Australia’s backpacker trail is well charted, from its big cities and miles of glorious beaches to the dusty red Outback. But there’s a region that few Aussies have ever set foot on, let alone curious Brits from the other side of the planet: the Torres Strait Islands.
The tropical islands have welcomed only a handful of outsiders, with the notable exception of Hollywood actor Zac Efron for his Down to Earth Netflix travel series, and now, me!
Visiting the Islands is usually invite-only, but that’s changing as locally-owned company Strait Experience opens up one of the biggest islands, Masig, also known as Yorke Island, for cultural experience expeditions.
I took a running jump off the beaten track to explore one of the last undiscovered places Down Under.
Where is it?
Strewn between the Australian mainland and Papua New Guinea, the only way to get to the Torres Strait is by air, detaching from the tourist trail from Cairns to fly up to Horn Island and onwards to Masig in the Strait.
The views will help to override any nerves about being strapped into such a small aircraft: it’s a dreamy vision where the azure ocean washes into the blue of the sky above. There are some 250 land masses here, yet only 18 are inhabited, predominantly by the Torres Strait Islanders, an indigenous group with a history as long as the Aboriginal people.
While Masig is one of the bigger islands, it’s still only a little over half a square mile big, rising about 10 feet above sea level in most spots, putting it at huge risk of erosion as global sea levels rise.
Why is it opening to tourism now?
Established in 2020, Strait Experience has begun operating small personal tours to Masig, aiming to attract well-heeled tourists who care about sustainable travel.
I wonder how sustainable it can be if flying there is the only way to reach the island. Fraser Nai, Torres Strait Islander and co-owner of Strait Experience, acknowledges my point, but says that people are flying anyway (including charter flights that bring in the island’s essential supplies). Once visitors reach Masig, it is all low-impact.
Besides, while coastal erosion is a primary concern for Islanders, cultural erosion is a close second. Without viable career prospects, the island’s teenagers leave for secondary school on the mainland — and most don’t return. With these new excursions, Strait Experience is hoping to create local jobs while preserving Masig’s precious culture.
Fraser told the London Standard: “We are trying to shift the economic needle. If we incentivise the young to continue to do things that have always been part of their culture — like fishing or basket weaving — there’s more reason to stay. Strait Experience is about achieving something that is sustainable with the right balance of tourism and safeguarding the community and its way of life. Not just for Masig, but right across the Strait.”
Where to stay
Once you’ve touched down on the minuscule air strip and disembarked into the humidity, it’s straight off to the local council to register your arrival. Sun-kissed toddlers run barefoot amongst the palm trees, dogs sniff hopefully at our suitcases, and locals wave from their gardens as we stroll by. Masig is tiny with a population of around 270; everyone we meet is an uncle, an aunt, a cousin or a good friend of Fraser’s.
Strait Experience will organise your entire stay, including your bed for the night at Lowatta Lodge.
Just off the main strip that runs the length of the island, the rustic Lodge is a series of cabins with en-suites and air-con. Choose cabin three and you can claim to have shared a bed with Zac Efron, albeit not at the same time. It’s basic — don’t expect a minibar or a hot tub — but it is clean and comfortable. Besides, if you’re coming to Masig, you’re here for culture and adventure, not resort-style luxury.
Fraser has big plans for glamping on the beach and sustainable one-night stays on nearby islands for travellers who truly want to jump off the grid. Watch this space.
Food & Drink
Masig has only two general stores on the island stocked with goods flown in on charter planes; everything else is supplied by the vast stretches of ocean all around it. The island’s main profession is fishing, doing it the old-fashioned sustainable way: a couple of blokes on a boat, a line and some bait.
The catch can be anything from fish to lobster so big that they fetch AUS$80 on the mainland. The occasional croc has been known to float by, washed out to sea by monsoon floodwaters from Papua New Guinea, a mere 70km away.
A cultural culinary experience shows visitors the traditional Torres Strait way to prepare cuts, veggies and bread. Everything is prepared on a banana leaf that’s woven shut before being placed on hot coals in a hole dug into the ground. The floor ovens are filled in and covered, left to slow cook for a few hours until suppertime while you slurp on freshly hacked coconuts.
What to do
Aside from culinary classes or trying your hand at a spot of sea fishing, there are a few sites to check out on Masig.
On one side of the island stands a white, weathered structure, paint peeling under the tropical sun. This is Masig’s Anglican Church, built in 1890 and decorated with colourful bunting and a font made from a giant clam. It is the centre of all major celebrations and a service is held here every Sunday.
There is no secondary school, only a primary school which sits on grounds where the locals believe witchcraft was once practised; the Hogwarts of the Torres Strait, I quip. They respond with characteristic belly laughs.
Other activities that Strait Experience can organise include spear-making, basket-weaving and baby sea turtle conservation, keeping infants safe until they’re strong enough to be released back into the open ocean.
Getting there
For international flights from London, fly to Brisbane with Emirates. Then it’s up to Cairns and Horn Island to start your Torres Strait adventure.
Prices from £1351.65pp, based on two sharing with Strait Experience
