ReefClean – Orpheus Island Clean-up, QLD

Orpheus Island is part of the Goolboddi Islands within Hinchinbrook Shire.
The Island is a National Park and resides within a green zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
It is a semi-remote area located just off Lucinda, Ingham in Queensland, and is home to James Cook University’s Research Station, the Orpheus Island Lodge and an amazing diversity of marine life and habitats.
Tangaroa Blue Foundation started volunteer-based clean-ups at Orpheus Island in 2014 and since then, new sites have been targeted and are continuously expanding around the island and to neighbouring islands, which are riddled with old and new marine debris items washing in from national and international sources.
Join our team along with QLD Parks & Wildlife, Absolute North Charters, and Windswell Kiteboarding & Standup Paddleboarding Port Douglas, for a few nights camping under the stars at Yanks Jetty, while circling and exploring the island during the day to target the next clean-up location for the team to tackle.
The marine debris that is collected out on the sands will return to Yanks Jetty so we can later sort and record items for the AMDI Database which enables us to track items and solve this global issue at the source. Sorting through the debris also allows for responsible disposal on the mainland, by diverting as much from landfill and giving items value through recycling and repurposing.
Spaces are limited to 15 people, so if you’re available please express your interest to vanessa@tangaroablue.org ASAP to find out more and to secure a spot for you to join us on this adventurous, water-based clean-up activity.
Fitness note: we will be disembarking and boarding the boat/barge regularly to access sites as well as loading bags and debris on board, so we’re looking for fit people who have worked around water and boats previously, and who are accustomed to camping with basic facilities.
We will be camping for a few nights on the island at Yanks Jetty from November 1 – 4, departing Lucinda on Friday at 8 am and returning on Sunday by 5:30 pm.
There is NO running water on-site at Yanks Jetty, therefore no showers, just basic toilets.
We will provide numerous water drums that will be refilled daily for drinking, hand washing, and dishes.
There will be the opportunity to snorkel while staying at Yanks Jetty, once the work in the morning is done. Windswell will supervise this, provide snorkeling gear and you can hire stinger suits for $30/4days, which will also be useful during the clean-ups as everyone will be required to have these when entering the water with stinger season coming up.
Tangaroa Blue will provide food, drinks, camp cooking equipment, camping chairs, sunscreen/bug spray, clean-up materials, safety equipment and will cover your camping fee at Yanks Jetty. We just ask everyone to chip in $35 to cover the cost of food for meals, snacks, and drinks for Tangaroa Blue to buy and bring for the 4 days.
Our team will be staying in Lucinda on the night of October 31st as we’ll be departing early on the 1st November – if you’re coming down from Cairns I would suggest travelling the day before. If you require accommodation in the Lucinda region, this will be an additional cost that you will need to cover as well.
More information will be provided upon registration; however, we ask you please bring the main items below (FYI – you will get wet!):
-enclosed footwear that you don’t mind getting wet
-stinger suit/leggings/pants as we will be in shallow waters between boat and land and especially since we are approaching the warmer months and into stinger season
-sun-smart clothing that you don’t mind getting wet
-a hat, sunnies and personal sunscreen
-backpack to carry your belongings (water bottle, lunch kit, etc)
-your own camping/sleeping gear
ReefClean is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and is delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Conservation Volunteers Australia, AUSMAP, Capricornia Catchments, Eco Barge Clean SEas, OceanWatch Australia, Reef Check Australia and South Cape York Catchments.