Capricornia Cays National Park - The Cays

The Cays

Capricornia Cays National Park protects eight vegetated coral cays in the Capricorn and Bunker group of islands of the southern Great Barrier Reef:

  • Broomfield Island
  • Erskine Island
  • Heron Island (eastern half)
  • Lady Musgrave Island - Open for visiting, capable of 40 campers.
  • Masthead Island - Open for visiting, capable of 60 campers, however this is limited to 30 from October to March each year to allow a less disrupted egg laying ground for turtles.
  • North West Island - Open for visiting, capable of 150 campers.
  • Tryon Island - Currently closed to public access due to a tree infection, the island has the capacity for 30 campers.
  • Wilson Island

The cays are completely built by corals. The area is also of significance as a fishery, particularly for King Prawns These eight islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and all surrounded by reefs. Vegetation on the cays is dominated by the flowering tree species, Pisonia grandis.

A further six cays form Capricornia Cays National Park (Scientific):

  • One Tree Island
  • Wreck Island
  • Fairfax Islands, (East Fairfax & West Fairfax)
  • Hoskyn Islands (East and West Hoskyn islands)

There is no public access to these cays.

Read more about this topic:  Capricornia Cays National Park