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An extensive search is underway for a woman missing in bushland near Cooktown since the weekend.
Juliana Castrillon, 36, was visiting the region to attend the Orin Aya festival at Home Rule, a rainforest property near Rossville.
The event, from 2-5 September, was billed as a four-day psychedelic global gathering and celebration.
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Juliana’s friend Alex said she was supposed to return from a walk on Saturday. She’d left Home Rule on Wednesday to hike the track to Cedar Bay and was meant to return to the same property.
“A friend arrived at the campsite on Sunday and Juliana’s car was still there,” she said. “She hadn’t reached the campsite. We haven’t heard anything since then.”
An aerial search was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, but police said visibility was poor due to dense bush and difficult terrain.
Juliana is from Colombia, but now lives in Byron Bay. Alex said she had travelled to Far North Queensland to attend the Orin Aya festival.
“Apparently, she stayed with some other people that were in the festival and they decided to do the track, the bush walk.
“She emailed us saying she would return on the weekend, but she didn’t. That’s why we called the police.”
Alex said Juliana was physically well and a confident bush walker.
The trail from Home Rule to Cedar Bay is only recommended for self-reliant walkers with extensive bushwalking experience.
It’s a strenuous 28-kilometre round trip, with six to eight hour walks each way. The trail is marked, but some sections become indistinct after rain or periods of low use.
Police appealed for anyone with information on Juliana’s whereabouts to contact them.
Main points
- Juliana was expected to return on Saturday
- She was walking the track between Home Rule and Cedar Bay
- A search is underway and police are investigating
