The headwaters of the river rise in the Great Dividing Range and flows in a south westerly direction through mostly uninhabited country across Cape York Peninsula.

It eventually discharges into the Holroyd River near the Kulinchin Outstation and then onto the Gulf of Carpentaria.

[2] The river has a catchment area of 4,851 square kilometres (1,873 sq mi), of which an area of 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi) is composed of palustrine wetlands.

[3] The traditional owners of the area are the Wik-Munkan[4] and Mimungkun peoples.

[5] Kugu Nganhcara (also known as Wik, Wiknantjara, Wik Nganychara, Wik Ngencherr) is a traditional language of the area, which includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Cook Shire.