a day ago
Message in a bottle found among debris as tonnes of rubbish cleared from remote beach
One of Australia's most remote coastlines has been given a new lease on life.
Nearly 15 tonnes of rubbish has been cleared from Cape Bedford on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland in what has been billed Australia's largest remote clean-up.
Organised by environmental group Parley, the 10-day mission to protect one of Australia's most ecologically significant coastlines was launched from nearby Elim Beach campground, about an hours' drive north of Cooktown.
The remote location made the clean-up especially challenging, with all 14.5 tonnes of washed-up waste collected and carried by hand to 4WD trucks to then be hauled away across sand dunes, scrub and rugged terrain.
The mission brought together up to 30 volunteers a day including members of Melbourne-based sustainability group BAlternative and locals from the Far North Queensland region.
The project was led in close partnership with Traditional Owner Ivan Deemal, whose cultural guidance ensured the work respected and protected the land's deep spiritual significance, Parley said.
'Working with Ivan reminded us that this isn't just about collecting rubbish, it's about listening, learning, and restoring a sacred and fragile ecosystem,' Parley Australia CEO Christian Miller said.
With a focus on prevention and action, the global ocean conservation group is working to end plastic pollution through education, coastal clean-ups, and long-term change.
The organisation runs clean-up initiatives and offers volunteer, school and corporate engagement programs across the world.
Among the thongs, jerrycans and plastic washed up on the golden beaches, volunteers came across something unexpected — a message in a bottle.
Inside was a simple handwritten note: 'Call me.'
When the team dialled the number, they were met with surprise and joy by a grandmother — a passionate ocean advocate who explained the bottle had been released just a week earlier by her twin granddaughters off Fitzroy Island, a resort island just off Cairns, almost 200km south of Cape Bedford.
'It was one of those unexpected moments that reminds you how connected we all are by the ocean,' Miller said.
'And a stark reminder of how quickly marine debris can travel between regions.'
The team also removed dangerous debris found tangled around tree roots — a grim visual reminder of the slow and silent threat of plastic waste.
These root-bound ropes and nets had become entrenched hazards to marine life and long-term sources of microplastic pollution, Parsley said.
'If you can see the impact of plastic pollution in the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living reef structure in the world, you realise it has become everyone's responsibility to let go of this silent killer plastic,' Miller said.
'When we work together, guided by Traditional knowledge, science, and shared purpose, we show what's possible — not just for the ocean, but for the future of the planet.'
Parley Australia said the Cape Bedford clean-up is a strong example of what's possible when science, Traditional knowledge and grassroots action come together.
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