Family Islands National Park, Nature reserve in Cassowary Coast Regional, Australia.
Family Islands National Park comprises several islands along Queensland's coast featuring rainforests, woodlands, coral reefs, tidal flats, and sandy beaches. The islands contain diverse ecosystems ranging from coastal wetlands to dry forest areas.
Captain Cook named the islands in 1770 while exploring the coast. About 8,000 years ago the islands were connected to the mainland until rising ocean levels created separation.
The islands carry Aboriginal names alongside Cook's English ones: Dunk is Coonanglebah, Richards Bedarra, Wheeler Toolgbar, Coombe Coomba, Smith Kurrumbah, Bowden Budjoo and Hudson Coolah. The Bandjin and Djiru peoples lived on and gathered food from the islands long before Cook arrived in 1770. Mound Island (Purtaboi) is protected as a seabird nesting habitat.
Camping is permitted only on Dunk, Coombe and Wheeler Islands, and requires a permit from Queensland Parks and Wildlife. Resorts operate on Dunk and Bedarra Islands. Mound Island (Purtaboi) is closed to visitors as a seabird nesting habitat. Kumboola joins Dunk Island only at particularly low tides.
Thorpe Island is the only Australian island in private freehold ownership within a national park and has a residential structure. This makes it a rare case of private land within the otherwise protected area.
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