Woody Island (Queensland)
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Northern Australia |
Coordinates | 16°23′17″S 145°34′08″E / 16.388°S 145.569°E |
Area | 6.2 km2 (2.4 sq mi) |
Country | |
State | Queensland |
Woody Island is about 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Port Douglas in Trinity Bay, North Queensland.
With the neighbouring Low Island, it comprises the Low Isles. Woody Island is an uninhabited coral/mangrove island, but the main attraction is Low Isle, a typical tropical island with vegetation and a sandy, coral cay surrounded by 55 acres (220,000 m2) of reef. It is around 620 hectares or 6.2 square km in size.[1]
The Low Islets are a Marine National Park Zone. Day visitors come to the island via a number of commercial operators. There is a lagoon where private vessels can moor or anchor overnight, but there is no overnight accommodation on the island. There is a weather station, a lighthouse and the University of Queensland have a research station.
No fishing is allowed in the lagoon or within a buffer zone around the islands; the main activity is snorkeling and diving as the coral is excellent.
Woody Island is listed as being the site of a USAAF A-20 "Havoc" crash in World War II.[2]