Warul Kawa Indigenous Protected Area, Indigenous Protected Area on Deliverance Island, Torres Strait, Australia

Warul Kawa is an Indigenous Protected Area on a sand cay located in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The reserve features shallow reef platforms with sandy patches that create diverse marine habitats in this region.

Deliverance Island was declared an Indigenous Protected Area in February 2001, making it part of Australia's National Reserve System. The designation rests on the island's spiritual and cultural importance to local Indigenous people, who know it as Warul Kawa. It lies in Torres Strait, Queensland, about 34 km south of Papua New Guinea and 74 km from Indonesia.

The name Warul Kawa means Island of Turtles in the language of Torres Strait Islanders, reflecting the place's importance as a major breeding ground. Visitors walking the sandy areas can observe how the landscape connects directly to the marine life that thrives in these waters.

Reaching this remote sand cay requires planning since regular transport connections are limited and special arrangements are needed. Visitors should contact local authorities before traveling, as the protected area has strict access guidelines.

The hermit was Johannes Henrik Enevoldsen, a Danish mariner from Langebæk born on 22 August 1850 and known locally as Old Harry; he died on the island on 21 January 1928. Somerset Maugham turned him into the character German Harry in Cosmopolitans, which is why the German label is a fiction.