Page 107 - Ebook Explore Cape York

Chapter 7

Weipa & Mapoon

Weipa is just a mining town, right? WRONG!!! It really is so
much bigger than that. With more of the PDR being sealed each
year Weipa is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist
destination.

In the late 60’s the town of Weipa was built to support
Comalco’s fledgling bauxite mining operation. Today it is central
to one of the world’s largest bauxite mines, run by one of the
world’s largest mining companies, Rio Tinto.

Apart from the mining, Weipa hosts a growing tourism industry
and with many fishing opportunities it has a well-established
reputation as one of Cape York’s top fishing spots.

With a population of around 3000 Weipa has a full array of
services – supermarket, cafes, hardware, banking, Post Office,
pharmacy, medical facilities, mechanical and marine servicing
and repairs and a whole lot more – it’s the friendly, welcoming
community that makes it so much more than just a mining
town.

There’s plenty to see and do, head past the Weipa Camping
Ground and you’ll come upon a couple of lakes, where you can
sit and relax, fire up a BBQ, send the kids to the playground or
walk and swim with your dog. You’ll be spoilt for choice when it
comes to walking tracks. Birdwatching is another popular Weipa
pastime.