Mary River Country Camp
Rangers from Mary River National Park, with assistance from a Litchfield National Park Ranger, were recently involved in setting up a Culture Country Camp on a remote stretch of the Mary River.
Careful planning and preparations were put into choosing a safe and large enough campsite for up to 60 attendees. The campsite lies within the McKinlay block of Mary River National Park, where the river is broken up in shallow fast flowing sections and large pools lined with tall paperbark and pandanus. The area is a truly special place, and it was a great privilege for our Rangers to set up camp and spend time on country with the Uwynmil Traditional Owners.
Rangers set up large shade structures, tables, toilets, and cooking areas for the 45 attendees, whilst keeping a steady supply of firewood going for the 5-day camp. Staff from the Northern Land Council were in attendance and provided food for everyone. The preferred cooking vessel being the old trusty camp oven. It was great to see people both young and old enjoying activities like fishing, spear-making, painting, jewellery making and cooking traditional foods like freshwater turtle, barramundi, and black bream. Parks and Wildlife staff are lucky to be involved in camps like these and look forward to being involved in the next one!
