Horn Island is one of the populated Torres Strait Islands in the north of Queensland.
Horn Island has nearly 600 residents and an area of . There was an influx of British settlers with the gold mining in the 19th century, followed by prosperity in the 20th century due to the pearling industry. Horn was a military base during World War II and was heavily attacked by the Japanese. All the islanders were evacuated, but returned later.
Horn Island is the air gateway to the area, especially to the neighbouring Thursday Island. Flights are met by bus transfers and ferries.
It is well worth a short stop on Horn Island if you're visiting the more developed Thursday Island. But once you've visited the couple of attractions and walked along the beach you'll have done everything tourism-related in less than a day.
From Thursday Island, there are two scheduled ferry operators with regular daytime passenger services. You can take a tour of Horn and Thursday Islands from the mainland at Seisia. It's about 2 km across the water to Thursday Island.
Car rental is available from the Wongai Beach Hotel, they charge $132/day plus 20c per km travelled.
There are ATMs in the supermarket and the Wongai Hotel. The supermarket and the hotels both accept credit cards with no surcharge. The ferry accepts cash on board, but you can book on their website 24 hours in advance and pay by credit card.
There are very few other places to spend your money.
There is a cafe (of sorts) in the supermarket, that sells breakfast, lunch and coffee.
The Wongai Hotel serves lunch and dinner every day, with a limited range on any day, but specials depending on the day.
If you let the time go past 8PM without organising dinner, your choice will be limited to chips or peanuts from behind the bar.
There are two accommodation options on the island. Both offer motel style rooms, air conditioning, swimming pool, and are within 5 minutes walk of the wharf. The Wongai has nice gardens, with the owner an avid gardener. The attached pub is the centre of a small social scene on the island. The Gateway hosts the museum, and has an open air bar area surrounding the pool.
There is good 3G reception in all settled areas of the island and the airport. Wi-Fi is offered at the Wongai Beach hotel for a charge.
Horn Island is a hub for aviation in the Torres Strait Islands. The easiest next hop is the ferry over to Thursday Island. To head off the beaten track, get your permit from the Aboriginal Lands Council, and contact Skytrans for your flight.
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