Albany Island at Cape York now under new management
A new Cape York fly-in, fly-out destination surrounded by the most brilliant blue water is now offering guests a wealth of history, culture and some of the best fishing in Australia.
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A new Cape York fly-in, fly-out destination surrounded by the brilliant blue water is now offering guests a wealth of history, culture and some of the best fishing in Australia.
Now under new management Albany Island, off the coast of Somerset near the continent’s most northern point, is a little known tropical hideaway originally run as a fishing lodge.
Effectively business ground to a halt during the pandemic and for the past year new sub-leaseholder Dave Hartwell has invested in a major facelift of the island’s accommodation.
Limited to six guests at a time, visitors can access the island by boat after arriving all year around from either the Horn Island Airport or the Bamaga airstrip.
“It’s a new destination on the map and we will be offering day trips to the island and overnight stays during the dry season,” Mr Hartwell said.
“You can choose your own adventure, go bushwalking or throw in a half day fish and catch something and cook it up nice and fresh for dinner.”
Previously based in Seisia, Mr Hartwell operates Cape York Adventures and the famous Three Island Tour that visits Horn, Thursday and Roko islands, however it’s unlikely the popular boat tour will be offered during the dry season in 2025.
Albany Island offers direct access to the biggest mangrove forest in the southern hemisphere, called Jackey Jackey Creek, for anglers chasing barramundi, mangrove jack and fingermark.
Or head offshore to target mahi mahi, fingermark, coral trout, plus pelagic species such as GTs, queenfish and Spanish mackerel.
“We cater for fishos and we can do groups of six and we have three boats to choose from for blue water fishing and estuary fishing,” he said.
“We have a booking from America next year but the next two lots are not fishing, they are just a husband and wife over for a few days of relaxation.
“We do day trips to the island in the dry season and we have a Traditional Owner as a guide to take people up to the (Indigenous art) cave paintings.
“Or the island can be for four-wheel-drivers to come and relax.”
New trips visiting the beautiful Punsand Bay are also an option.
And for history buffs there’s two graves on the island that date back to Edmund Kennedy’s exploration of the Cape York Peninsula in the late 1840s.
The graves belong to Wall and Niblet who were interred at Albany Island by government geologist C. D’Oyley Aplin after being found north of the Pascoe River by a search party sailing on the brig Freak.
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Originally published as Albany Island at Cape York now under new management
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