Members from our club have recently returned from a 6 week trip to
Cape York. While a great adventure was had by all, it was partly soured by these new alcohol restrictions that are being enforced on the entire peninsula, especially in the NPA, north of the
Jardine River.
It is unfortunate that the tourists to the area are being hit with fines for what appears to be essentially a local alcohol management problem. Firstly, the areas that most of these restrictions apply are very remote and any traveller must be completely self sufficent. This includes taking in your own alcohol. I must say that I find that a refreshing ale after a days driving or fishing in this magnificant country a most satisfying way to end a day. Leaving aside the issue of the strength of beer, for a group to travel to a remote beach such as
Vrilya Point and stay for a week and only be permitted to carry one carton of beer (mid or light strength only) per vehicle, seems ridiculous!
On the road we heard (albeit anecdotal) stories of tourists being fined somewhere in the order of $2000 for carrying heavy beer in some restricted areas. While there are plenty of notices around and it is advertised anther problem crops up. Some of these areas are adjacent. The situation can occur where you can pass through different lands that have (in order) max. 12 cans of light beer, then a zero alcohol area, followed by a max. 24 cans of mid strength beer.
There were further stories of boats that would travel to Thursday Island to purchase alcohol for the indigenous community, who would meet the boat on the return trip and at low tide drink below the high
water mark without fear of being fined as the restriction begins above the high
water mark!!!
Talking to local tourist operators in the NPA, it became apparent that there was a marked downturn in the number of people visiting the cape this season. Could this be because of the alcohol restrictions? Some of the locals say that it is a contributing factor along with some unseasonal rain!!
At the
Quarantine Point north of
Coen a package is handed out that contains a survey on your time in the Cape. I urge any person going to the Cape to seriously consider completing the survey and if the QP is not open on your return trip (as it was when we headed south) please send it to AQIS. Our club is also in the pocess of drafting a letter to the Queensland and Federal Governements to voice our concerns.
We acknowledge that there is an alcohol problem amoung our indigenous
population , however penalising tourists to the area may be more detrimental from a financial point of view. Not tourists = no dollars. Or maybe it's subsidised?........
Cape York is a truly beautiful place. For how much longer is anyones guess......