Torres Strait Cultural Festival

It is right up there amongst the three best events in the Cape York peninsula area, along with Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival and Cooktown Discovery Festival.

Along with Laura it is an excellent event to experience Australian indigenous culture, and as opposed to Laura this event is obviously about the Torres Strait islander and not the mainland Aboriginal culture.


If you are visiting the peninsula in September (every second year), it makes it well worthwhile to catch the ferry to Thursday Island in the beautiful Torres Strait.


It is also called "Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival", and the dances you see, and the photos and videos you can make, are quite amazing.
  

There is a great parade; some local art for sale,
   

... workshops and weaving demonstrations, fun competitions (yes the colour of the water is real - not photoshopped!);
   

... information stalls and food stalls,
   

... and even fireworks on the Torres Strait Cultural Festival.
   

But best of all is the dancing.
   

You see some great clothing and body decorations,
   

... traditional weapons and other items used in dance,
   

... some excellent dancers,
   

... men,
   

... women,
   

... and even children,
   

... who are excellent at it and obviously learn their dancing from a young age.
   

In 2014 the following islands were represented at the Torres Strait Cultural Festival:

Inner Islands

Thursday Island (Waibene) - Lagaw Orway-Orway Dance Group

Western Islands

Moa (St Pauls) - Lagaw Compass Dance Group


Badu (Mulgrave) - Zugubal Dance Group


Mabuiag (Gamulag) - Kigu Dance Group

Central Islands

Iama (Yam) - Thaiwa Dance Group


Warraber (Sue) - Zogo Tudi Dance Group


Poruma (Coconut) - Urab Dance Group

Eastern Islands

Erub (Darnley) - Saamkarem Era Kodomer Dance Group


Mer (Murray) - Zomered Kebile, and Neguam Dance Group

Northern Islands

Boigu Island - Malu Kiai Mura Buai Dance Group

Videos

Do watch the ones lowest down too, they don't get worse!











P.S. I am not claiming to have an excellent video quality - just good enough that you can see what's going on and decide whether you'd like to visit the Torres Strait Cultural Festival yourself :-)

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 ;-)

If you liked the books or this website, let others know about it! 

Link to it from your website, your blog, your forum post... Share it on Facebook, Tweet about it...



Every link helps other travellers!

Thank you for doing the right thing and letting others know :-)