Thursday Island

Thursday Island, Waiben in the local language, is the administrative and commercial centre of the Torres Strait, a small island of a few thousand people between Cape York and Papua New Guinea. Pearling built it from the 1870s, drawing Japanese, Malay, Filipino and Pacific Islander divers alongside Torres Strait Islanders, and the Japanese cemetery holds more than seven hundred graves of divers killed by the bends or by cyclones. Green Hill Fort, built in the 1890s against a feared Russian attack, stands above the town with views over the strait. The Gab Titui Cultural Centre shows Torres Strait Islander art and artefacts, and the culture here is Melanesian rather than mainland Aboriginal.

What you actually see

• The Japanese cemetery - hundreds of graves of pearl divers from the pearling era.
• Green Hill Fort - the 1890s fortifications above the town.
• Gab Titui Cultural Centre - Torres Strait Islander art and cultural material.
• The strait - islands, currents and shipping between two countries.

When to go

May to October for the dry season; the wet brings monsoon rain and rough seas. The Coming of the Light festival on 1 July is the major cultural event. Flights and ferries are limited and should be booked well ahead.

Honest expectations

Getting there is expensive, by air to Horn Island then ferry, or a long drive up Cape York. Accommodation is limited and costly. Alcohol restrictions apply in parts of the region, and visitors should be aware they are guests in a distinct cultural community.

Nearby

Horn Island holds the airport; Cape York's tip is across the water south.