Yes, it absolutely tasted as good as it looks. No, there’s none left over to share. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
I may have only been in the editor’s chair for 31 editions but news moves at a rate that often feels like dog years on Cape York.
Like founding editor Matt Nicholls – who sold the masthead to Canberra-based Region Media in mid-2023 – I’ve already lost count of how many times the Peninsula Developmental Road and other vital-yet-overlooked transport infrastructure has reared its head as a story topic, but it will not get a run as a top five story until we can effect some genuine change in how government views funding and delivering upgrades to the road literally linking us with the rest of the state.
I reckon this list showcases the unique mix of community, characters and concerns when it comes to reporting on day-to-day life up here.
Faulty app lands tourists in strife (Edition 172 – 20 February 2024)
This yarn could have only happened in Cape York, and in just my third week at the helm of the newspaper. A Google Maps failure gave German tourists Marcel Schoene and Philipp Maier a seven-day, 100-kilometre wet season ordeal that made international news and had the Cape York Weekly phone ringing off the hook with calls from journalists in Australia and across the globe trying to track down the boys. The whole story started with a casual call from a contact in Coen, so it quickly cemented the importance of maintaining local sources and strong networks in somewhere as vast as Cape York. Thankfully, the lads were fine and left Australia with the story of a lifetime. We’re still waiting to hear back from Google about the inadequacy of their mapping software in remote spots, however.
German tourists Marcel Schoene and Philipp Maier had plenty of awkward crossings to contend with when Google Maps sent them into a flooded and impassable Oyala Thumotang National Park in February. Photo: Supplied.
Landholder kept in dark over World Heritage bid (Edition 174 – 5 March 2024)
This was one of the first stories to wave a red flag at the mission to tentatively list part of Cape York to receive World Heritage status. From this point, the ball of yarn started to unravel for the State Government and they were forced to backtrack and spin on how they were running their consultation process, which involved speaking to Traditional Owners but no one else. The tentative submission was made to UNESCO in July but the fight for transparency and genuine consultation goes on.
Junior cowboy gearing up for a trip to United States (Edition 197 – 13 August 2024)
It’s always fun to write a yarn about a rising star at the beginning of their career, and there seems little doubt 15-year-old Josh Snell is going to be just that. This story was written after Snell was invited to ride in the 2024 International Miniature Bullriders Association World Finals in the United State this week, barely a month after he told Cape York Weekly “I want to make it to America and get over there for those events and the big money” on his way to this year’s Laura Rodeo and Campdraft. By the time we reach edition 300, I have no doubt this young cowboy will be carving out an impressive rodeo career both here and overseas.
Pub reopening to honour Stumpy (Edition 171 – 13 February 2024)
This story had it all – a publican tragically taken by a saltwater crocodile and the best mate moving from the nation’s capital to a remote town on Cape York to honour his memory and ensure the pub remained operational as a legacy. Anyone who has been to the Peninsula Hotel in Laura since new publican Stuart Wiggins reopened the doors earlier this year will know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t been yet, mark it down as a priority must-visit spot.
Stuart Wiggins shifted his life from Canberra to Laura to ensure the memory of his best mate, former publican Kevin “Stumpy” Darmody, would live on at the popular Cape York watering hole. Photo: Supplied.
Cape York Land Council CEO sacked after arrest (Edition 198 – 20 August 2024)
The arrest of former Cape York Land Council (CYLC) boss Dion Creek on 15 domestic violence-related charges made national headlines last month, but it was the Cape York Weekly that broke the news the board of the powerful land council had sensationally sacked him with “immediate effect” after a crisis meeting. The CYLC plays an important role for many Traditional Owners and related stakeholders in this part of the world, so it was vital we reported on what was happening, as it happened, when the organisation went to ground amid the controversy. Watch this space as the story evolves over the coming months.
