Ngalba Bulal National Park, Nature reserve in Douglas Shire, Queensland, Australia.
Ngalba Bulal National Park is a 56.5 km² protected area in the Shire of Cook, Far North Queensland, reaching from sea level to Mount Finnigan at 1,148 m. It lies 40 km south of Cooktown and 10 km north of Ayton, and is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The park is accessible only by boat or on foot.
The park was founded in 1977 and was long known as Mount Finnigan National Park before being enlarged and renamed Cedar Bay National Park. In 2011 it was renamed Ngalba Bulal National Park, and in 2015 Cedar Bay became its Mangkalba (Cedar Bay) section. In 2007 the park was part of 2,000 square kilometres handed back to Cape York's Aboriginal population after a 1994 native title claim.
The park lies in the country of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji, who call it Mangkal-Mangkalba and hold sites there tied to canoes, turtles and saltwater eels. Access to Redsnake Point is refused by the Traditional Owners because of its cultural meaning. In 2007 the state handed the park back as part of a 2,000 sq km transfer following a 1994 native title claim.
To visit this reserve, you need either a boat or be prepared to walk, as there are no direct road access points. Check locally for boat services and walking route conditions before you go to plan your visit properly.
The park's only walking track was a former donkey track used by tin miners, and it is inaccessible to all but fit walkers. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji prohibit entry to the Redsnake Point area because of its cultural importance.
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