Melsonby (Gaarraay) National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)

Melsonby (Gaarraay) National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) is one of 912 national parks in Australia. It covers 899 km² (89,900 ha) — about the size of New York City, making it the #94 largest national park in Australia (0.2% of the country's national park area).

History and protection

The park was established in 2006, 20 years ago — the first national parks in Australia date back to 1898. It is listed in IUCN category II: National Park — protecting whole ecosystems while welcoming visitors for recreation and education.

Visiting Melsonby (Gaarraay) National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)

The closest airport is Cooktown Airport (CTN), about 45 km away — around 58 minutes by car; alternatively Cairns International Airport (CNS, 211 km). Other national parks within reach include Biniirr National Park Aboriginal (293 km²), Ngaynggarr National Park Aboriginal (165 km²), Daarrba National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) (4 km²) and Juunju Daarrba Nhirrpan National Park (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land) (80 km²) — easy to combine on one trip.