PARK INFORMATION
NPRSR 13 7468
SIZE
544 000 ha
LOCATION
340 km north-west of Cairns; 118 km west of Cooktown; 27 km north of Laura
PERMITS
Camping permit required and fees apply; bookings essential
ACCESS
From Cairns and Laura via Peninsula Developmental Rd, 4WD recommended; from Cooktown via Battlecamp Rd; from Coen via Musgrave Roadhouse, 4WD only; check current road conditions before travelling; nearest supplies and fuel at Laura and Musgrave
BEST SEASON
April to November; closed in the wet season
VISITOR INFORMATION
Cooktown and Cape York (07) 4069 6004 | www.cooktownandcapeyork.com
MUST SEE, MUST DO
CATCH a tasty barramundi for dinner
MARVEL at the huge termite mounds on the grasslands
VISIT the beautiful Red and White Lily lagoons
Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal land (CYPAL) on the Cape York Peninsula is Queensland's second largest park. Stretching from the small outback town of Laura in the south to Princess Charlotte Bay in the north, it is renowned for its vast river systems and spectacular wetlands. Gallery rainforest grows along parts of the Normanby and Kennedy rivers and monsoonal scrub is found on sections of the park's sandstone escarpments.
A look at the past
William Hann made a crossing of the North Kennedy River during his expedition to Cape York in 1872. The site is now known as Hann Crossing. Hann was one of many explorers, geologists and surveyors, including Kennedy, Mulligan, Logan Jack, Bradford and Embley, who traversed parts of what is now Lakefield National Park after the mid-1800s. Hann also discovered gold on the Palmer River, initiating the rush of 1873, which resulted in tracks through the southern end of the park. The first cattle-grazing lease was granted in 1879 for Laura station. Old Laura homestead is open to the public and, north of Kalpowar Crossing, a delightful lagoon and 100-year-old mango trees mark the site of Breeza homestead, where horses were bred for the Palmer River fields.
Aboriginal culture
Prior to European settlement in the 1870s numerous Aboriginal clans of the Lama Lama and Kuku Thaypan language groups occupied the area now designated as national park. Rarda-Ndolphin (Low Lake), Rinyirru (a bora ground near Blue Lagoon) and Hann and Kalpowar crossings are among a number of culturally significant sites associated with occupation, ceremonies and stories of ancestral spirits. In June 2011 ownership of the park was returned to its traditional owners and the park renamed from its previous European name (Lakefield); traditional owners now jointly manage the park. Rarda-Ndolphin, also known as Low Lake, is a particularly important ceremonial site, from which food is never sourced; visitors are restricted to the carpark and viewing area.
Natural features
Gazetted as a national park in 1979, Rinyirru has an extensive river system comprising the Normanby, Morehead and North Kennedy rivers and their tributaries. During the wet season, these waterways join to flood vast areas, eventually draining into Princess Charlotte Bay; the park is completely closed during this period. During the dry season, the rivers and creeks shrink, leaving large permanent waterholes, lakes and lagoons interspersed by flood plains, ridges and riverbeds.
Native plants
To the north of the park around Princess Charlotte Bay are river estuaries and mudflats with fringing mangroves. Open woodland of eucalypt and paperbark spreads across the flood plains while elsewhere there are extensive grasslands. Near Lakefield ranger station are fan-leaved palm trees (Corypha utan), a rare species that flowers and fruits only once in its life then dies, sometimes reaching 100 years of age. For a spectacular sight, visit the Red and White Lily lagoons, around 8 kilometres north of the ranger station.
Wildlife
The park's wetlands attract a diversity of animals, particularly waterbirds. Look for brolgas, sarus cranes, black-necked storks, comb-crested jacanas, magpie geese and ducks. A good viewing spot is the picturesque Rarda-Ndolphin (Low Lake), 3 kilometres off Lakefield Road. In open woodland and grassland areas agile wallabies are abundant; the northern nailtail wallaby and Australian bustard are harder to find. Termite mounds – both magnetic and cathedral constructions – are a common sight on the grasslands, particularly on the Nifold Plain. The park also protects a number of threatened species including the golden-shouldered parrot, star finch, red goshawk, Lakeland Downs mouse and spectacled hare-wallaby. A variety of fish inhabit the rivers, including barramundi (for fishing details see Things to do). Another inhabitant is the critically endangered speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis) which has been seen in Bizant River.
Camping and accommodation
There are 22 bush campsites throughout the park, each without facilities and suitable only for experienced, self-sufficient campers. Another two campsites with modest facilities exist near Hann and Kalpowar crossings. These must be booked in advance and fees and permits apply. Roads are rough, requiring higher than usual fuel consumption.
Things to do
Never swim, canoe, clean fish or prepare food at the water's edge, or camp close to deep waterholes, as estuarine crocodiles live in these waters. Rinyirru is one of the few Queensland parks where fishing is allowed. Anglers can target barramundi, tarpon, catfish and archerfish in the freshwater regions, and mangrove jack, fingermark, cod, trevally, queenfish and salmon in the saltwater areas. Recreational fishing is permitted at all camping areas. The Bizant boat ramp provides the best access to Princess Charlotte Bay. Check with a ranger for current fishing restrictions and regulations. Canoeing is not recommended due to the presence of estuarine crocodiles.
Only one walking trail exists in the park: the Kalpowar Discovery Walk (4 km return, 1.5 hours) at Kalpowar Crossing. Visitors can also stretch their legs by exploring the Old Laura and Old Breeza homesteads, walking out to the viewing platform on Red Lily Lagoon, or along the walking track to the Rarda–Ndolphin viewing area.
