Australian Travel Information "Designed by Travellers ... for Travellers"

Torres Strait Islands

The Torres Strait Islands are situated off the Cape York Peninsula. More than 100 islands make up the Torres Strait Islands, stretching from the peninsula north to the Papua New Guinea border!

Only 3 of the Torres Strait Islands are open to the public with all of the other islands being open only to the Islanders, who originally came from Melanesia and Polynesia. The population of the Torres Strait Islands is now over 6000.

The most popular Torres Strait Island is Thursday Island which used to have a major pearl industry. Pearls are still produced, but not to the extent that they once were. The Torres Strait Islands' economy is predominantly based around fishing, in particular fishing for Spanish mackerel, prawns and rock lobsters.

Each of the Torres Strait Islands have distinct cultures and, in some circumstances, even languages. The different islands also have their own unique dances showcasing magnificent feather head-dresses and traditional costumes.

There are a number of places to stay on Thursday Island, which are all reasonably relaxed. You can get to the island by Ferry, or by flying to Horn Island and getting a connecting boat to Thursday Island.

POPULAR QUEENSLAND TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

PLEASE NOTE: The Queensland travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Queensland Holidays can be found on the main Queensland Holidays location guide.