On September 21st to 29th, 2023, a team of seven volunteers and one coordinator set off from Cairns to clean not just 5 Beaches, but as it happened, nearly 7! After two days of hard driving, they camped at Archer River and crossed Jardine River where they were met by the rest of the team who travelled from the Torres Strait Islands.
Punsand Bay served as their base for six nights, offering essential amenities and a space to unwind. They also witnessed a nesting turtle during one evening to make it extra special. Using Somerset Bay as their sorting base, they conducted quarterly monitoring at Fly Point. Assistance from Apudthama Rangers and local Custodians ensured a systematic clean-up process, including safety checks for crocodile activity when they came across fresh tracks on the beach.
Throughout the clean-up, volunteers joined in on various days, and they were joined by a group from DAFF who gave the group a briefing on biosecurity. Passersby along 4WD tracks inquired about our activities, with some spontaneously contributing to the clean-up.
The group removed 1.73 tonnes of debris, with hard plastic remnants, bottle lids, and thongs being the most prevalent. The clean-up extended beyond the designated five beaches, covering a sixth and seventh beach.
In addition to physical clean-up, the sorting, data collection, and entry into the Australian Marine Debris (AMDI) Database were crucial. The information collected will be used to establish source reduction plans and hopefully stop the rubbish from entering the ocean in the first place.
As the journey concluded, a stopover at Fruit Bat Falls provided a break, followed by an overnight stay at Hann River on the return to Cairns.
It was a huge all round effort by a fantastic group of volunteers which is what makes these events so successful.
Thanks to Ocean Conservancy for funding which supported this event.
