# Public transport services to aboriginal shires in FNQ

**URL:** <https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/t/public-transport-services-to-aboriginal-shires-in-fnq/1632>\
**Category:** Far North Queensland\
**Tags:** buses, ferries, infrastructure, discussion\
**Created:** [23 May 2026 02:59 UTC](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/t/public-transport-services-to-aboriginal-shires-in-fnq/1632 "2026-05-23T02:59:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![as-saffarini](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/user_avatar/forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/as-saffarini/32/319_2.png) [@as-saffarini](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/u/as-saffarini)\
**Post date:** [23 May 2026 02:59 UTC](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/t/public-transport-services-to-aboriginal-shires-in-fnq/1632/1 "2026-05-23T02:59:22Z")

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As someone without a driving license or car who has been looking to travel sometime soon to FNQ I was disappointed to find that public transport services north of Cairns are extremely limited with the only aboriginal shires that seem to have services in FNQ being wujal Wujal which is serviced by transnorth on the Cairns to Cooktown coastal run via Port Douglas.

 ![i-cairnscooktown-coastal-1](https://d2ncxwic62bt2e.cloudfront.net/original/2X/c/c0820c481c16ad160f2d3c82109da9c94f201c86.gif)

Their other runs in the region include a service to Karumba:

 ![i-cairnstokarumba-1](https://d2ncxwic62bt2e.cloudfront.net/original/2X/d/d2a81f67015dc21cb15d73f6451ea42132f0ec61.gif)

supplemented by runs to Atherton via Mareeba

 ![i-cairns-atherton6](https://d2ncxwic62bt2e.cloudfront.net/original/2X/2/2dc34387ed0641296ffe4d0f899a6d9ca744da17.jpeg)

and their inland runs to Cooktown via Mareeba:

 ![i-cairnscooktown-inland](https://d2ncxwic62bt2e.cloudfront.net/original/2X/1/163d4344e9a06645bdbdf12b5a063f0e71b6593c.gif)

While I understand that the Geography and standard of infrastructure of much of FNQ especially on the eastern coast of the Cape York peninsula would be hard to service by bus surely a run up the peninsula developmental road to Weipa could be justified, considering that it could link up to the ferry services to the torres strait island, not to mention enabling connectivity between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal small settlements in between cairns and the top of the peninsula.

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**Author:** ![rowangray](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/user_avatar/forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/rowangray/32/5835_2.png) [@rowangray](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/u/rowangray)\
**Post date:** [23 May 2026 03:25 UTC](https://forum.bettertransportqueensland.org/t/public-transport-services-to-aboriginal-shires-in-fnq/1632/2 "2026-05-23T03:25:34Z")

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In general, regional public transport and coach connections are very limited outside of the major hubs and towns which just so happen to be on the route to a major hub.

I know it’s not really financially feasible for a private company to operate services, but surely there’s some level of justification for the government to subsidise at least a skeleton coach service to at least some smaller communities.