Wujal Wujal, Queensland

Wujal Wujal Queensland
Sign welcoming people to Wujal Wujal, having travelled from the south along the Bloomfield Track
Wujal Wujal Location in Queensland
Coordinates	15°56′43″S 145°19′08″E / 15.94528°S 145.31889°E / -15.94528; 145.31889Coordinates: 15°56′43″S 145°19′08″E / 15.94528°S 145.31889°E / -15.94528; 145.31889
Population	326 (2006 census)^[1]
• Density	16.349/km² (42.34/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4895
Area	19.94 km² (7.7 sq mi)
Location	1,840 km (1,143 mi) NW of Brisbane 159 km (99 mi) N of Cairns 72 km (45 mi) S of Cooktown
LGA(s)	Aboriginal Shire of Wujal Wujal
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal Division(s)	Leichhardt

Wujal Wujal is a small Aboriginal community on the north and south sides of the Bloomfield River in northern Queensland, Australia. It has an area of 19.94 square kilometres of land. At the 2006 census, Wujal Wujal had a population of 326.^[1]

It is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Cape Tribulation and 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Cooktown. Access to the community is via a partly unsealed road which is only suitable for four wheel drive vehicles. This is due to the gradient of the terrain and the many streams and rivers that make up the Daintree drainage basin which cross the path at very regular intervals. During high waterflow the road from Cape Tribulation is unpassable. The road from Cooktown is partly sealed but driveable with a two-wheel drive in the dry season.

The rare Bloomfield River Cod (Guyu wujalwujalensis) is found only in the Bloomfield River and is named after this community.

Community

Wujal Wujal's one general store, in Wujal Wujal's main street, with mural including Wujal Wujal falls, and Wujal Wujal Council vehicle parked out front, October 2009

Wujal Wujal was formerly known as the Bloomfield River Mission and the people are Kuku Yalanji. The community has an estimated population of 470 (2001). The community at Wujal Wujal is thought to have existed on the site for thousands of years and is set around the highly sacred waterfalls of Wujal Wujal meaning many "falls" in the Kuku Yalanji language. Visitors are warned not to bring any alcohol into the community as part of the Queensland Government's aims at tackling alcohol abuse. Traffickers of such contraband substances may be subject to fines. The government also help the community by giving small one day a week jobs involving community service to deter locals away from boredom and alcohol abuse.

The community has a helicopter landing pad just beside the hospital. Emergency medical services are provided by the Primary Health Care Centre (Remote Area Nurses, Health Workers, and two or three visits per week from doctors based at the Cooktown Hospital.

In 1980, the Aboriginal Council came into being, with the area regaining its traditional name, Wujal Wujal. The community has an Indigenous Knowledge Centre 'Binal Mangka Bayan, which means "house of knowing things". The centre provides access to books, magazines and other educational material.

The waterfalls

Wujal-Wujal Falls are seen here at a time of relatively low water

The waterfalls are very sacred to the community. The general public have access only to one waterfall as the other larger falls are only for the eyes of the female members of the community.

Tours

Access to most vehicles is limited and only four wheel drive vehicles can travel on the unsealed tracks. Tours are available for those without such transportation in small groups from Cape Tribulation's Ferntree and Coconut Lodge Resorts.

In 2003, the Walker family, one of the family groups of the Kuku Yalanji people, commenced their rainforest tours on their traditional country at Thompson Creek, six km south of Wujal Wujal. Guided walks to the Bloomfield Falls have recently been added as another opportunity in their business.

As their tour attracts business from the Bloomfield area, mainly the Bloomfield Wilderness Lodge, the guests come by boat to their landing site on the Bloomfield River bank, creating the need for a jetty or ramp.

References

1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Wujal Wujal (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2009-07-25.

External links

Far North Queensland, Queensland

Cities:	Cairns

Townships:	Aurukun Babinda Bamaga Cooktown Innisfail Kuranda Lockhart River Malanda Mapoon Mareeba Millaa Millaa Pormpuraaw Port Douglas Thursday Island Weipa Wujal Wujal

Local Government Areas:	Aurukun Cairns Cassowary Coast Cook Hopevale Kowanyama Lockhart River Mapoon Napranum Northern Peninsula Area Pormpuraaw Tablelands Torres Torres Strait Island Weipa Wujal Wujal Yarrabah

National Parks:	Alwal Annan River Barnard Island Group Barron Gorge Black Mountain Blackbraes Bulleringa Cape Melville Cedar Bay Chillagoe-Mungana Claremont Isles Clump Mountain Crater Lakes Daintree Danbulla Davies Creek Denham Group National Park Edmund Kennedy Ella Bay Endeavour River Eubenangee Swamp Family Islands Fitzroy Island Flinders Group Frankland Group Forbes Islands Forty Mile Scrub Great Basalt Wall Green Island Grey Peaks Girringun Goold Island Hann Tableland Hasties Swamp Hinchinbrook Island Hope Islands Howick Group Hull River Japoon Jardine River Kirrama Kuranda Kurrimine Beach Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) Lakefield Lama Lama Lizard Island Ma’alpiku Island Macalister Range Malaan Maria Creek Marpa Michaelmas and Upolu Cays Millstream Falls Mitchell-Alice Rivers Moresby Range Mount Cook Mount Hypipamee Mount Lewis Mount Spurgeon Mount Webb Mount Windsor Mowbray Murray Falls, Girramay Nymph Island Oyala Thumotang Palmerston Rocks Piper Islands Possession Island Precipice Quoin Island Raine Island Rocky Islets Russell River Sandbanks Saunders Islands Sir Charles Hardy Group Staaten River Starcke Three Islands Topaz Road Tully Gorge Turtle Group Two Islands Undara Volcanic Wooroonooran Yungaburra

Places of Interest:	Atherton Tableland Barron Falls Cape Tribulation Daintree Rainforest Hinchinbrook Island Mount Bartle Frere Princess Charlotte Bay Torres Strait Islands

Local government areas of Queensland

South East	Brisbane Gold Coast Ipswich Lockyer Valley Logan Moreton Bay Noosa Redland Scenic Rim Somerset Sunshine Coast

Wide Bay–Burnett	Bundaberg Cherbourg Fraser Coast Gympie North Burnett South Burnett

Darling Downs	Goondiwindi Southern Downs Toowoomba Western Downs

Central	Banana Central Highlands Gladstone Isaac Livingstone Rockhampton Whitsunday Woorabinda

North	Burdekin Charters Towers Douglas Hinchinbrook Mackay Mareeba Palm Island Townsville

Far North	Aurukun Cairns Cassowary Coast Cook Hopevale Kowanyama Lockhart River Mapoon Napranum Northern Peninsula Area Pormpuraaw Tablelands Torres Torres Strait Island Weipa Wujal Wujal Yarrabah

North West	Burke Carpentaria Cloncurry Croydon Doomadgee Etheridge Flinders McKinlay Mornington Mount Isa Richmond

Central West	Barcaldine Barcoo Blackall-Tambo Boulia Diamantina Longreach Winton

South West	Balonne Bulloo Maranoa Murweh Paroo Quilpie

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