about Weipa

Weipa is located on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and is approximately 804km north/west of Cairns.

It can be reached by the Peninsula Development Road or by QantasLink daily service from Cairns.

Weipa is a town of approximately 3500 people and is the site of the world's largest bauxite mine operated

by RioTinto. Permits must be obtained to access Traditional Land in the region.

Permits can be obtained from Napranum Aboriginal Council on weekdays or on weekends at Weipa Camping Grounds.

FISHING AND CAMPING NEAR WEIPA

The fishing and camping surrounding Weipa is fantastic for the well-equipped tourist.

The mouth of the Pennefather River is an attractive area for camping and there are many white sand beaches on the coast south of the river. There are no public amenities at these locations, so the camper should be well-prepared. Above all, please do not leave litter in these popular recreation areas. Always remember, crocodiles are a real danger at deep water holes and around northern coastal waters generally. This is regardless of whether camping at a location is a common practice or not.

A pleasant swimming location closer to town is Vyses Crossing which can be reached in 20 minutes by car. There is a barbeque area at Vyses Crossing. However, later in the dry season, the creek may not be flowing.

There is also a boatramp to launch boats near the Andoom Creek Bridge. You can hire a boat or organise a trip with one of the many local tourist operators to capture a seafood delicacy worth 'an arm and a leg' in a southern restaurant. In fact, throw a line from almost any beach and you may be surprised. Closer to Weipa, the fishing in the Hey, Embley and Mission Rivers is second to none.

MINING

The Weipa mining operation by Rio Tinto is conducted on a mining lease of around 2,590 square kilometres (1000 square miles).

The larger part of the operation mines bauxite, using an open-cut method, washes and grades the bauxite, pumps fine material in a slurry to large settling dams and loads the washed bauxite into bulk ore carriers (around 70,000 tonnes capacity) for shipment to Gladstone and overseas ports.

Bauxite is mined on the Weipa Peninsula and at Andoom, which is connected to the Peninsula by road and railway line, running noth over the Mission River Bridge. The mining area, which is closed to unauthorised traffic, extends from just north of the Andoom Creek Bridge.