Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula stretches northward like a long arm, with the Great Barrier Reef running parallel to the east. Cape York, at the end of the peninsula, is the northernmost point of the Australian mainland. Past the cape, the Torres Strait Islands continue onward toward Papua New Guinea, creating a maze of tropical islands and reefs that divide the Coral Sea from the Arafura Sea.Only 14 of the strait's 274 islands are inhabited. The languages and customs vary from island to island—the people have largely maintained their indigenous cultures, a mix of Australian Aboriginal, Melanesian and others from Papua New Guinea.