoon, First Coen River Site, Chong
Swamp, Second Coen River Sites, Vardons Lagoon and Pandanus Lagoon.
Archer
Bend Section of Oyala
Thumotang NP
And
finally
the road continues to the remote Archer
Bend section of the Mungkan Kaanju National Park, where
there are the Governors and Horsetailer Waterhole
campgrounds. These two are the only ones
with boat access to the river, which can be shallow and only suitable
for small boats.
Both fresh
and saltwater
crocodiles
live in the rivers, creeks
and swamps in Mungkan Kaanju National Park, along with
turtles, frogs, and fish including
barramundi. Other
animals you could see are agile wallabies, antilopine
wallaroos, and
even
the rare cuscus
- one of
the unique
Cape York animals.
Birds to
look for in Mungkan
Kaanju National Park include palm
cockatoos,
sacred kingfishers, orange footed scrubfowls, Australian bustards,
spoonbills, pelicans, jabirus
and saurus cranes.
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.
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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This site uses British
English, which is the English we use in
Australia.
Disclaimer:
Although
best efforts have been made to ensure that all the information on this
website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a
mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.